After spending the first two weeks of the new PGA season in Hawaii, the PGA Tour returns to mainland America for the first time this year as it prepares for one of its most significant events, The American Express.
Last year’s American Express still lives long in the memory as it witnessed history with then amateur Nick Dunlap shocking the golfing world by holding on to become the first amateur in over thirty years to taste victory on the PGA Tour.
A unique event as it is held across three different courses, here are some of the headlines to keep an eye on.
No Scheffler or Schauffele will give others an opportunity
It's no secret that Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler are two of the games most dominant forces and 2024 was without doubt their season. With Scheffler winning an astonishing eight titles and Schauffele claiming two of the game’s four majors the absence of both has left this year’s American Express without two potential star acts. However with Scheffler and Schauffele not teeing it up in California this week, there is certainly the opportunity for others to step up to the plate and make the most of their absences.
One man who will be desperate to get back inside the winner’s circle is Justin Thomas. Alongside his great friend Jordan Spieth, Thomas was billed as one of the game’s generational talents and with two major titles already in his back pocket, it's fair to say that in parts he has lived up to that hype.
However, with his last title coming back in 2022 it has now been over two years since Thomas last enjoyed the sweet taste of victory. With his ranking having tumbled and having missed out on a place on America’s 2024 Presidents Cup side, Thomas heads into 2025 with plenty to prove, but there are some promising signs that the man from Kentucky might be heading back to his best.
Having missed out on a spot in the 2023 Tour Championships, Thomas played decent enough golf to ensure he would find a spot in the final 30 in 2024. Rocking up to Eastlake flying firmly under the radar, Thomas played some of the best golf of his season and was able to finish seventh.
He then took that form to Japan where he was narrowly denied in the Zozo Championship and was able to finish second. He then finished third in the Hero World Challenge to close out his 2024 campaign.
With him looking to carry that form into this year, he finished 26th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and opted to swerve last week’s Sony Open in order to be better prepared for this event where he finished third in the tournament last year.
The bookies favourite for victory, it will be fascinating to see how he handles the pressure and whether he will finally be able to break his long losing drought.
Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay will be looking to kick off 2025 in the best possible fashion
Sam Burns has fond memories of this tournament. Able to muster a sixth place finish, he will be looking to win his first event since the World Matchplay back in 2023. Boasting a monster game, Burns has the ability to overpower every course he encounters.
Similarly to Justin Thomas, 2024 was a mixed bag for Burns when it came down to his results. After experiencing a slow start to his 2024 season, Burns found his best form in the 2024 FedEx Playoffs.
Able to finish 5th in the St Jude Championship, he then bettered that performance with a runner up effort at the BMW Championship. A middling effort at the Tour Championship would round off his 2024 season but he kicked off 2025 in good style with a top ten finish at the season opening Sentry Tournament of Champions.
One of the best players in the field when it comes to recent form, he could be a real player to watch this week.
The other player who will be hoping to get his 2025 off to a great start is Patrick Cantlay. Still one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour, Cantlay had a poor 2024 and wasn’t able to add to the six PGA titles he had previously won.
Having slipped outside of the top ten when it comes to the official world rankings, Cantlay is in desperate need of a boost as he is in real danger of becoming one of golf’s forgotten men.
His style isn’t to everyone's liking, with his slow and methodical approach often painting him in a negative light, but once you look beyond the pace of play, nobody can deny that Cantlay is a class player.
He has finished second in this tournament before and knows the layout of all three courses well. He heads into this week flying firmly under the radar but is more than capable of winning this week.
Wyndham Clark needs to prove if he is a pretender or contender
Wyndham Clark shocked the world when winning the 2023 U.S Open. Clark enjoyed a meteoric rise in 2023, winning his first PGA title before then becoming a major winner. The success continued in 2024 with Clark winning a weather-affected AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am, but he had a nightmare across all four majors in 2024.
Finishing in a tie for 56th at the Open, he missed the cut at the three other majors.
Although Clark on his day can be devastating, there are some figures in the golfing media landscape who aren’t quite sure if Clark really reflects his status of being world number seven.
For the first time since Clark rose to prominence, he is now facing detractors over whether he truly belongs at golf’s top table. He will head to California knowing that he can win this week and if he is able to be successful, he will be proving plenty of people wrong.
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
