Another big name drops out of the American Express as Xander Schauffele has pulled out of next week’s tournament in Palm Springs.
The World No. 2’s withdrawal, announced Monday night by the PGA Tour, comes as a double blow to the event that’s already missing top-ranked Scottie Scheffler.
Philip Knowles will take Schauffele’s spot in the 156-player field.
The tournament’s star power took its first hit when Scheffler had to withdraw after a freak Christmas accident. The World No. 1 cut his hand on broken glass while preparing dinner and needed surgery.
"After consulting with my medical team, I have made the decision to withdraw," Scheffler said in a statement. "I am still hopeful to begin my 2025 Season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am."
No reason was given for Schauffele’s withdrawal, and the 30-year-old star hasn’t mentioned anything on his social media accounts.
We last saw Schauffele in action during TGL’s opening week, where his New York Golf Club team took a tough 9-2 loss against The Bay. Ludvig Aberg, Shane Lowry, and Wyndham Clark proved too strong that day at Florida’s SoFi Center.
His 2025 season started quietly at The Sentry in Hawaii, where he finished tied for 30th. That followed a somewhat quiet end to 2024, with just a T41st at the Zozo Championship after his impressive fourth-place showing at the Tour Championship.
There’s a good chance we’ll see Schauffele back in action next week. He hasn’t missed the Farmers Insurance Open since first teeing it up there in 2016 – it’s practically his hometown event, being just down the road from where he grew up in San Diego.
The American Express will still feature plenty of star power, but losing two of the world’s top players is definitely not what organizers had hoped for as they kick off the mainland swing of the PGA Tour season.
