Scottie Scheffler Makes Major Decision After Byron Nelson

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated May 4, 2025 6:42 AM ET

Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1, has dominated through three rounds of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch, sitting at 23 under with an eight-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round. Amid that success, he made a major decision.

Reuters reported that Scheffler opted to bypass the Truist Championship, slated for May 8–11 at Philadelphia Cricket Club, in a strategic move to focus on the season’s second major, the PGA Championship, foregoing a $20 million purse and a stacked signature‐event field.

"The 72-man field includes the rest of the world's top 10, headlined by Masters winner Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Sweden's Ludvig Aberg. Four players to receive a sponsor exemption were Rickie Fowler, Keith Mitchell, Gary Woodland and Jordan Spieth." Reuters wrote.

Had he teed it up at the Truist Championship, Scheffler would have faced three consecutive weeks of competition, on top of his current Byron Nelson start, making this withdrawal a clear bid to recharge ahead of Quail Hollow Club’s PGA Championship setup.

Quail Hollow doubles as the host for the Wanamaker Trophy defense a week after the Truist event, and Scheffler’s absence frees him to fine-tune his game rather than grind through yet another tournament.

The World No.1 is set to skip the sixth Signature Event of the season at Philadelphia Cricket Club, with Scheffler not listed in the Truist Championship fieldhttps://t.co/D2cTaphYoc
— Golf Monthly (@GolfMonthly) May 3, 2025

As Scheffler revealed at the close of last season, he planned to reconsider playing the week before each major in 2025, a strategy he’s now putting into practice. While Signature Events aren’t mandatory for PGA Tour stars, sponsors and fans expect top names to show.

Scheffler’s measured approach, eschewing a packed schedule for focused preparation, may well pay dividends when the Wanamaker Trophy is lifted on May 18.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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