The 2026 American Express golf tournament is shaping up as one of the most compelling early-season PGA Tour events of the year, with a full field of 156 players teeing it up at PGA WEST and La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California, from January 22-25.
The traditional West Coast Swing stop features a unique three-course rotation for the first three rounds, Pete Dye Stadium Course (7,210 yards, par 72), Nicklaus Tournament Course (7,147 yards, par 72), and La Quinta Country Club (7,060 yards, par 72), before Sunday’s final round on the Stadium Course.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines the field as he makes his 2026 season debut in the desert, joining a stacked roster that blends major champions, consistent tour stars, and seasoned veterans all vying for early momentum in the new season.
What to Know Before the First Tee
Scheffler isn’t the only high-profile competitor teeing it up: Will Zalatoris is making his first PGA Tour start since May 2025 following a back injury, and several event debutants–including major champions Matt Fitzpatrick and Adam Scott, along with Ludvig Åberg–are also among the field. With 12 of the top 25 players in the Official World Golf Ranking confirmed, including defending champion Sepp Straka and multiple elite talents like Russell Henley, Ben Griffin, and Harris English, many observers are calling this one of the strongest American Express fields in years.
While the tournament is not a Signature Event itself, it plays a critical role in shaping early-season opportunities. This week marks the second event in the Aon Swing 5, which rewards the top FedExCup point earners across the Sony Open, American Express, Farmers Insurance Open, and WM Phoenix Open with spots in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Patrick Rodgers currently leads the Aon Swing 5 standings after his solo third at the Sony Open, followed by Lee Hodges and Davis Riley, who tied for sixth in Hawaii. Several others remain firmly in contention, including Jake Knapp, Pierceson Coody, S.H. Kim, Kevin Roy, and Sudarshan Yellamaraju, who impressed with a top-15 finish in his debut as a PGA Tour member. With 500 FedExCup points awarded to the winner, the stakes extend well beyond the trophy.
The Full Field
According to the PGA Tour, here is a complete breakdown of The American Express field:
Winner of THE PLAYERS Championship (five-year exemption)
Scheffler, Scottie
Winner of U.S. Open Championship (five-year exemption)
Clark, Wyndham
Fitzpatrick, Matt
Winner of The Open Championship (five-year exemption)
Harman, Brian
Winner of World Golf Championship event (three-year exemption)
Burns, Sam
Winners of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, The Genesis Invitational (three-year exemption)
Henley, Russell
Kitayama, Kurt
Åberg, Ludvig
Winner of the FedExCup (five-year exemption)
Cantlay, Patrick
Member of last named U.S. Ryder Cup team
English, Harris
Griffin, Ben
Member of last named European Ryder Cup team
Højgaard, Rasmus
MacIntyre, Robert
Rose, Justin
Straka, Sepp
Member of last named U.S. Presidents Cup team
Finau, Tony
Homa, Max
Theegala, Sahith
Member of last named International Presidents Cup Team
Bezuidenhout, Christiaan
Day, Jason
Hughes, Mackenzie
Kim, Si Woo
Kim, Tom
Lee, Min Woo
Pendrith, Taylor
Scott, Adam
Past champion of The American Express
Dufner, Jason
Dunlap, Nick
Landry, Andrew
Long, Adam
PGA section champion
Block, Michael
Sponsor Exemption
Brown, Blades
Higgs, Harry
Johnson, Zach
Villegas, Camilo
Tournament winner in past two seasons
Bhatia, Akshay
Brennan, Michael
Campbell, Brian
Campos, Rafael
Davis, Cam
Echavarria, Nico
Eckroat, Austin
Fisk, Steven
Gerard, Ryan
Hall, Harry
Highsmith, Joe
Jaeger, Stephan
Kirk, Chris
McCarty, Matt
Mouw, William
Novak, Andrew
Poston, J.T.
Potgieter, Aldrich
Riley, Davis
Schenk, Adam
Taylor, Nick
Thompson, Davis
Valimaki, Sami
Vegas, Jhonattan
Vilips, Karl
Yu, Kevin
Garnett, Brice
Horschel, Billy
Kizzire, Patton
Malnati, Peter
Pavon, Matthieu
Top 70 on prior season’s FedExCup Points List
Bridgeman, Jacob
Stevens, Sam
Berger, Daniel
McCarthy, Denny
Kim, Michael
Cauley, Bud
Hoge, Tom
Fowler, Rickie
Greyserman, Max
Rodgers, Patrick
Schmid, Matti
Grillo, Emiliano
van Rooyen, Erik
Top 100 on prior season’s FedExCup Fall Points List
Hoey, Rico
McGreevy, Max
Thorbjornsen, Michael
Smalley, Alex
Whaley, Vince
Cole, Eric
Mitchell, Keith
Meissner, Mac
Woodland, Gary
Roy, Kevin
Hubbard, Mark
Ramey, Chad
Phillips, Chandler
Hisatsune, Ryo
Walker, Danny
Kanaya, Takumi
Leading 10 players (not otherwise exempt) on DP World Tour
Saddier, Adrien
Noren, Alex
Parry, John
Li, Haotong
Nakajima, Keita
Smith, Jordan
Brown, Dan
Top 20 on prior season’s Korn Ferry Tour Points List
Keefer, Johnny
Blanchet, Chandler
Smotherman, Austin
Shipley, Neal
Gonzalez, Emilio
Lebioda, Hank
Dumont de Chassart, Adrien
Kim, S.H.
Lamprecht, Christo
Chatfield, Davis
Bauchou, Zach
Coody, Pierceson
Lee, S.T.
Kang, Jeffrey
Hirata, Kensei
VanDerLaan, John
Dou, Zecheng
Yellamaraju, Sudarshan
Nyholm, Pontus
Top five from PGA TOUR Q-School
Ewart, A.J.
Tosti, Alejandro
Svensson, Adam
Rozo, Marcelo
Wu, Dylan
PGA TOUR University
Clanton, Luke
Sargent, Gordon
Ford, David
Nos. 101-110 on prior season’s FedExCup Fall Points List
Hodges, Lee
Castillo, Ricky
Wallace, Matt
Hossler, Beau
Salinda, Isaiah
Lipsky, David
Fishburn, Patrick
Major medical extension
Zalatoris, Will
Hoffman, Charley
Streelman, Kevin
Stanger, Jimmy
Nos. 111-125 on prior season’s FedExCup Fall Points List
Svensson, Jesper
Ghim, Doug
Putnam, Andrew
Ventura, Kris
Power, Seamus
Kuchar, Matt
Lower, Justin
Moore, Taylor
Dahmen, Joel
Ryder, Sam
Suber, Jackson
Griffin, Lanto
Nos. 125-150 on prior season’s FedExCup Fall Points List
Snedeker, Brandt
Capan III, Frankie
Young, Carson
Kim, Chan
Betting Odds
With a deep and competitive field at PGA West, oddsmakers have installed a clear favorite at the top of the board, followed by a crowded group of proven contenders and long-shot options.
Here’s a look at the top 20 current betting odds:
Scottie Scheffler (+280)
Ben Griffin (+1800)
Ludvig Aberg (+2200)
Patrick Cantlay (+2200)
Russell Henley (+2200)
Sam Burns (+2200)
Robert MacIntyre (+2500)
Matt Fitzpatrick (+2800)
Harry Hall (+3250)
Si Woo Kim (+3250)
Sepp Straka (+3500)
Alex Noren (+4250)
Taylor Pendrith (+4500)
Harris English (+5000)
Michael Thorbjornsen (+5500)
Rickie Fowler (+5500)
Davis Thompson (+6000)
Kurt Kitayama (+6000)
Rasmus Hojgaard (+6000)
Jason Day (+6500)
Min Woo Lee (+6500)
What to Know About the 2026 American Express Field