Injuries are among the most significant uncertainties for the 2025 PGA Tour’s early season.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was sidelined by an unexpected injury over the Christmas holiday when he cut his right palm on a broken piece of glass while preparing a family meal. Scheffler’s manager confirmed the news, and the PGA Tour announced on Saturday that the injury required surgery, forcing Scheffler to withdraw from the 2025 season-opening event, The Sentry. The $20 million tournament is set to begin on January 3 at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii.
Scheffler had a career-defining 2024, capturing seven PGA Tour victories, earning his third consecutive Player of the Year award, and winning an Olympic gold medal in men’s golf at the Paris Games. However, this unexpected setback raises questions about his early-season form in 2025. His manager estimates Scheffler will return to action within a month, potentially making his season debut at The American Express, which kicks off January 17 with an $8.8 million purse.
Still, CNN offers a more cautious outlook, suggesting that Scheffler’s 2025 season will be quieter than his remarkable 2024 campaign due to the recovery process.
In 2024, Scheffler’s worst finish in 17 starts was a tie for 41st at the U.S. Open. That result was overshadowed by an off-course incident involving a run-in with law enforcement during a travel-related dispute. That distraction likely contributed to his underperformance at the major. Given this history of external issues affecting his game, there are growing concerns about how Scheffler’s palm injury and subsequent surgery might impact his performance at the start of 2025.
Scheffler isn’t the only high-profile golfer dealing with an early-season injury. World No. 8 Viktor Hovland has also been affected, suffering a fractured pinky toe that raises doubts about his ability to start the season at full strength.
Hovland shared an X-ray of his fractured toe on social media over the weekend, humorously captioning it, Bed frame 1, me 0. According to Eurosport, the Norwegian star injured his toe during training after an unfortunate encounter with the edge of his bed. Hovland reportedly manages the injury with taping and pain medication, hoping to push through the week. The recovery time for the fracture is expected to take 4-6 weeks.