World No.2 Xander Schauffele has withdrawn from the 2025 American Express, the PGA Tour announced on Monday night.
In a short message on X, PGA Tour Communications simply stated that the former betting favorite was no longer in the 156-man field and he had ultimately replaced by Philip Knowles at the multi-course event in Palm Springs, California.
Monday's news was a particular blow to the event itself, with World No.1 Scottie Scheffler having already been forced to withdraw after accidentally cutting his hand on broken glass while preparing Christmas dinner.
The 28-year-old consequently required surgery on his right hand and confirmed he would be out until the end of January, having already missed out on a start at The Sentry in Hawaii earlier this month.
In a statement, Scheffler confirmed he next planned appearance. He said: "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. I am still hopeful to begin my 2025 Season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am."
World No. 2 Xander Schauffele is a WD from The American Express and is replaced by Philip Knowles.January 13, 2025
Meanwhile, Schauffele's future plans remain unclear after no detail on the reason for him pulling out of the event was offered by either the PGA Tour or on the player's social media accounts.
The Californian was last in action during the opening week of TGL when his New York Golf Club faced off against The Bay, ultimately going down 9-2 as Ludvig Aberg led Shane Lowry and Wyndham Clark to a comfortable success at SoFi Center in Florida.
Before that, the two-time Major champion kicked off his season at The Sentry in Hawaii, coming home in a tie for 30th. Since ending the Tour Championship T4th, Schauffele finished T41st in his only other PGA Tour start - the Zozo Championship.
Schauffele could return next week at the Farmers Insurance Open, an event he has competed in every year since 2016.
