Something’s missing from golf’s early 2025 landscape, and it’s becoming increasingly noticeable. Xander Schauffele, the World No. 2, remains sidelined due to a rib injury, he endured late last year. After attempting to play through the pain at The Sentry in early January, where he finished T30, Schauffele’s injury worsened, forcing him to withdraw from events that followed, both on the Tour and on TGL. After participating in just one match for New York Golf Club, Schauffele has been unable to contribute to TGL. For Tiger Woods’s tech-forward league, this extended absence couldn’t come at a worse time.
Schauffele’s team, New York Golf Club, has struggled mightily without their star player, posting a 0-4 record in their third match. The team has tried to fill the void with substitutes Cameron Young and Rickie Fowler, but they haven’t been successful. The impact extends beyond just team performance. TGL which attracted nearly 1 million viewers for its opening night, was built on the promise of showcasing golf’s elite talent in primetime.
The injury, diagnosed as an acute intercostal strain with a microtear in his rib cage, has required careful rehabilitation. Schauffele has been limited to partial practice swings, avoiding full swings until medically cleared. His medical team emphasized the importance of patience, warning that rushing back could lead to reinjury and an even longer absence from competition. This left him frustrated.
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“Now I’m sidelined. I’m pretty bummed, to be completely honest. I mean, probably the worst start to any season I’ve had as a professional golfer”, he said. Despite the setback, Schauffele is determined to make the most of his time off. He’s using this opportunity to come back even stronger. “I’m sitting at home watching all my friends, you know, watching everyone do what I love the most, which is to compete in tournaments. I’m just trying to learn from this situation and really come back 100%”, he continued. Now, he is amped up to come back.
As Schauffele targets his comeback at the Arnold Palmer Invitational scheduled for March 6-9, his focus is clear. “Taking the Genesis off gives me three weeks leading into Bay Hill. I want to get as many reps under the belt before the Masters. It would be nice to get the competitive blood flowing a few times before going into a really big event and also have the Players coming up,” he told Golfweek, outlining his strategic return to competitive golf.
Now, with Schauffele’s return at Bay Hill coming just days after Woods‘s TGL’s regular-season finale on March 4, followed by playoffs on March 17-18 and finals on March 24-25, he’ll effectively miss the entire inaugural TGL season, which is pretty bumming if you ask us.
But while Schauffele’s absence deals a significant blow to Woods’s innovative league, it creates an even more precarious situation for his own career achievements. Every week away from competition threatens to unravel years of consistent excellence that earned him his current World No. 2 status.
Schauffele’s ranking battle heats up during absence
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While TGL grapples with Schauffele’s absence, a separate drama unfolds in the world rankings. His hold on the World No. 2 position has become increasingly precarious, with his 8.860 average points leading Rory McIlroy by a mere 0.29 points. This razor-thin margin means McIlroy could overtake him with just a top-5 finish at Genesis.
The threat to Schauffele’s ranking extends beyond just McIlroy. Collin Morikawa, currently No. 4 with 5.710 points, has been steadily gaining ground through consistent top-10 finishes. Even Hideki Matsuyama and rising star Ludvig Aberg have positioned themselves to potentially break into the top ranks during Schauffele’s absence.
The OWGR point system’s degradation mechanism means Schauffele’s past performances lose roughly 1.09% of their value weekly after 13 weeks. Without new results to offset this decay, his ranking could see a significant drop by the time he returns to competition in March.
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Will Schauffele’s cautious approach to recovery secure his long-term future but cost him his World No. 2 ranking in the process? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!