USA Today via Reuters
Jan 20, 2022; La Quinta, California, USA; Patrick Cantlay plays his shot from the 15th tee during the first round of the American Express golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 20, 2022; La Quinta, California, USA; Patrick Cantlay plays his shot from the 15th tee during the first round of the American Express golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
After spending two weeks in Hawaii, the PGA Tour will finally stop in the mainland US. The West Coast swing begins with the American Express in California. Traditionally, the tournament is played on three courses: the La Quinta Country Club, the PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course, and the PGA West Pete Dye Stadium Course, the last of which will host the final round.
Like the Sentry, American Express will also miss the defending champion, Jon Rahm. As of now, there have not been any reports of the Spaniard holidaying near La Quinta. So, in all likelihood, there won’t be any surprise encounters or awkward meetings. Nevertheless, there is no dearth of top players on the field.
Stars to watch out for in the American Express
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The 144-man field features 22 of the top 50 and four of the top 10 from the OWGR table. World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, No. 5, Xander Schauffele, No. 6, Patrick Cantlay, and No. 10, Wyndham Clark, will be vying for their first victory this season. In addition, Chris Kirk, the Sentry winner, and Grayson Murray, the Sony Open champion, will also join the strong field.
Saucy Scottie Scheffler.
Ridiculous touch on full display last year @TheAmExGolf.
#TOURVault pic.twitter.com/BewkbvMZOd— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 17, 2024
Most importantly, Daniel Berger will make a comeback after a two-year hiatus. Berger has been battling with a back injury that has kept him out of the greens for 18 months. The four-time PGA Tour winner’s last outing was at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Additionally, Justin Thomas will also return to the greens. The two-time Major winner skipped the Hawaii trip altogether after being ineligible for the Sentry, the first signature event of the PGA Tour calendar. Thomas will be joined by his compatriots, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, and Sam Burns.
Pictures don't do the Nicklaus Course justice, but we can certainly try! pic.twitter.com/4p1ze6VASx
— The American Express™ (@theamexgolf) January 17, 2024
Also, keep an eye on Tom Kim, Min Woo Lee, Will Zalatoris, and Akshay Bhatia. Notably, unlike the traditional 36-hole cut, American Express will have a 54-hole cut. This means, like the no-cut Signature events, there is more chance to witness the top pros in action. Before the tournament begins later this week, let’s take a look at the purse size and the prize money breakdown.
Prize money breakdown and purse size
The American Express boasts a purse of $8.4 million, a bump of $400,000 over the last year. The winner will receive a paycheck of $1.512 million, compared to the $1.458 million that Jon Rahm received. Here is the full purse-size breakdown of the event.
Read More: 2024 American Express: Power Rankings, Defending Champion, Prize Money, and Major Details
| Pos. | Percentage | Amount |
| 1 | 18% | $1,512,000.00 |
| 2 | 10.90% | $915,600.00 |
| 3 | 6.90% | $579,600.00 |
| 4 | 4.90% | $411,600.00 |
| 5 | 4.10% | $344,400.00 |
| 6 | 3.63% | $304,500.00 |
| 7 | 3.38% | $283,500.00 |
| 8 | 3.13% | $262,500.00 |
| 9 | 2.93% | $245,700.00 |
| 10 | 2.73% | $228,900.00 |
| 11 | 2.53% | $212,100.00 |
| 12 | 2.33% | $195,300.00 |
| 13 | 2.13% | $178,500.00 |
| 14 | 1.93% | $161,700.00 |
| 15 | 1.83% | $153,300.00 |
| 16 | 1.73% | $144,900.00 |
| 17 | 1.63% | $136,500.00 |
| 18 | 1.53% | $128,100.00 |
| 19 | 1.43% | $119,700.00 |
| 20 | 1.33% | $111,300.00 |
| 21 | 1.23% | $102,900.00 |
| 22 | 1.13% | $94,500.00 |
| 23 | 1.05% | $87,780.00 |
| 24 | 0.97% | $81,060.00 |
| 25 | 0.89% | $74,340.00 |
| 26 | 0.81% | $67,620.00 |
| 27 | 0.78% | $65,100.00 |
| 28 | 0.75% | $62,580.00 |
| 29 | 0.72% | $60,060.00 |
| 30 | 0.69% | $57,540.00 |
| 31 | 0.66% | $55,020.00 |
| 32 | 0.63% | $52,500.00 |
| 33 | 0.60% | $49,980.00 |
| 34 | 0.57% | $47,880.00 |
| 35 | 0.55% | $45,780.00 |
| 36 | 0.52% | $43,680.00 |
| 37 | 0.50% | $41,580.00 |
| 38 | 0.48% | $39,900.00 |
| 39 | 0.46% | $38,220.00 |
| 40 | 0.44% | $36,540.00 |
| 41 | 0.42% | $34,860.00 |
| 42 | 0.40% | $33,180.00 |
| 43 | 0.38% | $31,500.00 |
| 44 | 0.36% | $29,820.00 |
| 45 | 0.34% | $28,140.00 |
| 46 | 0.32% | $26,460.00 |
| 47 | 0.30% | $24,780.00 |
| 48 | 0.28% | $23,436.00 |
| 49 | 0.27% | $22,260.00 |
| 50 | 0.26% | $21,588.00 |
| 51 | 0.25% | $21,084.00 |
| 52 | 0.25% | $20,580.00 |
| 53 | 0.24% | $20,244.00 |
| 54 | 0.24% | $19,908.00 |
| 55 | 0.24% | $19,740.00 |
| 56 | 0.23% | $19,572.00 |
| 57 | 0.23% | $19,404.00 |
| 58 | 0.23% | $19,236.00 |
| 59 | 0.23% | $19,068.00 |
| 60 | 0.23% | $18,900.00 |
| 61 | 0.22% | $18,732.00 |
| 62 | 0.22% | $18,564.00 |
| 63 | 0.22% | $18,396.00 |
| 64 | 0.22% | $18,228.00 |
| 65 | 0.22% | $18,060.00 |
| Total | $8,400,000.00 |
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Ironically, the most recent defending champion in the field is Si Woo Kim, who won the title in 2021. The 2022 champion, Hudson Swafford, too, left for the breakaway side. Swafford played as a reserve last season after missing the most due to hip surgery.
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