Golf Form Guide

The American Express 2025: Course and current form stats

The American Express: The first of this season's events in California
PGA West's Stadium Course is the most difficult of this week's three layouts

The Southern Californian desert welcomes the PGA Tour for this week's popular pro-am in La Quinta so Andy Swales provides the course info and key form stats...

  • PGA set for low-scoring pro-am in the desert

  • Burns 20/121.00 can secure PGA Tour title number six

  • Young 45/146.00 a solid e/w bet after strong start to 2025

Tournament Notes

First staged in 1960, The American Express was famously known as the Bob Hope Classic and played over 90 holes. The tournament was reduced to 72 holes in 2012.

Thirteen different courses have been used for this long-standing event, but since 2016 the tournament has featured the same three venues.

Because the tournament incorporates a 54-hole pro-am (Thursday thru Saturday), the three venues are set-up slightly easier than most PGA Tour layouts. Rough is certainly not an issue on any of the courses.

The 156 professionals taking part will play one round at each course over Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Pete Dye's Stadium Course takes centre stage for the final 18 holes on Sunday.

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Course Notes

Pete Dye's Stadium Course at PGA West opened in 1986. Water is a prominent feature, with sizeable hazards on half of its holes. It is the most difficult of this week's three layouts and underwent a significant renovation in the fall of 2024, which included expanding the putting surfaces back to their original size.

Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West joined the AmEx rota in 2016 and has been described as a 'true ball strikers' course' which is 'forgiving off the tee but extremely demanding around the greens'. Its putting surfaces are larger than the PGA Tour average.

La Quinta Country Club is the oldest of the three venues, having made its PGA Tour debut in 1964. It is one of the Tour's easier courses. It has slightly smaller greens than the other two layouts, as well as fewer undulations. Water comes into play on nine holes.

Good Course Form

The 'top seed' this week is world No 2 Xander Schauffele 7/18.00, a double major champion from 2024. The 31-year-old from San Diego tees-up in his home state having posted podium finishes in each of his last two visits to this tournament.

Three other pros with solid histories in the California desert are Sung Jae Im 14/115.00, Sam Burns 20/121.00 and Brian Harman 50/151.00.

Im has never finished outside the top-25 from six previous visits, while Burns has twice posted a tie-for sixth. Both golfers have made strong starts to 2025.

Im stood on the podium at the season-opening Signature Event in Hawaii, having ended last year with four straight T15s.

Burns, meanwhile, tied-eighth at Kapalua having been as equally as consistent as Im during the last five months of 2024.

As for the 2023 Open champion Harman, the experienced American is a two-time podium finisher at this trio of courses.

Betfair Exchange latest betting for The American Express.

Good Current Form

Cameron Young 45/146.00, possibly the best current American golfer yet to win on the PGA Tour, will be reasonably satisfied with his start to the year.

Four steady rounds earned him a tie-for-eighth at Kapalua and it must be just a matter of time before he finally captures his maiden title.

So far in his career, he's a nine-time podium finisher on Tour without holding aloft the trophy and he's certainly a strong each-way candidate this week.

Another consistent but winless pro is Eric Cole 50/151.00 who tied-fifth at Waialae on Sunday. The world No 51 makes his third trip to The American Express and will be hoping to impove on his brace of runner-up finishes during his PGA Tour career so far.

Finally, Tom Hoge 60/161.00 might be worth a look. He tied-eighth in The Sentry and was a runner-up in this event three years' ago.

Stroke Averages

Lowest 10 in Desert Classic (2019-24)

Average .... (Rounds)

67.00: Christiaan Bezuidenhout (12)
67.39: Sam Burns (18)
67.40: Adam Hadwin (20)
67.45: Patrick Cantlay (20)
67.58: Will Zalatoris (12)
67.70: Tony Finau (20)
67.71: Sung Jae Im (24)
67.75: Alex Smalley (12)
68.00: Daniel Berger (12)
68.05: Tom Hoge (21)

Min. No. of Rounds = 10
Only those entered this week are included in table

MC* - Missed Additional 54-Hole Cut

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves


Now read The Punter's American Express preview


Last 10 Weeks / The American Express (2016-24)

Position

  • 1–5
  • 6–15
  • 16–25
Player W2 W1 W52 W51 W50 W49 W48 W47 W46 W45
Xander Schauffele 30
Wyndham Clark 15 17
Patrick Cantlay 15 11
Billy Horschel MC 51 47
Sung Jae Im 3 9
Sam Burns 8 14
Justin Thomas 26 3
Tom Kim 65 2 MC
Tony Finau 15
Nick Taylor 1 48 MC
Brian Harman 21 58 12 25
Nick Dunlap 10 55 16
Cameron Young 8 13
JT Poston MC 40 5
Max Greyserman 24 4
Sepp Straka 30 15 9 MC
Nico Echavarria 2 32 2 29 6
Jason Day 40 19 8
Davis Thompson MC 36 60
Denny McCarthy 16 46 25
Matt McCarty 65 53 MC
Cameron Davis MC 13 MC 6
Eric Cole 5 52 15
Lucas Glover 21 30 42 24
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 40 36 6
Chris Kirk MC 44 MC
Mackenzie Hughes MC 6 5 67
Jhonattan Vegas 4 57 MC
Tom Hoge 45 8 45
Adam Hadwin 59 29 53
Will Zalatoris 26 18
Si Woo Kim MC 32 Wd
Kevin Yu 44 11 MC
Ben Griffin 45 15 8 24
Kurt Kitayama 37
Harris English MC 60 14
Rickie Fowler
JJ Spaun 3 MC 30
Erik van Rooyen 30 42 24 64
Victor Perez MC 34
Beau Hossler 20
Taylor Moore MC 35 MC
Max McGreevy MC 1
Emiliano Grillo MC
Harry Hall 10 8 14
Adam Schenk 6 53 MC
Jake Knapp 56 68
Jesper Svensson 10 36 7 44
Matteo Manassero 43 30 59
Lee Hodges 10 5
Doug Ghim 72 42 MC 20
Patrick Fishburn 6 8 12
Patrick Rodgers MC 17 9 24
Ryo Hisatsune 65 55 17 29
Vince Whaley 72 8 5 55
Keith Mitchell 30 MC MC
Matti Schmid MC 59 61 MC
Mark Hubbard 21 35 3
Brendon Todd MC MC 57
Patton Kizzire MC 40 66 MC
Justin Lower 37 MC 5 2
Rico Hoey 59 17 45
Davis Riley Wd MC
Luke List 72 MC 54
Andrew Novak MC 35 2
Matt Kuchar 21 MC 30
Daniel Berger MC 2 62 20
Charley Hoffman 59 30
Peter Malnati MC 53 MC MC
Ben Kohles 53 MC 57
Adam Svensson 30 53 39
Takumi Kanaya MC 3 16 9 10
Sam Stevens 59 42 67 6
Antoine Rozner MC 3 6
Carson Young MC 35 62 2
Rikuya Hoshino MC 28 37
Andrew Putnam 30 MC MC
Frankie Capan 45
Chandler Phillips MC 11 20
McClure Meissner 21
David Lipsky 45 9 6
Tim Widing Wd
Ben Silverman 69
Michael Kim MC 11 12 30
Chan Kim 53
Kyoung-Hoon Lee MC MC MC MC
Steven Fisk MC 49
Joe Highsmith MC 11 5
Sami Valimaki 63
Taylor Dickson 72
Rafael Campos MC 57 MC 1 MC
William Mouw MC
Harry Higgs MC 11 34 30
Jackson Suber 6
Michael Thorbjornsen 8
Alejandro Tosti MC MC MC MC
Alex Smalley 16 MC 29 39
Thomas Rosenmueller 59 MC
Henrik Norlander 37 17 57 30
Greyson Sigg 70 MC 9
Nate Lashley 37 MC MC 55
Jacob Bridgeman MC MC 12 14
Chris Gotterup MC 46
Brian Campbell Wd
Brice Garnett 30 48 MC
Paul Peterson 10 25
Ryan Gerard 37 14
Sam Ryder 21 MC 5 30
David Skinns MC MC 42 58
Aldrich Potgieter MC 42 2 8
Wesley Bryan MC 17 6
Kevin Streelman 53 MC MC 24
Cristobal Del Solar 70 42 27 51
Taylor Montgomery 65 42 64
Kevin Roy 45
Joel Dahmen MC 35 MC 14
John Pak MC
Vincent Norrman 37
Isaiah Salinda MC
Braden Thornberry MC
Quade Cummins MC
Nick Hardy MC MC MC 30
Ricky Castillo MC
Chad Ramey MC MC 29 60
Danny Walker MC
Hayden Buckley MC 65 MC
Chesson Hadley 39
Kevin Velo MC
Chez Reavie MC 47 MC
Ben Martin 59
Camilo Villegas MC MC 47 MC
Bud Cauley 30 25
Lanto Griffin MC 68 12 60
Mason Andersen MC
Kris Ventura MC
Jeremy Paul 45
Kaito Onishi MC 28 58
Zach Johnson 21 MC
Trevor Cone MC
Noah Goodwin MC
Ryan Palmer MC MC
Francesco Molinari MC 17
Will Gordon MC 30 47 MC
Brandt Snedeker 53 MC MC
Will Chandler
Matthew Riedel
Danny Willett 21 42
Trey Mullinax MC MC
Bill Haas MC MC
Bronson Burgoon
Kevin Kisner MC 29
Jason Dufner
Anders Albertson MC
Norman Xiong MC MC 47 MC
Philip Knowles 65
Aaron Baddeley 76 MC 70 64
Blades Brown
Scott Gutschewski
Zac Blair MC MC 45
Hayden Springer 30 37 45
Kyle Mendoza
Player `24 `23 `22 `21 `20 `19 `18 `17 `16
Xander Schauffele 3 3 MC MC
Wyndham Clark 39 50 13 54 MC 18
Patrick Cantlay 52 26 9 2 9
Billy Horschel MC MC MC
Sung Jae Im 25 18 11 12 10 12
Sam Burns 6 11 MC 6 18
Justin Thomas 3
Tom Kim MC 6 MC
Tony Finau 25 16 40 4 14 MC
Nick Taylor MC MC 33 47 MC 40 20 34 MC
Brian Harman MC 3 8 21 MC 20 3 11
Nick Dunlap 1
Cameron Young 26 40
JT Poston 11 6 25 MC 37 7 MC 34
Max Greyserman 56
Sepp Straka 49 MC 4 MC
Nico Echavarria 65 MC
Jason Day 34 18 49
Davis Thompson 21 2
Denny McCarthy 50 6 MC 48 MC MC
Matt McCarty
Cameron Davis MC MC 3 29 28
Eric Cole 21 36
Lucas Glover MC 33 MC MC 12 29 41 17
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 2 11 40
Chris Kirk 47 3 MC 16 MC MC 21
Mackenzie Hughes MC MC
Jhonattan Vegas MC MC MC 55 69 11 34 MC
Tom Hoge 17 32 2 MC 6 MC 57 MC
Adam Hadwin 6 18 25 32 2 3 2 6
Will Zalatoris 34 36 6
Si Woo Kim 25 22 11 1 Wd 40 9
Kevin Yu 3 MC
Ben Griffin 9 32
Kurt Kitayama MC
Harris English MC 48 51 11
Rickie Fowler MC 54 MC 21 10
JJ Spaun 25 MC MC 51 MC 50
Erik van Rooyen 25 6 56
Victor Perez
Beau Hossler 47 50 MC MC MC 20
Taylor Moore MC 67
Max McGreevy MC MC
Emiliano Grillo MC 63 37 MC
Harry Hall MC 41 47
Adam Schenk MC MC MC 37 14 67 MC
Jake Knapp MC
Jesper Svensson
Matteo Manassero
Lee Hodges MC MC 3
Doug Ghim MC MC 59 5 MC
Patrick Fishburn MC
Patrick Rodgers MC 40 MC 64
Ryo Hisatsune 11
Vince Whaley 34 40 MC 29
Keith Mitchell 9 22 69
Matti Schmid MC 6
Mark Hubbard 47 MC MC 43 MC 28
Brendon Todd MC MC 37 MC
Patton Kizzire MC 11 22 53 MC MC 42 50 42
Justin Lower 39 41 MC
Rico Hoey MC
Davis Riley MC 65 59
Luke List MC 22 21 MC MC MC 41 6
Andrew Novak MC MC MC
Matt Kuchar MC 49
Daniel Berger 39 29 12
Charley Hoffman MC MC Wd 61 MC MC MC
Peter Malnati MC MC MC MC MC 18 MC 77 MC
Ben Kohles 47 MC
Adam Svensson 49 18
Takumi Kanaya
Sam Stevens 65 67
Antoine Rozner
Carson Young 17 MC
Rikuya Hoshino
Andrew Putnam 47 36 14 21 10 34 17
Frankie Capan
Chandler Phillips 25
McClure Meissner MC
David Lipsky MC MC 14
Tim Widing
Ben Silverman MC MC 77
Michael Kim 6 MC MC 50 21 70
Chan Kim 14 MC
Kyoung-Hoon Lee 25 MC 63 32 21 MC
Steven Fisk
Joe Highsmith 34
Sami Valimaki MC
Taylor Dickson
Rafael Campos MC MC
William Mouw
Harry Higgs 18 40 MC
Jackson Suber
Michael Thorbjornsen
Alejandro Tosti MC
Alex Smalley 21 22 25
Thomas Rosenmueller
Henrik Norlander 63 12 68 50 MC
Greyson Sigg 17 MC 25
Nate Lashley MC MC MC MC Wd 12 29
Jacob Bridgeman 39
Chris Gotterup MC
Brian Campbell 25
Brice Garnett MC 70 MC MC 63 MC
Paul Peterson
Ryan Gerard
Sam Ryder 62 MC 49 47 29 40 50
David Skinns MC MC
Aldrich Potgieter
Wesley Bryan MC MC 63 MC
Kevin Streelman MC MC MC MC 34 29 MC 11
Cristobal Del Solar
Taylor Montgomery 61 5
Kevin Roy MC
Joel Dahmen MC MC MC MC
John Pak MC MC MC
Vincent Norrman 54
Isaiah Salinda MC
Braden Thornberry
Quade Cummins
Nick Hardy 67
Ricky Castillo
Chad Ramey MC MC
Danny Walker
Hayden Buckley MC MC
Chesson Hadley 56 MC MC MC 29 MC 42 MC
Kevin Velo
Chez Reavie 52 MC MC MC MC 28 36 12 17
Ben Martin 56 MC 56 29 57 MC 34
Camilo Villegas 62 33 MC MC MC MC
Bud Cauley 4 MC 14 3 14
Lanto Griffin 39 3 MC MC
Mason Andersen
Kris Ventura MC MC
Jeremy Paul
Kaito Onishi
Zach Johnson 25 41 14 62 MC 28 20 MC MC
Trevor Cone MC
Noah Goodwin
Ryan Palmer MC MC 20 MC 17
Francesco Molinari 6 8 MC 12 62
Will Gordon 67 MC 64
Brandt Snedeker MC 14 MC MC
Will Chandler
Matthew Riedel
Danny Willett MC MC
Trey Mullinax 59 34 57 50
Bill Haas MC MC MC MC MC MC MC 17 9
Bronson Burgoon 14 49 37 43 MC 42 34
Kevin Kisner MC MC 57 50 25
Jason Dufner MC MC 40 MC 55 MC 36 25 1
Anders Albertson 62 34
Norman Xiong MC
Philip Knowles MC
Aaron Baddeley MC 50 MC MC 18 75 42
Blades Brown
Scott Gutschewski MC MC
Zac Blair 62 MC 55 MC 34 MC
Hayden Springer MC
Kyle Mendoza MC

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