The Coachella Valley has long been full of folks who like to play the lottery so it makes sense that longshots have had some serious success at The American Express in the past.

After two weeks in Hawaii, the PGA TOUR returns to California in what is a unique week for the players and in golf betting. It’s the first of two pro-am events on the TOUR schedule this year, and it will be played on three different courses.

Each professional and his amateur partner will play a round at each of the courses – The Stadium Course and Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West along with La Quinta Country Club — before the low 65 pros (and ties) will play the final round the Stadium Course.

While several top players are in the field, including Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Patrick Cantlay, recent history shows this is a week where longshots can come through.

Three of the past four winners at PGA West have all had odds of +20000 or longer.

As of Tuesday at the BetMGM online sportsbook, International Presidents Cup player Cam Davis (+5000) and in form Taylor Montgomery (+4500) are the two of the most popular players going into the tournament.

Australian Davis is taking in the fourth-most handle (9%) on the most tickets (7.9%), while Montgomery has the second-most tickets (7.6%) and the sixth-highest handle (6.8%).

Davis has had some past success at the event, finishing third two years ago and inside the top 30 the two years before. He finished T-32 at last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii.

Meanwhile, Montgomery is a PGA TOUR rookie who is off to a great start. In eight events during the 2022-23 season, he has seven top-25 finishes (most on TOUR), including three top-10s.

History also shows a lot of birdies will be made, as the winning score has been 20-under par or better each year since 2007.

Patrick Cantlay (+1100), who has the third-highest handle (10.2%), leads the TOUR this season in birdie average (6.50), and Cameron Young (+2200), who has the second-highest handle (11%), is fifth (5.25).

Coming off a missed cut last week, Tom Kim (+2200) is still a popular pick, drawing the most handle (12.3%) on the third-most tickets (6.8%).

Current Handle & Tickets

Handle

1. Tom Kim – 12.3%
2. Cameron Young – 11%
3. Patrick Cantlay – 10.2%
4. Cam Davis – 9%
5. Sahith Theegala – 7%

Tickets

1. Cam Davis – 7.9%
2. Taylor Montgomery – 7.6%
3. Tom Kim – 6.8%
4. Sahith Theegala – 5.6%
5. Cameron Young – 5.4%

Jon Rahm (+600) has the best golf odds to win but only has 1.9% of the tickets and 1.3% of the handle. He won this event in 2018.

Another longshot generating some early action is Sahith Theegala (+5500). He’s drawing 5.6% of the tickets on 7% of the handle.

The purse for the event is $8 million, with a winner’s share of $1,440,000.

* Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM is available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, KS, LA, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Paid in free bets. Free bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Minimum deposit required. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, DC, LA, NV, WY, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (IN, NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), call or text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN) or call 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Sports betting is void where prohibited. Promotional offers not available in Nevada.