Golf

“Xander to LIV”: Fans React to Xander Schauffele Withdrawing From The Hero World Challenge

Suchita Chakraborty
|Published November 18, 2023

Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele — (L) Xander Schauffele, (R) Tiger Woods, Credit: USA TODAY Sports

After his TGL event venue collapsed in a storm, Tiger Woods has received another setback. Xander Schauffele has apparently pulled out of the Hero World Challenge, which is hosted by Tiger Woods‘ foundation every year.

The tournament is due to take place in the Bahamas from November 30th to December 3rd. The 20-man field will feature eight of the world’s top 10 golfers, and the earnings fetched from the tournament will go towards Woods’ foundation, the TGR Foundation.

Among the top golfers who received an invitation to participate in the event is world no. 1, Scottie Scheffler, followed by world No.17, Brooks Koepka. The roster also includes names like Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Wyndham Clark. Xander Schauffele was also supposed to participate in the 20-player squad, but he announced on Friday that he won’t be able to participate in any PGA Tour events until January.

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With Schauffele’s withdrawal, there are now two vacant spots for the Hero World Challenge, which fans are speculating could mean a comeback that they’ve been eagerly waiting for.

Fans Speculate on Xander Schauffele and the Reason Behind His Withdrawal

As the news reached fans, they came in like swarms of bees to pour in their remarks and thoughts about it.

A fan made a pun-intended comment and brought Schaufelle’s father into context:

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Another fan took a smart jab at Xander, calling him unimportant since he never won a major:

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Tiger Woods has been absent from the field since the 2023 Masters Championship, where he had to withdraw owing to his injury, a consequence of the near-fatal accident in the 2021 car accident that took a toll on the legend’s health. But as Woods slowly makes an appearance for his TGL prospects, the fans are also expecting the GOAT’s return on the greens, especially after his event now has two vacant places. All the more reason for him to make a comeback.

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About the author

Suchita Chakraborty

Suchita Chakraborty is a senior golf writer at The SportsRush. She did her post-graduation at St. Xavier's University. For a year now, she has developed a riveting inclination toward golf, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy being her top-tier motivational figures to indulge in the sport. She even lives by the words of the Hall of Famer, "You can always become better", which impels her to excel every day. Her strong suit in golf is covering the LPGA Tour, especially the nooks and crannies of the international event, the Solheim Cup. As a pastime amusement, Suchita also engages herself in reading about golf controversies. Her favorite pick is ‘LIV and Let Die’ by Alan Shipnuck, which covers the PGA-LIV beef.