World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has withdrawn from the Texas Children’s Houston Open this week, citing family reasons — specifically, the imminent arrival of his and wife Meredith’s second child.
The two-time Masters champion had been committed to play at Memorial Park Golf Course in his home state of Texas as a final tune-up before Augusta, but was announced as a late scratch from the field on Monday. Matt Kuchar entered the tournament in his place.
Why Scheffler Is Sitting Out
Scheffler and his wife Meredith are expecting their second child, and the decision to withdraw came as the birth appeared imminent. The world number one has been open in previous interviews about the importance of family, and prioritising the birth of his child over a tournament appearance will come as no surprise to those who know him well.
The PGA TOUR confirmed the withdrawal was for personal family reasons, with Scheffler expected to resume competitive golf at The Masters — now his next confirmed start. He had previously cited the Houston Open as an important preparation event, given his strong record at Memorial Park.
Scheffler’s History at Memorial Park
Scheffler has been one of the most dominant players at Memorial Park in recent seasons, finishing runner-up in three of his last four appearances at the Houston Open, including back-to-back second-place finishes in 2024 and 2025. The course suits his powerful, accurate game — and losing him from the field is a genuine blow to the week’s competitive interest.
His absence opens the door for the likes of defending champion Min Woo Lee and world number 10 Chris Gotterup, who now stand as the most prominent names in a field that still includes 18 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The Road to Augusta
Scheffler had planned to use Houston as his final competitive round before arriving at Augusta National. He will now need to find alternative preparation — whether through practice rounds or simply trusting the form that has made him the most dominant player on tour for the past two years.
His Masters credentials speak for themselves. Scheffler won the green jacket in 2022 and 2024, and has been the favourite for every major he has entered since ascending to World No. 1. The question heading into 2026 is not whether he can contend at Augusta — it’s whether anyone else has the game to stop him.
What This Means for the Houston Open
The Houston Open runs from March 26-29 at Memorial Park, a public course that was redesigned by Tom Doak and reopened in 2020. The par-70 layout is one of the more demanding venues on the PGA Tour schedule, with tight fairways and difficult greens that reward precision over power.
Brooks Koepka is also in the field, adding further star power to a week that has already generated considerable pre-tournament attention. With Scheffler absent, the leaderboard heading into the weekend promises to be more open than usual — and could provide a fascinating preview of the Masters pecking order before the game’s biggest stage arrives.
Congratulations Are in Order
The golf world has universally applauded Scheffler’s decision to prioritise family over competitive preparation. In a sport that demands enormous sacrifice from its top players, moments like this serve as a reminder that even the world’s best golfers are, first and foremost, people with lives beyond the ropes.
