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The PGA Tour returns to the mainland for the first time in 2025 with The American Express, the only tournament on the schedule that features both a pro-am format and an event taking place over three courses.

While World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 2 Xander Schauffele withdrew due to medical issues, a strong field remains that includes 20 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Our golf experts preview the event that begins Thursday, and provide their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week.

THE AMERICAN EXPRESS
Location: La Quinta, Calif., Jan. 16-19
Courses: PGA West Pete Dye Stadium Course (Par 72, 7,210 Yards); PGA West Nicklaus Stadium Course (Par 72, 7,147 Yards); La Quinta Country Club (Par 72, 7,060 Yards)
Purse: $8.8M (Winner: $1.584M)
Defending Champion: Nick Dunlap
FedEx Cup leader: Hideki Matsuyama

HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Sunday: 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Sunday: 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET
X: @TheAmexGolf

PROP PICKS
–Patrick Cantlay to Beat Justin Thomas (+110 at DraftKings): Cantlay has a lengthy history of strong results in this event (see below), and enters with nothing worse than a T25 in his past eight starts worldwide. That includes a T15 at The Sentry two weeks ago, where he beat Thomas (T26) by two strokes. Thomas has been in strong form in his own right with three top-7s to close out 2024, but we like Cantlay’s track record in the desert.

–Nicolas Echavarria Top 20 Finish (+250 at BetRivers): If not for Nick Taylor’s miraculous chip-in on the 72nd hole on Sunday, Echavarria would have had his second win in his past six starts. As it is, he collected his second runner-up in his past three. He tied for 65th here last year so he does have experience on all three courses, and no one in this week’s field is hotter. Echavarria’s Top 20 odds have a shorter +220 payout at DraftKings.

–Eric Cole to Make Cut (-200 at DraftKings): This is the longest odds the book is offering on missed cut props this week. Cole is up to 51st in the world after finishing fifth in Honolulu — his fourth consecutive cut made. In fact, Cole has failed to reach the weekend just twice in his past 15 starts.

2025 Prop Pick Record: 1-2-0

BEST BETS
–Thomas (+1200) tied for third last year, highlighted by a third-round 61. He has drawn 7 percent of the total money wagered on this week’s winner — second most in the field.
–Sungjae Im (+1400 at DraftKings) began the year with a solo third at The Sentry for his fifth consecutive top-13 finish worldwide. He opened the week as the co-favorite, but Im’s odds have lengthened slightly while he has been lightly supported by the public thus far.
–Sam Burns (+1600) tied for sixth and 11th the past two years, and has six consecutive top-15 worldwide. He leads the field with 4 percent of the total bets backing Burns to win, and he’s tied with Thomas in total money supporting him.
–Cantlay (+1800) shot a 60 as an amateur in 2011 and finished runner-up here in 2021. He leads the field with 9 percent of the money backing Cantlay to claim his first win in three years.
–Tony Finau (+2200) will make his eighth start in the event, with a best finish to date of fourth place in 2021.
–Clark (+3000) is the top-ranked player in the field. After a T15 at The Sentry, he competed in the debut match of the TGL on Jan. 6.
–Dunlap (+5000) shot a third-round 60 en route to winning last year and is coming off a T10 in Honolulu.
–Will Zalatoris (+5000), who added 20 pounds of muscle over the offseason in an effort to avoid injuries, said this is the “best I’ve felt.” He’s coming off a T26 at The Sentry, where he opened with a 65.

NOTES
–Each professional will be grouped with amateurs for the first three rounds and play once on each course. The low 65 professionals and ties will advance to play the final round at the Stadium Course.
–Last year, Dunlap became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open, and the first sponsor exemption to win since Martin Laird at the 2020 Shriners Children’s Open.
–Blades Brown, 17, will make his first PGA Tour start as a professional. He joined Tiger Woods and Bobby Clampett as the only players to earn medalist honors at the U.S. Junior and U.S. Amateur. His mother, Rhonda, played in the WNBA.

–Field Level Media