The American Express

Your weekly guide to fantasy golf on the PGA TOUR

⛳ This week on the PGA TOUR

• Tournament: The American Express
• Date: January 22-25, 2026
• Venue: PGA WEST – Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta, California
• Purse: $9,200,000 (winner $1.67 million)
• Course Details: The week opens with players rotating through three desert layouts, each offering ample scoring chances and softer early‑week conditions. By Sunday, everyone converges on the Stadium Course, the event’s primary and most demanding finishing venue, stretching to about 7,210 yards and bringing tighter sightlines plus deeper hazards into play.
• Weather: Expect classic desert conditions in La Quinta: mild, sunny days in the mid‑60s to low 70s and cool nights in the low‑50s, with little chance of rain and generally calm winds — ideal for low scoring.
• FedEx Points: 500 points to the winner.

The PGA TOUR heads into the California desert for The American Express, a rare three‑course pro‑am rotation where players spread out across PGA West and La Quinta Country Club before all contenders converge on the pressure‑packed Stadium Course for Sunday’s finish. Expect another low‑scoring shootout — winning scores have hovered between 23‑under and 29‑under for more than a decade. This week also brings one of the strongest fields The AmEx has seen in years, headlined by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler making his season debut after a six‑win 2025 campaign, defending champion Sepp Straka returning after reaching 25‑under to win here last year, and top challengers Ben Griffin, Russell Henley, and Robert MacIntyre rounding out a deep early‑season lineup. With several players also carrying hot form from the Sony Open — including Robert MacIntyre (T4), Harry Hall (T6), and Patrick Rodgers (solo 3rd) — this event sets up as one of the most volatile and fantasy‑friendly stops on the West Coast Swing.

Past Champions:

• 2025 – Sepp Straka (−25)
• 2024 – Nick Dunlap (−29)
• 2023 – Jon Rahm (−27)
• 2022 – Hudson Swafford (−23)
• 2021 – Si Woo Kim (−23)

🏌️ Players to Watch (and a Few to Fade)

With one of the strongest fields this event has seen in decades — including 12 of the top 25 players in the world — this week offers plenty of fantasy leverage and star power. The three‑course rotation often favors confident iron players and hot putters, while past results at PGA West can give us strong clues about who’s primed to score and who may struggle..

Here are some notable names to consider—and a few to be wary of:

• Scottie Scheffler – The World No. 1 makes his season debut after a dominant six‑win campaign in 2025. He has four top‑25 finishes in this event, including a solo third in his 2020 debut, making him the highest‑floor, highest‑ceiling option on the board.
• Russell Henley – Ranked No. 5 in the world, Henley’s elite iron play and consistent scoring make him a natural fit for a low‑scoring venue like PGA West.
• Robert MacIntyre – The No. 7 player in the world rides strong form into the desert, including a T4 showing at the Sony Open. His current trajectory makes him one of the top upside plays this week.
• Ben Griffin – Ranked No. 8, Griffin has improved his finish here every year — 32nd (2023), 9th (2024), 7th (2025) — signaling a strong course fit and upward momentum.
• Sepp Straka – The defending champion returns after a −25 winning total last year and enters with strong recent form, including a solo 3rd at the Hero World Challenge.

Potential Fades:

• Sam Burns – Despite his course history, the CBS projection model flags Burns as a fade candidate this week, predicting he will struggle to contend due to inconsistent recent form.
• Harris English – Although ranked No. 11 and certainly capable, English arrives without the same recent momentum as others in his tier, making him more uncertain in a field loaded with form players.
• Alex Noren – Another world top‑15 entrant, but historically not as explosive in birdie‑fest setups, making him more volatile for fantasy formats requiring aggressive scoring.

🤔 Fantasy Strategy

The American Express demands a fantasy approach built around birdie‑makers and hot putters, as the three‑course rotation and historically low winning scores reward players who can pile up scoring streaks on soft setups with minimal rough. Course familiarity also matters, with players like Ben Griffin showing steady improvement here (32nd → 9th → 7th), while defending champion Sepp Straka has already proven he can take this layout deep. Early‑season momentum is another key indicator, making recent Sony Open standouts Robert MacIntyre, Harry Hall, and Patrick Rodgers especially appealing. Even stars aren’t automatic plays — Scottie Scheffler, for all his brilliance, has only one top‑10 in five appearances, reminding managers not to overweight name value over course fit. Meanwhile, the easiest tracks in the rotation (La Quinta and the Nicklaus Tournament Course) have yielded 59s, making early‑week tee‑sheet exposure a meaningful tiebreaker.

Sleepers to Consider:

• J.T. Poston – One of the field’s best putters and a player with four straight top‑25 finishes at this event, including three straight 12th‑or‑better results. If he catches a hot putter, he could absolutely contend.
• Alex Smalley – Has never finished outside the top 25 in four career starts here (25th → 11th progression), and he continues to trend upward.
• Harry Hall – Coming off a T6 at the Sony Open, Hall has flashed early‑season form and is traditionally strong on easy‑scoring setups. Momentum makes him a very live sleeper.
• Tom Kim – Finished 6th here in 2024 and is coming off a strong final round at the Sony (5‑under Sunday). Not many are talking about him, but the course fit is real.

⭐️ Pro Tip: Target players who start on the easier La Quinta and Nicklaus Tournament courses, where 59s have been recorded, to maximize early scoring upside before the field shifts to the tougher Stadium Course on Sunday.

Looking to run a fantasy contest this week?

Add this week’s tournament to your existing Majors Challenge league or start a new one and invite your friends to join the action.

❎ One-and-Done Corner

This is a second-tier purse week, and there are still plenty of bigger leverage spots ahead:

• 15 picks remaining in tournaments in a higher purse tier
• 9 picks remaining in tournaments with a higher first prize, but in the same purse tier

Consider this week a balancing act. You want win equity, but you also don’t want to burn a golfer you will wish you had later when the schedule hits the bigger payout events.

Download the One & Done strategy guide by Team Rankings

💰 Select Betting Odds

Top Favorites
Scottie Scheffler +250
Ben Griffin +1700
Ludvig Åberg +1900
Patrick Cantlay +2000
Russell Henley +2200

Mid Tier Contenders
Matt Fitzpatrick +3000
Harry Hall +2700
Sepp Straka +3300
Taylor Pendrith +4000
Davis Thompson +6000

Long Shots
Max Homa +10000
Sahith Theegala +10000
Chris Kirk +15000
Austin Eckroat +15000
Nico Echavarria +30000

Looking for more articles, help with your picks or One-And-Done strategy?

Check with the experts at Pool Genius.

Majors Challenge is the leading fantasy golf platform designed for everyday golf fans. Trusted by golf clubs, state golf associations, and charitable groups, we make it easy to run engaging, customizable fantasy golf contests. Whether you’re playing with friends or supporting a cause, Majors Challenge brings people together through friendly competition around the sport they love.

www.majorschallenge.com
© 2025 Majors Challenge ™. All rights reserved.