The PGA Tour hits the mainland this week, traveling just outside Palm Springs, California, for the 2025 American Express. Welcoming the largest field of the year, PGA West will see players compete across three different golf courses -- La Quinta Country Club, Pete Dye Stadium Course and Nicklaus Tournament Course -- before a cut is made at the 54-hole mark.

While the field consists of 156 players, some prominent names are absent. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler planned on returning from his Christmas Day injury this week but has instead expressed caution and will not tee it up until the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He is not the only top player to be an omission from the tee sheet; world No. 2 Xander Schauffele also withdrew on Monday without citing a reason.

In their place are many of their Presidents Cup teammates from this past fall, including Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns, both of whom have found their fair share of success around these parts. Sungjae Im, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim headline a strong international contingent.

Defending champion Nick Dunlap returns to the site of his historic victory as well. Becoming the first amateur in 33 years to win on the PGA Tour, the Alabama alum got the better of Burns and fellow Crimson Tide product Justin Thomas. The 2022 PGA Championship winner still seeks his first trophy raise since that at Southern Hills more than two years ago.

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Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Cameron Young, Max Greyserman and Will Zalatoris round out the notables in the field for the first event of the PGA Tour's West Coast Swing.

2025 American Express schedule

Dates: Jan. 16-19
Location: Pete Dye Stadium Course — La Quinta, California
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,210
Purse: $8,800,000

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2025 American Express field, odds

  • Sungiae Im (12-1): If there was ever a time for Im to find the winner's circle, this week is as good as any. The 26-year-old got his 2025 off to a blazing start with a podium finish at the Sentry and arrives at the American Express with his game in good form and with good vibes around this place. In six prior trips, Im has done no worse than T25 with his five other finishes all resulting in top 20s. Capable of taking it deep in this type of setting, he searches for his first PGA Tour win since the 2021 Shriners Children's Open.
  • Justin Thomas (12-1): The year of Thomas was put on hold at the Sentry as the two-time major champion struggled off the tee and could not avoid the big number. Luckily for him there is not much trouble around the three golf courses, as he found out last season when he finished T3. Last year's appearance marked Thomas' first since 2015, and he has decided to play again given his statistical fit for the venue.
  • Sam Burns (14-1)
  • Patrick Cantlay (14-1)
  • Tony Finau (22-1)
  • Kurt Kitayama (30-1)
  • Wyndham Clark (30-1): Clark is one of the few stars to make Palm Springs a regular stop on his playing calendar; this year marks his seventh straight start at this tournament. He arrives off a strong start to his 2025 campaign as he sniffed contention at the Sentry before back tracking to a T15 finish. Clark is plenty long off the tee and can fill it up on the greens, but his iron play will need to be better this week if he is to contend.
  • Tom Kim (30-1): Kim entered the weekend at the Sony Open just off the pace and fell into irrelevancy with a 4-over 74 on Moving Day. Ultimately finishing outside the top 60, the South Korean struggled on the greens at Waialae Country Club. That was the case for Kim at PGA West last year as well as he has missed the cut twice in three prior appearances. Three times a winner on the PGA Tour, Kim has shown a knack for going low when it is required, but the state of his putter could hold him back.
  • Si Woo Kim (35-1)
  • Cameron Young (35-1): Known for his length off the tee and his pristine iron play, Young made noise at the Sentry with his short game instead. Ranking first around the green and second with the putter in hand, the former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year nabbed a top-10 finish. If he can maintain that type of competency in the short-game department, Young could be in line for a long-awaited first win sooner rather than later. The low-scoring nature of this event does not suit him, however.
  • Max Greyserman (35-1)

2025 American Express expert picks


Patrick Cantlay
Winner (14-1): It is a matter of when not if Cantlay returns to the winner's circle in 2025, and the American Express could very well be the spot. Clawing back from an opening 74 at the Sentry, Cantlay finished inside the top 15 thanks to a well-rounded effort. He has fared well at this venue in the past with a runner-up finish to Kim in 2021. If he is able to avoid that one sleepy round that has plagued him in recent trips, Cantlay could be raising the trophy come Sunday.

Sam Burns
Contender (14-1): Over the last 12 months, Burns ranks first in this field in total strokes gained and seventh in strokes gained putting. Crucial for players' success this week, Burns' birdie-making abilities should be on full display as they were last season. Playing in the final round last season with Dunlap and Thomas, Burns fired a 71 low lighted by a double bogey on the penultimate hole. He will relish the opportunity to make amends, and there is nothing to suggest he won't give it a good try.

Sepp Straka
Sleeper (60-1): The big Austrian has rolled into 2025 with his iron play in tow. Hitting his scoring clubs beautifully in Hawaii, Straka snatched up a couple top-30 finishes and looks to do better on the mainland. The tale of Straka's week will largely be told by his putter, but he has figured out the greens at the American Express in recent years. He finished T4 in 2020 and appears keen on doing something similar.

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