The world’s top two golfers are dealing with injuries and it’s uncertain when they’ll tee it up again.
World No. 2 Xander Schauffele withdrew from the American Express last week for an undisclosed medical reason and raised eyebrows when he decided not to play his hometown event this week, the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, for the first time in his career.
However, Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis reported that a soft tissue right rib injury has been nagging the reigning British Open and PGA champion since late last year. Schauffele played through the injury at the season-opening Sentry, placing T30, but is now resting the ailment and not taking any full swings. Therefore, his status for next week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a signature event, is up in the air.
Pebble Beach was supposed to be the site of Scheffler’s return as he recovers from right-hand surgery after being pierced by glass making homemade raviolis for Christmas dinner. But now the world No. 1 might be sidelined for a little longer.
“Just want to make sure I’m getting back to normal, progressing the right way in recovery,” Scheffler said Monday during a media session for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. “I’m definitely anxious to get back, excited to get back, but I’m also not going to rush back just to rush back.”
Lewis is also reporting that Scheffler, who withdrew from the Sentry and American Express, is not yet making full swings and is only putting and chipping; though, he could get back to his normal routine this week.
In the meantime, Scheffler has been getting used to doing everyday tasks lefty.
“Sometimes you don’t realize how uncoordinated you are until you have to brush your teeth left-handed,” Scheffler said.
The deadline to join the field at Pebble Beach is this Friday. If Schauffele and Scheffler don’t return then, they could in the following two weeks at either the WM Phoenix Open or Genesis Invitational, which reportedly will be moving to San Diego’s Torrey Pines in the wake of the Los Angeles-area wildfires.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele Unsure of Returns Amid Injuries.