The American Express 2026 Predictions: Go Time for Griffin

• The pro-am tournament is played over three different courses

• Scottie Scheffler makes his first start of the season

• A good weather forecast suggests the usual low scoring 

The American Express 2026 Odds

The odds for The American Express 2026 are taken from the bet365 sportsbook. Use our promo code WSN365 and get your welcome bonus: Bet $5, get $200 in bonus bets win or lose.

The American Express 2026 Predictions

• Ben Griffin each-way (1/4 1-2-3-4-5) at +2000 with bet365

• Daniel Berger to bt Akshay Bhatia in a 72-hole match bet at -125 with bet365

• Kevin Roy for Top 10 at +1100 with bet365

The American Express 2026 Intro

Scottie Scheffler missed his annual appearance in The American Express last year after cutting his hand while making pasta over Christmas.

But there’s been no such mishaps in the Scheffler household this time and the World No.1 is a red-hot favorite to start his campaign with a win.

The PGA TOUR got underway last week with Chris Gotterup landing the Sony Open in Hawaii.

He doesn’t make the trip to California for the first full-field event of 2026 but plenty who played at Waialae have made the hop from Honolulu to La Quinta.

This is the only event on the calendar that features three different courses - the Pete Dye Stadium Course, the Nicklaus Tournament and La Quinta Country Club.

The Stadium Course hosts the final round (details of par and yardages listed below) and is the most difficult.

Last year, The Stadium produced an average score of 71.3, making it around three shots harder than the Nicklaus (68.2) and La Quinta (68.6).

Each pro has an amateur partner for the first three days but it’s pros only for Sunday’s closer.

Winning scores have been at least 23-under for the last seven editions but the American domination of the event has subsided in recent years with three of the last five going to overseas players.

Last 5 Winners of The American Express

Course Notes

• The Pete Dye Stadium Course is a par 72 that measures 7,210 yards

• The Nicklaus Tournament course is a par 72 that measures 7,147 yards

• La Quinta is a par 72 that measures 7,060 yards

• David Duval (PGA West) and Adam Hadwin (La Quinta) have both shot 59s here

• Nick Dunlap shot the 72-hole record of 259 in 2024

Favorites to Win The American Express 2026

Scottie Scheffler (+275) at bet365

Scheffler is obviously the man to beat but perhaps this is a good time to take him on. He likes the event and has been a regular starter but since a third place on debut in 2020 his finishes read MC-25-11-17. That’s solid for most but not for a man who won six of his final 12 PGA TOUR starts in 2025. It’s not as easy to dominate in a birdie-fest although his putting was vastly improved last year which bodes well for Scheffler backers. 

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Ben Griffin (+2000) at bet365

After his breakthrough 2025 which produced wins at April’s Zurich Classic pairs event, May’s Charles Schwab Challenge and November’s World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico along with a Ryder Cup debut, Griffin was a popular pick in Hawaii last week. A 63 in round one pointed to another win but he lost ground with middle rounds of 71 before closing with a 67 for tied 19th. At this event, he cracked the top 10 in both 2024 (ninth) and 2025 (seventh) so the set-up suits him.    

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Ludvig Aberg (+2200) at bet365

The last time the Swede pegged it up in California, he took victory in the Genesis Invitational (played last year at Torrey Pines). This is his first start at The American Express but Aberg’s other PGA TOUR win was secured with 29-under at the 2023 RSM Classic so he can thrive in a birdie-fest. Aberg last competed in mid-November when he finished third at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. 

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Griffin to get the ‘W’

The vast majority of winners here - 16 of the last 18 - had already teed it up in January so that gives an in-built advantage to those who played last week’s Sony Open.

It also adds logic to the idea of taking on Scottie Scheffler.

When adding in course form, Ben Griffin looks the most solid option.

A top 20 at the Sony was a perfectly decent marker and some expected improvement with the putter should put him right in the mix for this.

Griffin has shot in the 60s in each of his last 10 rounds here and that includes strong closing scores of 67, 66 and 68 at the Stadium Course where those making the cut play two of their four rounds.

A runner-up at the Procore Championship the last time he played a PGA TOUR event in California, Griffin is the call at each-way odds of +2000 (1/4 1-2-3-4-5) with bet365.

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Berger to Beat Bhatia

We landed our opening 72-hole match bet of 2026 by backing Adam Scott to beat Chris Kirk (missed cut) in a -110 pick ‘em at the Sony Open.

This week the bet is Daniel Berger to take down Akshay Bhatia.

Berger is comfortable in the pro-am format as he showed when winning at Pebble Beach in 2021.

In this event, his tournament form reads 12-29-39-21 while Bhatia has missed the cut on all three visits.

Berger should also be sharper.

Bhatia hasn’t played a PGA TOUR event since missing the cut at October’s Sanderson Farms Championship but Berger blew off the cobwebs in impressive style with a fast-finishing sixth place in last week’s Sony Open.

Berger holds the aces, so back the four-time PGA TOUR champion to win their match at -125 with bet365.

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Roy for Top 10

This has been a good event for outsiders so let’s try a punt on Kevin Roy at juicy odds of +1100 to make the top 10.

Roy has been shooting the lights out at his home course in Florida (three 61s in December) and started the Sony Open with a 62 before finishing 13th.

He posted 18th here last year so, on current form, is real value to sneak into the top 10.

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How to Watch The American Express 2026

• Tournament: The American Express

• Location: La Quinta, CA 

• Date: Thursday January 22 - Sunday January 25

• How to Watch: Thursday-Sunday 4 p.m.-7 p.m. (Golf Channel). And all four days on Sky Sports