Following a two week stay in Hawai’i, the PGA Tour returns to the states for the first time in 2020 with The American Express in La Quinta, Calif. The event has a new title sponsor but the same format as in the past Desert Classics. There are 156 golfers scheduled to compete over three courses with Phil Mickelson making his season debut and serving as tournament host in conjunction with his foundation. The field will play each of the first three rounds on a different course in a pro-am format with the cut taking place after 54 holes. Sunday’s final round will be contested on the Stadium Course at PGA West. Rickie Fowler opened as the betting favorite at online sportsbooks, but odds suggest a wide-open field. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win The American Express at BookMaker.eu
Rickie Fowler +1100
Sungjae Im +1600
Tony Finau +2200
Paul Casey +2200
Byeong Hun An +2500
Scottie Scheffler +2800
Billy Horschel +2800
Cameron Champ +3000
Matthew Wolff +3000
Kevin Kisner +3000
Charles Howell III +3000
Brian Harman +3300
Phil Mickelson +3300
Francesco Molinari +3300
Jason Kokrak +3500
Brendon Todd +4000
Abraham Ancer +4000
Alex Noren +4500
Ryan Moore +4500
Vaughn Taylor +5000
J.T. Poston +5000
Harris English +5000
Kevin Na +5500
Russell Knox +5500
Lucas Glover +6000
Danny Lee +6600
Denny McCarthy +6600
Zach Johnson +6600
Chez Reavie +6600
Andrew Putnam +6600
Daniel Berger +7000
Rory Sabbatini +7000
Scott Piercy +7500
Brendan Steele +7500
Aaron Wise +8000
Sebastian Munoz +8000
Harold Varner III +8000
Joel Dahmen +9000
Cameron Tringale +9000
Odds Analysis
Phil Mickelson +3300
Playing the dual role of host and competitor is always tough; if anyone can handle it Mickelson can. He’s a two-time winner at this tournament but the last came back in 2004, so there’ve been a few years in between. Lefty showed he still has it by firing an opening 60 at La Quinta last year and getting runner-up honors. It wasn’t anything Phil did rather what Adam Hadwin accomplished for the title. The laid-back atmosphere will allow him to be aggressive and that could be the difference in taking the trophy.
Tony Finau +2200
Now that the stress of performing for a spot on the Presidents Cup team is over it’s time for Finau to return to the ball-striking demon he’s been. We caught a glimpse of that last week when he captured a top-5 at the Hong Kong Open. Will jet lag be a concern this week? It might be. And it also could take his mind off the fact that he’s finished T59-MC in two starts here. He hasn’t played here since 2016 and his game has evolved since then, and that’s why I like him to be among the leaders.
Charles Howell III +3000
The only concern I have with CH3 is if he can navigate tame weather conditions. He did a nice job in the monsoon in Hawai’i with a T12 at Waialae and heads to the West Coast where he hasn’t missed a cut in his last 11 tries. He also hasn’t posted a top-10 since 2013, but he’s been consistently in the mix with three top-20s in his last four starts in the California desert.
Sungjae Im +1600
A model of consistency since joining the Tour for the 2019 season, it’s only a matter of time before Im collects that first PGA victory. We’ve been saying that, but it’s going to happen. Half of his 42 tournaments since joining the Tour have resulted in a top-25 finish, including a T12 at his debut here last year. A final-round 71 dropped him to T21 last week in Hawai’i, but Im just strokes the ball consistently and has the ability to contend in a shootout.
Jason Kokrak +3500
Big hitters can take advantage of the length at the three courses, and Kokrak is one of the best off the tee. He has the second-highest driving distance on Tour this season and with the short par 72s there’s a lot to like about his chances. Of course, he still has to finish the holes but at least he’ll have plenty of scoring opportunities. He was T8 here in 2018 and T18 last year, so he knows what’s ahead.
Courses: Stadium Course at PGA West; Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West; La Quinta Country Club
The field will rotate between courses and play each layout once over the first three days with the cut taking place after 54 holes. There is one striking similarity between all three and that’s the distance. They are all short by Tour standards and have been easy to score in the past. Golfers that survive the cut will play the final round on the Stadium Course, which is considered the toughest of the three due to the hazards that aren’t present on the other courses. It plays around 7,100 yards at par-72 with five scoreable par 4s that are less than 410 yards. Also keep in mind that the pro-am format requires easier pin placements and generous rough to improve the pace of play. That definitely helps the pros to keep the scores low. And golfers that are familiar with the pro-am style typically have a better understanding and perform better.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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