Scottie Scheffler ‘WILL play at the PGA Championship after wife Meredith gives birth to their first baby’ – with Masters champ set for blockbuster Rory McIlroy showdown

Published: 03:22 BST, 13 May 2024 | Updated: 03:42 BST, 13 May 2024

Scottie Scheffler is expected to compete at the PGA Championship this week after his wife Meredith gave birth to their first child.

The Masters winner has been silent on social media but said before the Augusta tournament that arrival of his first child was ‘three weeks away’ and that he would walk off the course if Meredith went into labor during the competition.

Now, according to Sports Illustrated reporter Bob Harig, his first child has arrived and Scheffler will be at the PGA Championship in Valhalla.

Harig wrote on X: ‘There’s been nothing official from Scottie Scheffler, his team or the Tour… But word is he will be at Valhalla for the PGA next week after winning four of his last five tournaments, including the Masters.

‘He is currently on the Tuesday interview schedule for 3:30 p.m. #babyborn.’

Scottie Scheffler is expected to compete at the PGA Championship after his wife gave birth

Scheffler won the Masters earlier this year with an absolutely dominant display at Augusta

Rory McIlroy won at Quail Hollow on Sunday and looks in great form ahead of the PGA

A fan replied to Harig asking: ‘Why are you using a babyborn hashtag when his baby was not born yet?’

Harig simply replied: ‘Because it has.’

Scheffler is notoriously guarded about his life away from golf but will be prepared for plenty of questions about his new arrival if he honors his Tuesday press conference arrangement.

Scheffler will be the favorite to emerge victorious at the second major of the year, despite Rory McIlroy’s magnificent triumph at Quail Hollow on Sunday.

McIlroy stormed to victory with a stunning six-under final round, beating Xander Schauffle by five shots after starting the day one behind the American.

McIlroy will now bid to end his 10-year major drought at the scene of his last triumph in 2014 and admitted on Sunday that he felt like luck was on his side.

‘I am going into the next major of the year feeling really good about myself,’ he said.

‘It feels like the stars are aligning a little bit. But I have a lot of golf to play and a lot of great players to try to beat.’

None more so than Scheffler, if Harig is correct.

The World No 1 played the RBC Heritage the week after The Masters and won that tournament by three shots. Scheffler has been almost unstoppable in 2024, winning four times in his last five starts and finishing second in the other.

Since that win at Harbor Town, though, he has been off focusing on his family.