Since the start of the 2025 season, the golf world has been rocked by an unusual number of withdrawals from top players with the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele being the most notable. The last event where the golfer was seen was the Sentry Tournament of Champions, where he finished T30, but since then, he’s been tight-lipped about his future plans after withdrawing from the American Express due to a ‘medical reason’ and leaving fans wondering what’s next for the World No. 2 and now it seems like the withdrawal virus is spreading in the golf world.

Per the latest tweet by PGA Tour Communications, the Farmers Insurance Open field has undergone some significant changes. Nicolai Hojgaard has withdrawn from the $9 million tournament, making way for Hayden Springer to join the pack. This development is just the latest in a string of unexpected withdrawals that have marked the start of the 2025 season.

But that’s not it, as Collin Morikawa is the latest high-profile player to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open, joining the likes of Tyler McCumber, who has also pulled out. Wesley Bryan and S.H. Kim are among those who’ll take their places in the field. Morikawa’s withdrawal is particularly notable, given his stature in the golf world, and it’s sure to disappoint fans who were looking forward to seeing him in action.

As the withdrawals continue to pile up, fans are starting to get restless. Many are taking to social media to voice their frustrations, with some even pointing fingers at the new TGL league, suggesting that its condensed schedule is causing fatigue among players.

Fans throw stones at TGL as the PGA Tour field gets worse

One thing you can count on golf fans for is being absolutely honest and unapologetic and that was exactly the case with the latest problem in the golf world. “And now Morikawa withdraws…burn TGL to the ground,” said one fan while the other said, “Morikawa WD. Why play real golf when you can play on a sim? This is very very bad.”

See now, there are actually many people who share this fan’s sentiment because, per a recent article by Mike D. Sykes, II of USA Today, he also didn’t find TGL that appealing. He was really excited to check it out, especially with Tiger Woods involved, but it just didn’t live up to the hype or as he put it, “I should not have trusted Tiger” and “I regret to inform you that was a mistake.”

Well, TGL’s condensed schedule and fast-paced format may be exciting for fans, but it’s taking a toll on the players. Many top golfers like Morikawa who, by the way, was the top-ranked player in the field are finding themselves exhausted from the demanding schedule, which is ultimately hurting the fields at PGA Tour events like the Farmers Insurance Open or as one fan put it, “TGL is starting to hurt these fields every week.” 

One fan said, “TGL destroying the PGAT roster,” while the others added, “Good golfers are withdrawing from real golf tournaments to go hit into a screen at TGL.” And well, it is true that TGL does have a giant screen for players to hit into, a shot clock that keeps them on pace, and live microphones for real-time chats with TV hosts.

The league is clearly all about innovation, bringing a fresh indoor twist to the game of golf. But amidst all this change, there’s one thing the league is trying desperately to keep the same, which is the ground. But not everyone is on board with TGL’s vision. What are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comment section below!