World No 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has pulled out of this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, with a report from the Golf Channel indicating the imminent birth of his second child as the reason for his withdrawal.
Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, welcomed their first son, Bennett, on 8 May 2024, shortly after the American secured his second Masters victory.
The four-time major winner had been expected to compete in his home state, an event where he boasts a strong record.
He has played the tournament six times, achieving four top-10 finishes, including tying for second place in both 2024 and 2025.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee is the reigning champion of the event.
In other field changes, PGA Tour Communications confirmed Bud Cauley also withdrew from the Houston tournament.
Matt Kuchar and Ireland’s Seamus Power have since been added to the roster. Further withdrawals on Sunday included Austin Smotherman, Australia’s Cam Davis, Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune, and Michael Kim.
These players were replaced by Jimmy Stanger, Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, and English golfers Danny Willett and Paul Waring.
On Monday, Doug Ghim joined the field following Matt McCarty’s withdrawal.
Scheffler is now set to prioritize his family before turning his attention to next month’s Masters.
Scheffler has an impressive record at Augusta National, having won the prestigious event in 2022 and 2024.
He was unable to defend his title last year as Rory McIlroy completed his career grand slam by beating England’s Justin Rose in a dramatic play-off.
However, Scheffler bounced back to win two major titles later in 2025, as he triumphed at the PGA Championship and The Open.
The 29-year-old currently has four majors to his name and will look to add to that tally in Georgia, despite a relatively quiet start to 2026.
Scheffler could be joined at the Masters by Tiger Woods, with the American icon set to step up his recovery from back surgery by playing at the TGL Finals on Tuesday evening.
