The 2026 season is officially underway, and an emotional Chris Gotterup proved he is ready to play, turning Hawaii into his personal launch party and taking home $1.6 million and 500 FedEx Cup points. He’ll be sitting out this week’s PGA mainland launchpad, The American Express at PGA West in La Quinta, California, January 22-25.
At La Quinta, the desert air, postcard mountains, and lure of dome golf with perfect January temps in the Coachella Valley create a week that feels golf picture perfect. Organizers are promising fans a VIP experience with concerts featuring Old Dominion and OneRepublic rounding out the event after play, extending the fun into the evening. The pro-am format welcomes 156 professional players and 156 amateur players, all guaranteed three rounds, with the cut not made until Saturday. The American Express is the largest field on the PGA Tour schedule, something executive director Pat McCabe takes real pride in.
Here’s the latest intel on who’s in, what these courses ask of players, how last week in Hawaii shapes the vibes, and where the betting board stands (*as of Monday, Jan 19).
The Setup: Storylines, Stakes, and the Field
The top storyline is, of course, Scottie Scheffler’s 2026 return. Scheffler, the world No. 1, is back and he’ll be joined by one of the strongest fields in two years, with 27 of the top 50 and five of the top 10 teeing it up on Thursday, January 22. Defending champion Sepp Straka returns with course-conquering knowledge already in his bag.
This field is stronger than a typical early week, and the tournament commitment list reads like a who’s who with Russell Henley, Robert MacIntyre, Ben Griffin, Justin Rose, Harris English, Ludvig Aberg, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, and Ryan Gerard among others heading to the desert this week.
The Courses: What They Demand
PGA WEST Pete Dye Stadium Course: Par 72 (7,210 yards)
If Pete Dye is accurately quoted as saying, “Golf is not a fair game. Why build a fair course?” the setup here is clear. The highlight is pure theater and the course is aptly named, since Dye used the natural landscape to create a stadium feel. The famous par-3 17th, “Alcatraz,” is an island-green shot that PGA WEST calls its signature hole and the tournament spotlights it as a fan hub. Think the 17th hole at the Phoenix Open, surrounded by water and without the beer cans. The challenge is that Dye visuals can bait you into the wrong line, and the closing stretch brings real penalties, so players need disciplined targets, a steady wedge game, and the nerve to hit a committed tee shot when the round gets loud, especially late Sunday.
PGA WEST Nicklaus Tournament Course: Par 72 (7,147 yards)
The highlight is a classic Nicklaus ask: room to hit driver for long hitters, but a course that still demands you place the ball well enough to attack the right parts of greens. The challenge is what the resort calls elevated greens. You can swing hard off the tee, but you still have to raise your short game, meaning confident touch around the putting surfaces. To win this round during the rotation, players need to convert birdie chances without forcing themselves into tricky up-and-downs.
La Quinta Country Club: Par 72 (7,060 yards)
La Quinta CC is a PGA player favorite and not your typical desert course. It’s tighter, well-bunkered, and framed by mature trees, which gives it a different feel than the more common desert resort look. The emphasis is positional: players need a dialed-in tee shot to the correct side, then sharp iron control to keep making birdies without bringing bunkers and trees into play. Win the La Quinta day by staying patient, hitting fairways, and letting wedges do the scoring.
Who Fits Here: Player Archetypes and Names to Know
There are three best fits here. It begins with the ability to be flexible and take clear notes on the Stadium Course round. Greens in regulation is a great stat to check because whoever creates the most birdie chances will be found on the first page of the leaderboard. That is the cleanest Scheffler argument in one sentence: his baseline is simply creating chances.
The second fit is the birdie-volume scorer. Players comfortable staying aggressive and turning their putter into a money machine will stay in the money. The tournament-winning scores average 26 under over the last seven editions, so birdie stats are another good look before placing a bet. The commitments list is full of names that can turn this tournament into a sprint: Aberg, Burns, Cantlay, Harry Hall, Rose, and others.
The third fit is the pace-proof veteran, the guy who doesn’t get annoyed when a round goes long and who can manufacture pars when the Stadium Course tries to bite. Think Rose, Brian Harman, and Matt Fitzpatrick as examples of temperament profiles that travel well in weird week formats.
Betting Board: Odds, Angles, and Smart Plays
It’s hard to pass up Scottie, always. DraftKings agrees, with Scheffler sitting at +250, and the next closest winning odds for Ben Griffin at +1800, Sam Burns +2000, Ludvig Aberg +2000, and Russell Henley +2500 as of Monday, January 19, 2026.
No matter who you’re betting, note that the AmEx format is about matching volatility to bet type. Outrights are naturally swingier in birdie fests, while Top 10/20 plays can reward high-floor scorers who rack up chances even if they don’t win.
One-and-Done / Season-Long Strategy
One-and-Done is calendar chess, not just picking the best player. The AmEx is tempting because it’s early and the field is strong, but it’s also a multi-course pro-am week where randomness can spike. If your pool heavily rewards wins, using a top-tier name here is defensible because the best players can separate with pure chance creation. If your pool rewards steady checks, this is a week to consider a proven scorer from the committed list and save your ultra-premium options for the biggest purses and toughest tests later.
What I’m Watching When the First Tee Shot Flies
The takeaway is simple: The American Express is a desert birdie chase with a Pete Dye finish, and this year it doubles as a spotlight event because Scheffler’s season begins here and the field around him is stacked. I’m going to see how Round 1 plays out before placing anything on the line. Meanwhile:
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I’m watching whether Scottie’s debut looks instantly sharp or whether the first competitive reps of the year show up as rust in his short game and moments that require patience.
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I’m watching if Ben Griffin’s and Russell Henley’s Sony fade were a one-off or a tune-up moment. Both finished T19 at -8 and did not improve enough round over round to get to the top of the leaderboard.
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I’m also watching how the loaded supporting cast handles the pro-am format because at La Quinta, with such a large field, boredom is the silent hazard that never shows up on a yardage book.
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