Top Golf Pick: Adam Schenk to Finish Top 10 (+700) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
This week’s American Express starts the Californian Swing on the PGA Tour with its annual three-course rotation event at PGA West Stadium Course, La Quinta Country Club and Nicklaus Championship Course. Unusually the cut is made after round 3 with the final round to be played at PGA West Stadium Course.
Check out the golf betting lines and odds available at the top offshore sportsbooks.
The American Express 2024
January 18 – January 21 at PGA West
Course Notes
- PGA West – Stadium Course: Par 72, 7113 yards
- La Quinta Country Club: Par 72, 7060 yards
- PGA West – Nicklaus Championship Course: Par 72, 7160 yards
All Bermuda Grass with Poa seeding throughout and resort-style tracks, though PGA West, the Stadium Course is always the hardest by a couple of strokes per round on average.
The American Express is always a low-scoring week, with strokes gained in approach and putting the key metrics and with a settled weather forecast, more of the same in 2024 looks due.
Recent Winners
Will Montgomery Be the General in the Desert?
For many years, this week’s event was called the Desert Classic or the Bob Hope Desert Classic. Could it be that this year Taylor Montgomery is the General of the Desert?
We think there are several factors that Montgomery has going for him this week.
Firstly, last year’s debut in the event was an impressive one for the twenty-eight-year-old from Las Vegas. He finished in 5th, which is hardly surprising for someone well-versed in Desert Golf.
The Las Vegas resident has plenty of experience with these conditions when at home in Nevada. He is also one of the best putters on the PGA Tour. Back in 2018, when struggling for starts, he won the inaugural Major Series of Putting. It was a novelty event, but the $75,000 winner’s cheque and an exemption into the 2019 Utah Championship kickstarted his KFT Tour career.
Last week, Montgomery’s seasonal debut was a very impressive one. He led the category of strokes gained on approach play. I think we can confidently expect him to build on that this week in his optimum conditions.
Golf Pick: Taylor Montgomery to Win Outright (+6000) Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
Golf Pick: Taylor Montgomery to Finish Top 10 (+550) BetOnline
Will Adam Schenk Land a First PGA Tour Title at the American Express?
Yes, we think this could be Adam Schenk’s week with his first PGA Tour win.
Last year was a breakthrough one for the thirty-one-year-old from Indiana with seven top 10s, including runner-up finishes at the Valspar Championship and Charles Schwab Challenge. This top-level form meant that Schenk made it through to the final stage of the FedEx Series at the Tour Championship for a record prize-money haul.
With low scoring the order this week in California, few players are as well-equipped as Schenk with his high-functioning stats for strokes gained in approach play and putting, let alone his liking for the Bermuda Grass Greens.
It would be fair to say that Schenk has never really caught the eye in this week’s event during the previous years of his career. On those occasions, he didn’t play the Sentry, which was the perfect opportunity to shake off any contention rust. Indeed, that event in Hawaii was a very creditable one for Schenk, finishing in 29th. He also chose to miss last week’s Sony Open, which might be a tip that he fancies the task this week.
My feeling is that if Adam Schenk continues his progress from last season, a first PGA Tour win could be due soon, so why not this week’s American Express?
Golf Pick: Adam Schenk to Win Outright (+8000) Bovada
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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