Scheffler (hand) skips AmEx, eyes Pebble return

World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler withdrew from next week’s American Express to give his injured right hand a few more weeks to heal, he announced on his Instagram account.

The two-time Masters champion said he hopes to return at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, to be played Jan. 30-Feb. 2 in Pebble Beach, California.

“After consulting with my medical team, I have made the decision to withdraw from next week’s American Express tournament to give my injury more time to heal,” Scheffler wrote on Instagram. “I am still hopeful to begin my 2025 season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.”

Scheffler suffered a puncture wound to the palm of his right hand while cooking dinner on Christmas Day and had surgery to remove glass fragments, according to his manager, Blake Smith. Scheffler was expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks, Smith said.

The 28-year-old missed the PGA Tour’s 2025 season opener, The Sentry, which was won by Hideki Matsuyama in Kapalua, Hawaii. Scheffler wasn’t scheduled to play in this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii or the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California, on Jan. 22-25.

Scheffler is the reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year and FedEx Cup champion after winning seven times in 2024. He was the first golfer since Tiger Woods in 2007 to capture seven victories on tour. His nine worldwide wins included a second green jacket at the Masters, a gold medal at the Paris Olympics and a second straight victory at the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event in the Bahamas in December.