World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is not in the field for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, as the Masters champion takes a break following a sensational sequence of victories Carolina
Having secured his second green jacket at Augusta earlier this month, Scheffler also triumphed at last weekend’s RBC Heritage, winning by three strokes at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
That win – which added another $3.6 million to the 27-year-old’s bank balance – was his fourth tournament triumph in his last five events.
Scheffler is the first player on the PGA Tour to win four out of five tournaments since 15-time major champion Tiger Woods achieved the feat between 2007 and 2008.
Given that his heavily pregnant wife, Meredith, is expected to give birth to the couple’s first child imminently, it remains to be seen whether Scheffler will return for next week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Held at McKinney’s TPC Craig Ranch, in his native Texas, the CJ Cup is scheduled to get underway on Thursday 2 May.
Speaking ahead of the RBC Heritage, Scheffler said: “Up until when the baby comes, I’m going to play this week and then I’ll go home and basically just wait. We’re due at the end of the month.
“Like I said last week, golf now is – it never was my top priority, but I do love competing, and I put in the work. It’s going to take another notch down in priority when our child comes. My family still comes first, and we’ll see how the prep work goes.”
Talking to reporters during his three-shot victory at the Masters, Scheffler attracted widespread attention by declaring that he was ready to abandon his bid to win the major “at a moment’s notice” if he received word that his wife had gone into labour. “Pregnancy’s weird – it can happen at any time,” he said.