The golfer will miss the tournament 'The Sentry' to recover from the right hand, as he needed surgery after being left inside small shards of glass

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Scottie Scheffler, World No. 1, out after cutting himself making Christmas dinner

The golf world has received unexpected news: the American golfer Scottie Scheffler, current world number 1, will have to be temporarily absent due to a domestic accident suffered.

The athlete suffered an injury to his right hand on Christmas Day while preparing dinner at his home. Scheffler suffered a deep cut to the palm of his right hand. The cut was significant enough to require immediate medical attention. The golfer was treated by medical services and surgery was required to remove small shards of glass that had become embedded in his hand. The operation was successful and the initial prognosis suggests that he will need three to four weeks of recovery before being able to resume his normal training.

The facts have been released by the golfer's own representative in a statement: “On Christmas Day, while preparing dinner, Scottie suffered a puncture wound in the palm of his right hand by a broken glass. Small shards of glass remained in the palm and required surgery. He has been told he should be back to 100% in three to four weeks. Unfortunately, he will have to withdraw from The Sentry. His next scheduled tournament is The American Express.”

While Scheffler is no stranger to competitive pressure, this accident could affect his preparation for the rest of the season. For, recovering from a hand injury is especially tricky for golfers because of the importance of grip and accuracy in the swing.

This setback is a major setback in the golfer's preparation, as it forces him to miss The Sentry Tournament of Champions, the first tournament of the PGA Tour calendar in 2025, which will take place from January 2 to 5 in Kapalua, Hawaii. This event, exclusively for tour champions, is one of the most anticipated competitions of the season and traditionally marks the start of the golfing year. 

However, in principle, it is expected that the player will be back in three or four weeks, specifically, he will be ready for The American Express tournament, to be held from January 16 to 19 in La Quinta, California, as the golfer's representative has assured in the statement.

This incident interrupts an impressive streak for Scheffler, who has held the world number one ranking throughout 2024. During the year, Scheffler accumulated 9 victories worldwide, including 7 PGA Tour titles, among them his second Masters and The Players Championship. He also won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics and capped the season with a victory at the Tour Championship.

The accident comes at the close of a successful year for Scheffler, in which he has won multiple tournaments; the Augusta Masters; and the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. His consistency throughout the year has helped him to be named PGA Tour Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. 

However, it wasn't all positive in 2024 for Scheffler. In May, he was arrested near Valhalla Golf Club during the PGA Championship, charged with second-degree assault on a police officer. Although authorities eventually dropped the charges, calling the incident a “misunderstanding,” the episode generated headlines and questions about his character on and off the course.