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Scottie Scheffler has proven he’s human over the past few weeks, leading to initial concern when he withdrew from this week’s Houston Open.
The PGA Tour announced Wednesday that Matt Kuchar would replace Scheffler, whose withdrawal came rather abruptly, given that this weekend is one of the last tuneups before the Masters.
There is good reason for the move, however, as Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, are reportedly set to welcome their second child.
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Scottie Scheffler reacts to his tee shot from the 16th hole during The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Saturday, March 14, 2026. (Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union)
Perhaps the stress of taking in another child had weighed on Scheffler. He finished T-22 at The Players earlier this month after finishing T-24 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He began the 2026 season with a win at The American Express and followed up typical results of T-3 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T-4 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He then finished T-12 at the Genesis Invitational.
Scottie Scheffler tees off on the sixth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. (Aaron Doster/Imagn Images)
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For context, before this recent slump, Scheffler finished inside the top 10 in each of his previous 19 tournaments, and the last time he finished outside the top 20 in back-to-back events was in July and August 2023.
Scheffler has had success in Houston, finishing T2 in three of the last four Children’s Opens.
Scheffler won the Masters for the first time in 2022 and officially put himself on the map. Two years later, he took back the green jacket from Jon Rahm, proving himself to be the game’s best after being named PGA Tour Player of the Year in each of the previous two years.
Scheffler’s last chance for a Masters warm-up will be next week at the Valero Texas Open, but it remains to be seen what happens next weekend and beyond. The couple became parents in May 2024, just weeks after Scheffler’s second win at Augusta.
Scottie Scheffler reacts after a putt during the second round of the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2. (John David Mercer-USA Today Sports)
Reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy had to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to back spasms, but returned to The Players the following week.
