According to sources, world No. 2 player Xander Schauffele has left American Express. PGA TOUR COMMUNICATIONS SOCIAL CHANNELS.
Schauffele, who played in his TGL debut against The Bay Golf Club on Jan. 7, was scheduled to play in the Coachella Valley this week. Schauffele was scheduled to hold a pre-tournament press conference before the tour's opening game on Thursday, but it was later canceled. FanDuel also lists Schauffele Sungjae Im and Justin Thomas currently occupy that position as the pre-tournament favorites.
The reason for Schauffele's withdrawal from the tour was not disclosed. Philip Knowles will take his place on the field.
Perhaps Schauffele withdrew because he didn't want to crisscross the country again and run out of energy so early in the season. The current Champion Golfer of the Year and reigning PGA Championship winner started the year at Sentry on Maui and tied for 36th at Kapalua. He then hopped on a plane and jumped five time zones to South Florida, where his first-ever TGL game awaited him. After that, his club, New York Golf Club, easily lost 9-2, but Schauffele never said in the post-match interview that he was injured or that he felt jet-lagged.
Either way, Schauffele is expected to play in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the second signature event of the season, during the first week of February. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are also scheduled to play that week, marking the first time this year that the world's top three players will play in the same tournament.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
