Odds Outlook: Scottie Scheffler favored among star-studded field at The American Express

After two weeks in Hawaii, the PGA TOUR returns to the mainland to commence the West Coast Swing at The American Express.

For the first of three consecutive weeks in California, the Coachella Valley hosts the first multi-course event of the season. Pete Dye's Stadium Course at PGA WEST serves as host course and will be the site of the final round. Joining Pete Dye’s layout in the three-course rotation are the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA WEST and old favorite, La Quinta Country Club. This rotation has been used annually since 2016, except for 2021, when La Quinta was omitted.

The California desert welcomes 22 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, highlighted by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (+650 at BetMGM Sportsbook).The Texan has not flashed much, if any, rust as he picked up the Hero World Challenge in December and was stalking the field most of the week at The Sentry before picking up T5 money. Cashing solo third on debut in 2020, the ball-striking machine hasn’t graced the top 10 in his subsequent three visits. Posting 24 birdies against two bogeys was good enough for just T11 last year.

Californian Patrick Cantlay (+1000) makes his fourth consecutive trip to the desert and sixth overall. Looking to finally break through, Cantlay set the Stadium Course scoring record (61) in 2021 but could not catch champion Si Woo Kim (+5000) as he cashed solo second, one shot back. Opening the new season at Kapalua with 25 birdies and one eagle, Cantlay made nothing, losing over six shots on the greens. Returning to overseeded Poa annua greens this week should be an advantage to the West Coast players who grew up putting on this surface.

The other half of the California exacta, unsurprisingly, is Xander Schauffele (+1000). Now residing in the Las Vegas desert, the native San Diegan will look to build on his T10 payday in Maui and closing round of 62 last year. Teeing it up last year here for the first time since 2017, his final round in 2023 was highlighted by an albatross on the fifth hole, vaulting him to a share of third place. Ranking in the top five in Strokes Gained: Approach and Putting, he should be up for the challenge in a shootout again this season.

Sungjae Im (+2000) took last week off after a record-setting performance at The Sentry. Setting the PGA TOUR record for most birdies made in a tournament (34) and cashing T5, the Korean decided his game was sharp enough. Making his sixth consecutive visit to the Coachella Valley, the Korean star has never posted better than T10 or worse than T18 and boasts a 67.80 scoring average. Last season was his first in five without a finish on the podium.

After missing out on the FedExCup Playoffs last summer, Justin Thomas (+2200) spent the latter part of 2023 digging it out of the dirt. Cashing solo fifth in Napa Valley at the Fortinet Championship, he was off to Rome to help unsuccessfully defend the Ryder Cup. November found the two-time major champion in South Africa on safari and playing the Nedbank Golf Challenge (solo fourth). Finishing the calendar year in the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge, he finished third, four shots behind champion Scheffler, to close the book in 2023. Making his first start at The American Express since 2015, this will be his first look at this course rotation. All three par-72 tracks stretch less than 7,200 yards, and all ranked inside the top-five easiest on TOUR in 2023.

Desert dog Tom Kim (+2200) should command attention this week. The two-time reigning champion at TPC Summerlin in the Las Vegas desert rarely struggles to circle birdies in shootouts. The evidence stretches back to the Wyndham Championship, the scene of his first TOUR win in 2022, where he posted 61 in the final round to win on 20-under. Making his second start last year, he cashed T6 as he recorded 26 birdies and was T4 for Greens in Regulation. The highlight of his week was posting 62 on the Nicklaus Tournament track.

Sam Burns (+2800) will look to improve on his best total (266, -22) and T11 payday from his fourth visit last season. The lights-out putter, finishing in the top 10 of SG: Putting the last three seasons, will need to revert to his 2021-2022 form on SG: Approach to factor in a shootout this week. Closing with 63 in 2020 at the Stadium Course vaulted him to T6, his best paycheck from four events.

Sentry winner Chris Kirk (+3300), who ran T3 here last year and T18 last week, did not crack the top seven choices this week. Here’s a look at some of the other notable odds this week in Palm Springs:

• +3300: Eric Cole, J.T. Poston, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Tony Finau
• +4000: Rickie Fowler, Wyndham Clark
• +5000: Andrew Putnam, Shane Lowry, Si Woo Kim, Taylor Montgomery
• +5500: Adam Hadwin (La Quinta CC course-record holder on 59)
• +6000: Stephan Jaeger
• +6600: Akshay Bhatia, Billy Horschel, Cam Davis, Beau Hossler, Daniel Berger, Nick Taylor, Taylor Pendrith
• +8000: Alex Noren, Ben Griffin, Davis Thompson, Keith Mitchell, Thomas Detry, Will Zalatoris
• +9000: Adam Schenk
• +10000: Aaron Rai, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Erik van Rooyen, Justin Suh, K.H. Lee, Matt Kuchar, Matt Wallace, Nicholas Lindheim, Ryo Hisatsune, Tom Hoge

How it works:

• Field of 156 players.
• Top-65 and ties after 54 holes return to the Stadium Course for the final round.
• Purse of $8.4 million, with the winner taking home $1.51 million, plus 500 FedExCup points, an invitation to the Masters, THE PLAYERS and the 2025 Sentry.
• Circle back tomorrow as I post more details in "Horses for Courses."

The PGA TOUR is committed to protecting our fans. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, the National Council on Problem Gambling operates a confidential toll-free hotline that you can reach by phone or text at 1-800-522-4700.