The PGA Tour continues its early-season swing this week as the field heads to California for The American Express, the second tournament of the 2026 season.
Known for its unique multi-course format and low scoring, this event often rewards players who start fast and take full advantage of the easier layouts early in the week. Below, we assess the tournament from a betting perspective and highlight a few suggested plays.
Courses and Format
The American Express is played across three courses, with players rotating between them from Thursday to Saturday. After the cut, all remaining players return to the Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA West for the final round on Sunday. Managing the rotation is key, as players must capitalise on scoring opportunities on the easier tracks before tackling the tougher Stadium Course.
Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA West
The Stadium Course is the most demanding of the three and hosts the final round. A par 72 stretching to around 7,200 yards (6,580 metres), it features Dye’s trademark design elements, including strategic water hazards, deep bunkering, and visually intimidating tee shots. Water comes into play on several holes, particularly down the stretch, meaning late mistakes are heavily punished. Precise iron play and smart course management are vital on Sunday.
Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West
Designed by Jack Nicklaus, this course is generally forgiving off the tee but becomes more challenging around the greens. While the putting surfaces are larger than the PGA Tour average, they are well contoured and protected by bunkers, placing an emphasis on approach play and scrambling. Players who hit the correct sections of the greens can score well, but poor approaches are difficult to recover from.
La Quinta Country Club
La Quinta is the oldest and shortest of the three layouts and is widely regarded as the easiest. With fewer hazards and more accessible pins, it offers the best scoring opportunities of the week. Players who can go low here often give themselves a crucial advantage heading into the more difficult Stadium Course. A hot round at La Quinta can be the difference between making the cut comfortably or chasing over the weekend.
In summary: This tournament rewards aggressive scoring early in the week, but patience and precision are required on Sunday. Strong wedge play, birdie conversion, and the ability to avoid big numbers on the Stadium Course are key traits to success.
Past Winners
- 2025 – Sepp Straka (Austria), −25, won by 2 strokes
- 2024 – Nick Dunlap (a) (United States), −29, won by 1 stroke
- 2023 – Jon Rahm (Spain), −27, won by 1 stroke
- 2022 – Hudson Swafford (United States), −23, won by 2 strokes
- 2021 – Si Woo Kim (South Korea), −23, won by 1 stroke
- 2020 – Andrew Landry (United States), −26, won by 2 strokes
Winning scores are consistently deep into the red, highlighting the importance of birdie-making ability across all three courses.
Betting (2026 The American Express) – Click here to bet
Scottie Scheffler 4.25
Ben Griffin 23.00
Robert MacIntyre 23.00
Russell Henley 26.00
Ludvig Aberg 26.00
Patrick Cantlay 31.00
34.00 and better the balance, all prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
SELECTIONS:
Ryan Gerard at 56.00
For a number of the top players, their 2026 season is starting this week, meaning they are not coming into the tournament with much momentum. That is not the case for Gerard. He finished runner-up at last week’s Sony Open, just two shots behind Gotterup, and was equally impressive in his previous start, where he also finished runner-up at the Mauritius Open late last year. With two runner-up finishes in his last two starts, Gerard clearly has his game in great shape and has a massive opportunity this week.
Ryan Gerard each way at 56.00.
Patrick Cantlay at 31.00
Cantlay will be looking to start his 2026 season with a bang as he returns to a tournament where he has produced very strong results in recent years. In his last six starts here, he has finished in the top ten on four occasions, including a runner-up finish in 2021 and a fifth-place finish last year. Cantlay also closed out his 2025 season on a high, finishing runner-up to Tommy Fleetwood at the FedEx Cup. I expect him to come out strong at a tournament he clearly enjoys, and I think we will see another very solid performance from him.
Patrick Cantlay each way at 31.00
Scottie Scheffler at 4.25
There is little mystery as to why Scheffler heads the market. After a remarkable 2024 season, he followed it up with another dominant year in 2025, winning six times, including the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. His ability to pile up birdies on easier courses and remain mistake-free on tougher layouts makes him perfectly suited to this format. It would be no surprise to see him start the year with another victory.
Scottie Scheffler to win at 4.25
Click here for all The American Express 2026 Markets
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