The PGA Tour returns to California for the first of four events in the Golden State over the next five weeks.
The American Express in La Quinta, California, officially kicks off this year's mainland West Coast swing, and of all of the events on the schedule, it remains one of the more unique.
Contested across three different courses, La Quinta Country Club (par-72, 7,060 yards), the Stadium Course (par-72, 7,210 yards), and the Nicklaus Tournament Course (par-72, 7,147 yards), The American Express stands alone as the only event on the schedule to implement a three-course rotation over the first three rounds. This year's 156-man field will play each course once over the first three days before the Stadium Course hosts the final round on Sunday.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is set to tee it up for the first time in 2026 and headlines a significantly strong field. Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Ben Griffin, and 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick are just a few of the notables who are also set to tee it up. Sepp Straka is also in the field as he makes his season debut and looks to defend the title he won 12 months ago.
Let's get into the picks and predictions for the 2026 American Express.
The American Express picks and predictions
Sleeper pick for The American Express: Lee Hodges (+17000)
Lee Hodges picked up last week where he left off in the FedEx Cup Fall. Hodges opened 2026 strong with a T6 finish last week in Hawaii and has now posted top-six finishes in both of his last two PGA Tour starts after closing 2025 with a T4 at the RSM Classic. He finished in a tie for 34th at last year's American Express and posted a T3 finish here in 2022.
Sleeper pick for The American Express: Sami Valimaki (+13000)
Valimaki will make his 2026 debut at this week's American Express after an excellent finish to last year. Sami finished the 2025 campaign with three consecutive top-20 finishes, a run that included earning his first PGA Tour win at the RSM Classic. An elite putter, ranking 10th on the PGA Tour last season, Valimaki has more than enough firepower to contend at an event like The American Express.
Pick to win The American Express: Daniel Berger (+6000)
Daniel Berger fired a 64 to close last week in Hawaii en route to a T6 finish at Waialae. A former winner in California at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2021, Berger has made the cut in each of his last four starts at The American Express and finished T12 here in 2019. A four-time PGA Tour winner, Berger gained strokes both on approach and on the greens last week in Hawaii, a recipe for success in an event like The American Express.
Pick to win The American Express: Si Woo Kim (+3500)
Si Woo Kim continued his excellent run last week in Hawaii, where he posted a T11 finish in the PGA Tour season opener.
Kim has now recorded eight top-21 finishes or better in his last eight starts around the world. For a second week in a row, he returns to a venue he has won at previously, having lifted the trophy at The American Express back in 2021. Including his win, Kim has four top-25s in his last five starts here, and the four-time PGA Tour winner could be set for another big week in California in 2026.
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