Scottie Scheffler has pulled out of the Texas Children's Houston Open, with the PGA Tour confirming his departure from the field on Tuesday afternoon.
The world number one cited family reasons for his withdrawal, with Golf Channel reporting that his wife Meredith is expecting the couple's second child imminently.
Matt Kuchar has been drafted in as Scheffler's replacement for the tournament at Memorial Park.
The decision marks a notable absence for the American, who has competed at the Houston event every year since joining the professional circuit and secured runner-up finishes in each of the past two editions.
Scottie Scheffler is one of the favourites to win The Masters this year
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The 29-year-old now appears unlikely to feature in competitive action before Augusta National, where he will arrive following a three-week hiatus from tournament golf.
His most recent outing came at The Players Championship, where a final-round score of one under par left him in a share of 22nd position on five under for the week.
Despite the underwhelming result at the PGA Tour's flagship event, Scheffler remained philosophical about his performance.
"I think with the way I hit it the first couple days, to kind of have the attitude that I did and the fight that I did," he reflected afterwards.
Scottie Scheffler's wife Meredith is set to give birth imminently
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The withdrawal comes amid an uncharacteristic dip in form for the dominant American, who finished tied for 24th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before his Players Championship showing.
These consecutive results outside the top 20 represent a stark departure from his previous standards, having recorded top-10 finishes in 19 successive tournaments prior to this recent downturn.
His last comparable run of poor form dates back to July and August 2023.
Scheffler opened his 2026 campaign with victory at The American Express, followed by third and fourth-place finishes at the Phoenix Open and Pebble Beach respectively, before his struggles with ball-striking emerged.
Scheffler and Meredith first crossed paths as freshmen at Highland Park High School in Dallas, though their romance did not blossom until their final year of secondary education.
Scottie Scheffler is expecting his second child
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The pair navigated a long-distance relationship whilst attending separate universities, with Meredith studying at Texas A&M and Scottie at the University of Texas.
They became engaged in June 2020 and wed later that year in a church ceremony in their hometown.
Their first child, son Bennett, arrived on 8th May 2024, just weeks after Scheffler claimed his second green jacket at Augusta.
The golfer has previously stated: "My greatest priorities are my faith and my family; those come first for me, golf is third in that order."