The American Express Open is set to start on January 16! However, before the event, came the news of the sudden and unexpected withdrawal of Xander Schauffele. The World No. 2 is assumed to have withdrawn due to health reasons as per a text message from his manager, according to AP. He is replaced by Philip Knowles in the field. Knowles and the rest of the golfers taking part in the American Express will be wary of the climate conditions at La Quinta, California.

Will the sun shine brightly on Thursday at La Quinta?

The American Express is generally known to have peaceful climate conditions throughout the weekend. The 2024 edition had sunny and seasonable conditions and did not offer much surprise except for the first amateur PGA Tour victory since 1991. The 2025 edition is also poised to be more of the same.

As per Weathercrave.com, Day 1 is expected to have calm weather with slight wind and cloudy conditions. The morning is expected to be a little chilly with the lows hitting close to 43°F (6 °C). There will be slight gusts at speeds of 6.2 miles per hour at most. There is no chance of rain disrupting the morning proceedings at the course.

The afternoon gets a bit hotter due to the sun. There is moderate solar exposure with the UV index expected to be around 3. The temperature is expected to hit the high 60s, with a predicted high of 68°F (20°C). The wind speed is expected to remain the same throughout the day, but there is expected to be a change in direction compared to the morning, with winds heading from the south in the afternoon.

The conditions are expected to hold during the weekend. The temperature is expected to be slightly lower heading into the weekend, with Sunday likely to be the coldest. The temperature floor on the last day of the tournament is expected to be 41°F (5°C) with the weather expected to be slightly cloudy. Friday and Saturday are expected to be slightly windier than usual but nothing disruptive. All four days are expected to be dry and free of rain, so fans can expect regular proceedings at the open.

The weather looks good, but with Schauffele missing, how will the field look?

Xander Schauffele and other big misses this weekend

Nick Dunlap will be looking to defend his crown having become the first amateur golfer in 23 years to win a PGA Tour event last year at this tournament. He will have an easier field this time around considering that the only top 10 player left in the field is American Wyndham Clark. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was expected to open his 2025 Tour at PGA West but he withdrew explaining that his injury will require more time to heal.

The likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, and Akshay Bhatia are playing in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour and thereby miss out. The already thin field was made thinner by the sudden withdrawal of Xander Schauffele just a few days before Day 1. The 2024 Open Championship winner was the odds-on favorite to clinch the silverware. The lack of top talent might be the only downer of the tournament as the weather is likely to keep its end of the bargain.