Xander Schauffele Withdraws From the American Express, Joining Scottie Scheffler

World No. 2 Xander Schauffele has withdrawn from this week’s tournament in the California desert for undisclosed medical reasons, according to the AP.
Xander Schauffele finished T30 in his 2025 debut at the Sentry.
Xander Schauffele finished T30 in his 2025 debut at the Sentry. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another marquee name has pulled out of the American Express.

World No. 2 Xander Schauffele has withdrawn from this week’s event in the California desert for undisclosed medical reasons, according to the Associated Press.

The reigning British Open and PGA champion was set to be the highest-ranked player in the field after world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler withdrew last week as he is still recovering from hand surgery. World No. 7 Wyndham Clark is now the only top-10 player in the field.

Schauffele, 31, played the inaugural TGL match with his team, New York Golf Club, last Tuesday in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.—across the country from the American Express’s site.

The San Diego native played the PGA Tour’s season-opening Sentry in Hawaii two weeks ago, finishing T30.

Schauffele is replaced in the field by 28-year-old Philip Knowles, the world No. 651.

In four starts at the American Express, Schauffele has missed the cut twice but finished T3 in both 2023 and ’24.

Next week is his hometown tournament, the Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines, which Schauffele has played every year of his career. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a signature event, follows the Farmers.


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Max Schreiber
MAX SCHREIBER

Max Schreiber is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, covering golf. Before joining SI in October 2024, the Mahwah, N.J., native, worked as an associate editor for the Golf Channel and wrote for RyderCup.com and FanSided. He is a multiplatform producer for Newsday and has a bachelor's in communications and journalism from Quinnipiac University. In his free time, you can find him doing anything regarding the Yankees, Giants, Knicks and Islanders.