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PGA set for low-scoring pro-am in the desert
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Burns 20/121.00 can secure PGA Tour title number six
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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.
Betfair Sportsbook latest betting for the American Express.
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