This week, the 65th edition of The American Express will bring the PGA Tour back to the US mainland. Johnny Covers takes down the top five golfers in this week’s field to present his The American Express power rankings. Who will win the most points?
PGA Power Rankings: The American Express Top 5 Golfers
Several of the top players on the PGA Tour are making their debuts this year as they compete in the 65th edition of The American Express, which takes place this week on the US mainland. FedExCup points will be given for the first time at the third official tournament of the 2024 PGA Tour schedule.
American Express Time and Where to Watch
- Date: January 18, 2024, Thursday; January 22, 2024, Sunday
- Opening Tee Time – 7:00 a.m. ET – 10:30 p.m. ET
- Where: La Quinta Country Club, Nicklaus Tournament Course, and Pete Dye Stadium Course in La Quinta, California
- Where to Watch: Golf Channel, NBC, and ESPN+
American Express Odds
| Golfer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +550 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +1000 |
| Xander Schauffele | +1200 |
| Sungjae Im | +2000 |
| Justin Thomas | +2200 |
| Tom Kim | +2500 |
| Min Woo Lee | +2500 |
| Sam Burns | +3000 |
| JT Poston | +3000 |
| Eric Cole | +3000 |
Pete Dye Stadium Course, Nicklaus Tournament Course, and La Quinta Country Club – La Quinta, California
This event is played on three courses each season: the Pete Dy Stadium Course, the Nicklaus Tournament Course, and the La Quinta Country Club each play a round during the first three days. After that, on Sunday, the top 65 players in the field will compete at The Stadium Course; the cut will be made this coming Saturday. With the exception of the Stadium Course, which has a maximum length of 7,187 yards, all three courses are significantly short than the Tour average. Each has its own unique challenges.
The rankings of American Express
1. Xander Schauffele (+1200)
Xander Schauffle hopes to build on his success from this event last year by shooting a 62 on Sunday to finish in a T3. Expect him to strike while the Iron is still hot as he approaches the Sentry brandishing a T10.
2. Justin Thomas (+2200)
After taking almost nine years off from this tournament, Justin Thomas placed seventh in 2015. With three straight top 5 finishes to end the season before, I expect another great performance from him this time round.
3. Patrick Cantlay (+1000)
At the Stadium Course, Patrick Cantlay holds the course record with a score of 61. He started the season two weeks ago with a T12. He should draw on that expertise here, in my opinion.
4. Scottie Scheffler (+550)
Even though his performance has declined recently, Scottie Scheffler remains one of the greatest players in the world. He ought to be among the top five in this field based only on talent.
5. Poston, JT (+3000)
JT Poston has two top 10 wins in this event and finished T6 last year. He has seven top 10 finishes in his previous 11 tournaments.