Is Scottie Scheffler playing this weekend?

Scottie Scheffler will not be teeing it up at the upcoming 2025 Valspar Championship this weekend. Instead, he has taken a strategic break after finishing T20 in The Players Championship. He will be looking to clean up his game at home before returning for the Texas Children’s Houston Open starting on March 27.

Though one might question Scheffler’s decision to pass over the chance to compete, the answer seems obvious as he turns his all focus on the Masters and the stuff that comes along.

The Valspar Championship 2025, starting on March 20, is one of the final stops before Augusta National Golf Club where the Masters Tournament is going to be played. However, Scottie Scheffler has stressed that he prefers preparation over too many tournament reps. He said via the PGA Tour official website,

"I'm a competitive guy, and I felt like I could have played a lot better this week. Like I said, I'm really close. I may finish the week 4-under par. I felt like I played some better golf than that. Looking forward to fine-tuning things next week and then getting ready for Houston."

A disappointing title defense during The Players Championship saw his putter fail him for three of four rounds. A string of costly mistakes, however, proved their undoing, resulting in an uncharacteristic finish in T20-arm ball-striking.

Texas Children’s Houston confirming Scottie Scheffler's commitment to the tournament. Image via Instagram@tchouopen

Instead of struggling through another tournament with lingering inconsistencies, Scheffler opted to reset, sharpen his game at home, then enter the Texas Children’s Houston Open, and finally the Masters (April 10-13).

Why skipping Valspar makes sense for Scottie Scheffler’s Masters preparation

Scottie Scheffler needs to bounce back from an off week and it’s an intentional move to reassert his dominance entering Augusta. The Masters requires perfection, and if there’s one aspect where Scheffler can improve, it’s his putting.

At The Players, his ball-striking was on a good level though it wasn’t at that level as he typically displays, driving stats are moving in the right direction, but dropping strokes on the greens three of four days at Sawgrass revealed a vulnerability he can’t afford on the lightning-quick surfaces of Augusta National.

Another reason fans shouldn’t worry is Scheffler’s history of peaking at the right time. He is without a win in 2025 so far but he also got off to a slow start in 2024 before heating up for seven victories, an Olympic gold medal, and a Masters title. If history is a guide, his best golf is yet to come.

Scottie Scheffler’s next test is the Texas Children’s Houston Open, the site of a runner-up finish for him a year ago. Having an extra week to reset, he will be looking to regain the form that made him the most dominant player last season.

Defending a Masters title puts him in uncommon ground, as only Tiger Woods (2001-02), Nick Faldo (1989-90), and Jack Nicklaus (1965-66) have done so far in the modern era. But if Scheffler gets into a groove, he has every opportunity to be in that legendary class as well.

With the no–show at Valspar, Scottie Scheffler is sending the message that he is not interested in just playing tournaments, he is in the business of winning majors.