The American Express tees it up for the 66th edition in the desert of La Quinta, California.

The first of three consecutive events in California featuring multiple courses, the Stadium Course, designed by Pete Dye at PGA West, serves as the host course. The Nicklaus Tournament Course and La Quinta CC provide the complementary pieces to handle the field of 156 players before the event is cut to the top 65 and ties after 54 holes.

Here's a look at some of the players who have gone the lowest in La Quinta over the last couple years:

Lowest rounds at The American Express 2022-2024

Only players entered for 2025; * - denotes course record/tied course record

Nick Dunlap (+5500) returns to the Coachella Valley after his record-setting debut performance. Making his first appearance at a PGA TOUR event, he set the tournament scoring record of 29-under 259 for the current three-course rotation that has been in place since 2016. Dunlap became the third youngest winner in TOUR history, the first amateur to win on TOUR since 1991, and the first sponsor’s exemption to lift the trophy since 2020. Experience never hurts in a shootout, but it is certainly not required – and clearly not required on these three tracks. The youngster squared one bogey and one double bogey against 26 birdies and three eagles. Needing to dunk a field shot on his final hole of the day to tie the course record at La Quinta in Round 3, the former Alabama standout settled for birdie and a round of 60.

The trio of resort courses in play this week annually are ranked in the top five easiest used on TOUR. Wide fairways, large green complexes, light rough off the short grass, plus perfect playing conditions (no rain, no wind) and Pro-Am Stimpmeter speeds are the recipe for an old-fashioned, wild west shootout.

• The 54-hole cut the past three seasons was a record 13-under in 2024, after 10-under in 2023 and 7-under in 2022.
• Of the 216 players qualifying for the weekend in the last three editions, only 25 failed to reach 10-under after 72 holes.
• The top 24 in 2024 and top 21 in 2023 posted 20-under or better.

One of only two past champions in the field from the present rotation of courses, Si Woo Kim (+4000), posted 23-under to win the 2021 edition. The Korean’s total was one of nine (and counting) 20-under or better. Ranking T1 in Par-5 scoring, he joins all nine winners in the top 10 in this category, highlighting the necessity to take advantage of the 16 five-shot opportunities. His 26 Par Breakers, second most during his defense in 2022, resulted in a T11 payday. Cashing in six of seven starts, including T9 on debut, Kim is on a streak of four consecutive events T25 or better in the California desert.

Par Breakers (event) from 2022-2024

Only players entered for 2025; * - event record/tied

Adam Hadwin (+7500) is reminded annually about his course record at La Quinta CC. Posting 59 in 2017, the Canadian joined an elite club of players on TOUR to record a sub-60 round and NOT win the event. Making his 10th start, Hadwin cashed second-T3-T2 from 2017-2019 and has finished in the top 10 in five of his last eight visits, including T6 in 2024. Of the players entered, only two-time winner Bill Haas (+100000), the all-time money leader at La Quinta, has earned more cash in the desert.

Stadium Course totals from 2022-2024

The Stadium Course at PGA WEST added 23 yards to the scorecard and has brand-new, “old” greens. Two Par-3 holes, No. 6 (4 yards) and No. 13 (19 yards), push the total yardage over 7,200 (7,210) for the first time. A renovation last summer returned the green complexes to their original sizes in addition to being regrassed. Expanding from 5,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet, the new TifEagle Bermuda putting surfaces, overseeded this time of year with Poa annua, should be firm, and the expansions will provide new options for pin placements.

Patrick Cantlay (+1800) was the first player to breach 63 on Pete Dye’s Stadium Course, used for the fourth and final round, in 2021. Posting 61, his furious rally on Sunday could not catch eventual champion Si Woo Kim and finished second. After missing the cut in 2013, the Californian rattled off three events in a row T9 or better between 2019-2022. Sitting on 19-under after 54 holes last year, he stumbled to final round 76 and dropped from T10 to T52. Rounds in the 70s will not be on the scorecard of the leaders on Sunday.

The rules of a shootout are in place again this week. Finding the most GIR and converting those chances to Par Breakers are the simplest formulas. The only holes across the three courses that will give the field pause this week are the Par-3 holes over 200-plus yards. Big targets off the tees and into the greens open the door to all! Be sure to adjust the stat metrics to season 2024 for a deeper look into who excels in those categories.

Oddsmaker’s Extras

• Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+8000): Finishing second last year, the South African collected the first-place check and the first-place 500 FedExCup points that Dunlap was ineligible to receive as an amateur. Making his fourth consecutive appearance, he doesn’t have to worry about the duties as defending champion and can go about his regular tournament routine. The 30-year-old also cashed T11 in 2023 taking his two-year aggregate to 50-under.
• Justin Thomas (+1200): Making his first appearance since T7 in 2015, the two-time major champion returned last year to tie the Stadium Course record, lead the field in birdies with 31, and share third place at 27-under.
• Sam Burns (+1600): The 36-hole leader last January, the five-time TOUR winner has cashed T18 or better, including T6-T11 in the previous two seasons, in four of five weekends. Six of his last nine rounds have produced 66 or better.
• J.T. Poston (+5500): The shootout winner in the desert of Las Vegas last October on 22-under, the three-time winner has cashed in three straight events (T11, T6, and T25) in the Coachella Valley.
• Sungjae Im (+1200): The tournament co-favorite with Thomas, the Korean has never missed the cut in six events and has never cashed outside T25. Sitting on a streak of 13 consecutive rounds in red figures, he has signed for 23 of 24 career rounds below par.
• Brian Harman (+6500): In six of his last eight visits, the Georgia native has shared the podium (T3) twice and never went home with a check for less than T21. Making his 13th start in the last 14 seasons, he’s a desert ‘Dawg.
• Davis Thompson (+4000): In his first visit in 2023, he shared the 54-hole lead with Jon Rahm and lost heads-up by just a shot. Last year, he posted four more rounds in the 60s, but his total on 20-under was only good for T21!

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