Christmas dinner accident forces world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler out of PGA Tour season-opener

Men’s golf world number one Scottie Scheffler will miss the opening tournament of the 2025 PGA Tour after suffering a freak injury during Christmas dinner.

The 28-year-old’s manager, Blake Smith, said in a statement, “On Christmas Day while preparing dinner, Scottie sustained a puncture wound to the palm of his right hand from a broken glass. Small glass fragments remained in the palm which required surgery.”

Scheffler has withdrawn from the Sentry tournament in Maui, Hawaii but is scheduled to return for the American Express in La Quinta, California on 16 January.

In 2024, Scheffler won his third consecutive PGA Tour Player of the Year award after claiming seven tour titles including a second Masters Green Jacket. He also won Olympic gold at Paris 2024, beating Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood by one stroke.