2023 The American Express: Top 10 Power Rankings at PGA West
After missing the cut in 2013 as a youngster, Californian Patrick Cantlay has found success at The American Express the last two years.
He’s deposited plenty of funds onto his AmEx card with a solo second in 2021 and solo ninth last year.
Due to COVID in ‘21, the tournament was limited to the PGA West courses and no amateurs competed. Cantlay shot 3-under 69 at the Nicklaus course and 1-under 71 at Stadium to make the cut on the number. He proceeded to post 65-61 on the weekend at Stadium to nearly come all the way back.
Cantlay was bogey-free on Sunday and finished one behind Si Woo Kim, who also won last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii.
Last year, Cantlay picked up where he left off in Palm Springs by opening with a bogey-free 62 at La Quinta. He added a 68 at Nicklaus before finishing 72-68 at Stadium.
The UCLA alum found just one bunker all week and got up and down from it in round one. In the two rounds at Stadium, he was ninth in the field in strokes gained off the tee (1.854).
Cantlay won in last season’s FedEx Cup Playoffs at the BMW Championship. He kicked his 2022-23 campaign off with T-2nd at the Shriners Children’s Open and was T-16th a couple weeks ago at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
The 30-year-old ranked ninth last season in total SG per round (1.522) and was top-40 in every category. He was only 40th in driving distance (308.0), but he has power in the arsenal to bomb away this week if he so chooses.
Cantlay was fifth in birdie average (4.44) and 12th in proximity from the fairway (29’5”).