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Scottie Scheffler has proven himself to be human over the past two weeks, leading to initial concerns when he withdrew from the Houston Open this week.
The PGA Tour announced Wednesday that Matt Kuchar will replace Scheffler, whose withdrawal came rather abruptly, given that this weekend is one of the final tune-ups before the Masters.
However, there is good reason for this decision, as Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, are reportedly about to welcome their second child.
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Scottie Scheffler reacts to his tee shot on 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 welcoming another child was taking its toll on Scheffler. He finished T-22 at The Players earlier this month after finishing T-24 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He started the 2026 season with a win at the American Express and followed that up with typical finishes 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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As a reminder, before this recent slump, Scheffler finished in the top 10 in each of his previous 19 tournaments, and the last time he finished outside the top 20 in consecutive 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, officially putting himself on the map. Two years later, he took over the green jacket from Jon Rahm, proving himself 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 victory at Augusta.
Scottie Scheffler reacts after a putt during the second round of the U.S. Open at No. 2 Pinehurst. (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 for The Players the following week.
