The first month of the PGA Tour season has been a letdown for many fans. Hideki Matsuyama’s historic win at The Sentry saw a 263K drop in viewership from last year, while the Sony Open was marred by bad weather and a string of withdrawals from PGA Tour pros. Now, as the Tour shifts from Hawaii to California, things aren’t looking much better.

The devastating LA wildfires have made conditions in California precarious, but the PGA Tour hasn’t announced any postponements for the American Express. It is set to take place at the La Quinta Country Club from January 16th to 19th.

According to the newly released field of 156 golfers for the 2025 American Express, former winner Nick Dunlap is making a comeback! Dunlap captured last year’s edition as an amateur, becoming the first to accomplish that on Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991. But there’s a catch! Some of the biggest names in golf are noticeably MIA from the lineup.

Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler was expected to return at the American Express event after his unexpected palm injury. However, it seems his condition is still delicate. His agent confirmed last week that the 13-time PGA Tour winner needs more time to recover from his Christmas injury. Scheffler also shared an update on his Instagram story, expressing his hope to return at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, starting January 30.

“After consulting with my medical team, I have made the decision to withdraw from next week’s American Express tournament to give my injury more time to heal,” Scheffler said. “I am still hopeful to begin my 2025 season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.” Last year, Scheffler impressed with a 21 under-par score, carding a total of 267. It came after shooting 23 birdies over all four rounds.

Ludvig Aberg

The American Express field is also missing a

notable Swedish name – Ludvig Aberg. He pulled off a stunning 9 under par at the Sentry, but his missing name from the American Express. He is currently the world’s No. 5 golfer and his impressive stats state why very prominently. Aberg finished solo second at Augusta and T12 at the U.S. Open, despite fading late. He missed the cut in the other two majors. Notably, he was also absent from the Sony Open field list.

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is making it a hat trick of missed events from the 2025 season! After skipping the Sentry and Sony events in Hawaii, since he’s not a Hawaii guy, he’s now set to miss the California event as well. It’s no surprise, really! McIlroy has always preferred to start his season on the DP World Tour, particularly in Dubai, where he feels right at home. And why not?

Familiar surroundings can work wonders for his game! As he said earlier, “I’d say my schedule will look pretty much the same as it did this year. I’ll most likely—I’m not a huge Hawaii guy, so I’ll probably not go to Hawaii.” Guess that settles it!

When can we expect him next? McIlroy will be defending his title at the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic from January 16-19, followed by the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am from January 30-February 2, 2025. Smart move, if you ask us!

Max Homa

After a no-win 2024 season,

Max Homa made a strong debut at The Sentry, finishing with a 19 under par. However, he’ll be skipping the American Express next week. Homa will be competing as a team member of Tiger Woods’s Jupiter Links Golf Club at the TGL, taking on LAGC. He also missed the Sony Open this year.

Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa is one of the most promising golfers going into 2025. Almost every odd has predicted that he’d have an incredible season this year. He

opened his year at The Sentry, where he placed second, behind Hideki Matsuyama with a score of 32-under. But the 27-year-old was noted missing from the $8.7M tour Sony Open and would do so at the 2025 American Express as well. Morikawa will be headed next to the TGL, of course! He’ll be representing Team Los Angeles Golf Club, going head-to-head against Tiger Woods’s Jupiter Links Golf Club.

While that covers our top five, it’d be unjustified to not mention Sahith Theegala and Hideki Matsuyama’s names. These two PGA Tour stars have also been noticed from the 156th field player’s list of the American Express. Matsuyama bagged his very first 2025 win at the Sentry this month, beating Collin Morikawa by just 3 strokes.