The PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing begins with the American Express, staged as it has been since 2016 at three California courses, the Stadium Course and Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West, and La Quinta Country Club.
This is a pro-am format and the 156-man professional field rotates around the three venues over the first three rounds before a 54-hole cut is made and the final round is staged at the Pete Dye-designed Stadium Course.
The Amex tends to turn into a birdie-fest, no more so than in 2024 when amateur Nick Dunlap set a new 72-hole record for the tournament, reaching 29 under par, and low scores can be expected again with the weather set fair in southern California.
Several big names are teeing it up in the Amex but world number two Xander Schauffele has now pulled out, leaving Justin Thomas and Sungjae Im as 12/1 market leaders.
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Burns can return to the winners’ circle
With Schauffele confirmed as absent, several players now have enhanced chances to shine and one of those is Sam Burns.
Louisiana native Burns has not won since March 2023, but the last of his five PGA Tour victories came at another Pete Dye course, Austin Country Club, in the WGC-Match Play, and he will be confident he can contend in an event in which he has finished 18th, sixth, 11th and sixth since 2019.
Burns ended last season in fine form, finishing in the top 15 in seven of his last eight events which took place in North America, while he returned to action in Hawaii two weeks ago when eighth in the Sentry despite getting off to a slow start.
Dunlap can put in strong defence
It’s not easy to defend titles on the PGA Tour, but Nick Dunlap demonstrated his immense talent when lifting this title as an amateur last year, becoming the first man since Phil Mickelson in 1991 to achieve that feat, and there’s every chance he can keep hold of the trophy.
Having turned professional Dunlap captured another title at the Barracuda Championship, while he was in excellent form at the Sony Open in Hawaii last week, finishing 10th with the putter beginning to fire on all cylinders.
Dunlap missed out on the winner’s cheque for the Amex last year – his amateur status meant it went to runner-up Christiaan Bezuidenhout – and he will be eager to cash in on his second appearance.
Fishburn to make his mark
Few players come into the Amex in better form than 32-year-old Patrick Fishburn, who finished 12th and eighth in his final starts of 2024 and immediately picked up where he left off with a sixth-placed finish in the Sony.
Fishburn, a powerful driver who also putts well, missed the cut in this tournament last season when ranked outside the world’s top 250, but this time around he returns ranked a career-high 93rd in the world and full of confidence.
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