X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Horse For The Course: PGA DFS Course History - 2023 American Express

Si Woo was shakin' it all over Waialae Country Club throughout the weekend and the talented South Korean captured the fourth PGA Tour victory of his career at the Sony Open, edging young Hayden Buckley by a shot.

Kim's win marked the end of the Hawaiian Swing portion of the schedule. The PGA Tour returns to the continental U.S. this week to kick off the West Coast Swing with The American Express.

Horse For The Course is an article that highlights players in this week's field with elite course history and is part of our free PGA DFS content here at RotoBaller. For my favorite DFS plays of the week check out my Core Four article here at RotoBaller every Wednesday. It's part of our amazing PGA Premium package that includes an all-new PGA Research Station, Lineup Builder & Optimizer, and some of the best articles in the PGA DFS industry! You can sign up now using Promo Code: NICE for an extra discount at checkout!

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

2023 American Express

As we turn the page on the Hawaiian events, we return to the mainland for the traditional kicking-off point of the PGA Tour's West Coast Swing in La Quinta, California. This event has been known by many names over the years – Bob Hope, Humana Challenge, CareerBuilder, and Desert Classic – but now seems to have found a rock-solid title sponsor in American Express.

The AmEx – and the West Coast Swing as a whole – isn't without its quirks, as this tournament features a unique 54-hole cut Pro-Am format, as well as a three-course rotation over those first three rounds. Every player in the field will play one round at the Stadium Course, the Nicklaus Tournament Course, and La Quinta Country Club before those that survive the cut battle it out on the PGA West Stadium Course – the toughest track in the rotation – in the final round.

While Jon Rahm voiced his displeasure with the, ahem, birdie-fest nature of this event last year, the recent Sentry Tournament of Champions winner – and former AmEx champ – will indeed be in attendance this week. This field is nothing to sneeze at, as including Rahm, five of the OWGR's top seven players and half of the world's top 20 will be teeing it up this week. Those notables include Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, and Will Zalatoris.

You can also find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week. And be sure to read all of our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS articles to help you win big!

 

The Course: Stadium Course at PGA West

Par 72 - 7,133 Yards, Greens: Bermuda, Architect: Pete Dye

The AmEx features a three-course rotation that includes the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West, the Nicklaus Tournament Course, and La Quinta Country Club. Players will play one round on each course before a 54-hole cut leaves the remaining golfers to play TPC Stadium Course in the final round.

The Stadium Course is classic "desert golf" and traditionally plays much tougher than the other tracks in the rotation. Players will face a difficult closing stretch that includes a 20-foot deep bunker on Hole 16, the infamous "Alcatraz hole" at 17, and a par-4 18th that is lined with water. The course rotation makes this a volatile tournament. I'm targeting strong ball strikers who I hope will gain strokes both off the tee and on approach this week.

Check out RotoBaller's PGA Course Breakdown by Josh Bennett for an in-depth breakdown of this week's golf course!

 

Recent AmEx Winners & Scoring Info

  • 2022: Hudson Swafford (-22)
  • 2021: Si Woo Kim (-23)
  • 2020: Andrew Landry (-26)
  • 2019: Adam Long (-26)
  • 2018: Jon Rahm (-22)
  • Average Winning Score Last Five Years: -23.8
  • Average Cut Line Score Last Five Years: -7.4 (54-hole cut)

 

The Horse

Jon Rahm

  • Event Scoring Average: 67.88 (Four career starts)
  • Notable Course History: T14 (2022), T6 ('19), Win ('18)
  • DraftKings Price: $10,800 FanDuel Price: $12,000

The Spaniard rather infamously voiced his frustration with the soft AmEx set-up last year but despite those protests of the fundamental type of tournament this is, Rahm has played well at La Quinta, amassing a 67.88 scoring average across his four career appearances and winning the event in 2018.

Often viewed as a player we want to target on difficult golf courses (which he is), we shouldn't sleep on Rahm's ability to go low with the best of 'em. His three 2022 victories came with scores of 17, 20, & 25-under-par respectively and he recently opened 2023 with a win at the Sentry TOC  – one of the lowest-scoring events on the schedule – that required a 27-under-par total.

With the course history box checked, I think we should also consider the Spaniard's white-hot recent form. In Rahm's last five starts in official events, he's won three with a runner-up and a fourth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ponies

Patrick Cantlay

  • Event Scoring Average: 67.60 (Four career starts)
  • Notable Course History: 9th ('22), 2nd ('21), T9 ('19)
  • DraftKings Price: $10,100 FanDuel Price: $11,700

Though he's certainly more understated than the aforementioned Rahm, Patrick Cantlay is perhaps the only player in the field that can truly rival Rahm's blend of successful AmEx history and pure talent.

Cantlay came oh-so-close to winning this event in 2021, ultimately settling for a solo second-place finish after breaking the course record at PGA West with a final-round 61. He's finished ninth or better in his other two trips to La Quinta since 2019. The native Californian has proven himself to be very comfortable playing in his home state. Since 2018, Cantlay has a win and four top-five finishes in tournaments held in the state of California.

 

Sungjae Im

  • Event Scoring Average: 68.00 (Four career starts)
  • Notable Course History: T11 ('22), T12 ('21), T10 ('20), T12 ('19)
  • DraftKings Price: $9,800 FanDuel Price: $10,900

The hardest workin' man in golf got a rare weekend off last week at Waialae, as Sungjae's missed cut at the Sony Open was his first trunk slam since July. I'm not going to put too much stock into it, as it marked his second consecutive missed cut at the Sony, an event where he's failed to thrive in recent years.

Im's experiences at the American Express have been the complete opposite, however. In four career AmEx starts, the South Korean has been money in the bank, never finishing worse than tied for 12th at La Quinta.

His 31.22 SG: Total at the AmEx over the last five years is the third-best mark in the field. Im held the 36-hole lead here in 2021 and enters the week sporting an impressive career scoring average of 68.00 in this event. Perhaps last week's missed cut will keep his DFS ownership in check on this slate? This is a terrific bounce-back spot for Sungjae.

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS PGA subscription?

Like what you read today? You can show your support for Joe by using promo code NICE when purchasing a PGA Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium PGA articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer!

 

Andrew Putnam

  • Event Scoring Average: 68.83 (Six career starts)
  • Notable Course History: T14 ('22), T21 ('21), T10 ('20), T34 ('19), T17 ('18)
  • DraftKings Price: $8,700 FanDuel Price: $9,800

The Pepperdine alum returns to California on the heels of a rock-solid T4 outing at the Sony Open. If Andrew Putnam's AmEx track record is any indicator, he'll have a great chance to continue his strong start to the calendar year.

Putnam has repeatedly found success in La Quinta, posting top 25 finishes in four of his last five American Express starts. The 33-year-old enters this year's edition playing perhaps the most consistent golf of his career. He last missed a cut in June of 2022 and has gained strokes: total in 16 consecutive tournaments. Putnam's consistency can be traced to his elite ability on and around the green. He grades out first in this week's field in SG: Short Game.

 

Adam Hadwin

  • Event Scoring Average: 67.79 (Seven career starts)
  • Notable Course History: T25 ('22), T32 ('21), T2 ('19), T3 ('18), 2nd ('17), T6 ('16)
  • DraftKings Price: $8,200 FanDuel Price: $9,800

Although he doesn't have an actual AmEx win on his resume, it feels correct to dub Adam Hadwin "Mr. American Express" due to just how great he's been in this event throughout his career, a CV that includes a round of 59 in 2017.

The Canadian has found a second home in La Quinta, California, and its desert golf setting. Between 2016 and 2019, Hadwin recorded a pair of runner-up finishes in the AmEx and finished no worse than T6. His mark of +36.02 SG: Total since 2018 is the best total among this week's entrants and he's gained an average of +2.55 strokes per round in this event since 2017.

It is a little concerning that the veteran enters the week without a recent start under his belt, though the AmEx has historically been how he prefers to start his new calendar year. He closed out 2022 playing solid golf with a pair of top-10 finishes (Shriners & Houston Open) across his five Swing Season starts. Hadwin has gained an average of 4.2 strokes total over his last five tournaments and will return to one of his happy places with his game seemingly in terrific form.

  Win More With RotoBaller

Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners! RotoBaller's PGA Premium Packages feature several savvy analysts and proven winners for DFS and betting.

Our very own Joe Nicely took down a big DraftKings DFS tournament for the Travelers Championship. And as an encore, RotoBaller subscriber @tenndolly2 won $100K on FanDuel with the help of Joe and the rest of our Premium PGA team:

Between all the incredible Premium PGA DFS and Betting content and tools we put out each week, and our Premium Slack Community where we chat with our subscribers before lineups lock, RotoBaller PGA subscribers are armed with the tools, analysis, and advice to win more.

Golf DFS News and Player Outlooks


More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

KaVontae Turpin

Arrested on Two Charges
Cole Ragans

to Begin Throwing on Monday
Theo Johnson

Prioritizing his Health this Offseason
Andrés Giménez

Andres Gimenez Hits 10-Day Injured List
Jermaine Burton

Continues to Show Growth
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
Austin Cindric

Remains an Overrated Road Racer
Brad Keselowski

Likely to Brush Past Chicago Street Course to Focus on Daytona
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek One of the Best Underdog Options After Strong Runs at Mexico City and Last Year
Cole Custer

Strong Mexico City Run and Xfinity Series Chicago Win Make Him a Solid DFS Option
Erik Jones

Likely Not Good Enough on Road Courses for DFS Consideration Despite Poor Qualifying Result
Noah Gragson

May Be Better Than Other Cheap DFS Options
Riley Herbst

Despite Decent Mexico City Run, Don't Expect Riley Herbst to Contend at Chicago
Cody Ware

Is a Road Course Veteran, but It's Rarely Helped Him in NASCAR
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Is The Heavy Favorite to Win at Chicago Street Course
Christopher Bell

Should Be Strong Despite Practice Struggles at Chicago Street Course
Cam Ward

"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade may not Happen Until "August, September"
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Houston Rockets

Jock Landale Waived by Rockets
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Considering Returning to Europe
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Jabari Walker

Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Byron Young

Still Improving?
Cody Simon

Jonathan Gannon has Been Impressed With Cody Simon
SirVocea Dennis

has Impressive Offseason
Trevor Penning

Could Still Have a Role in New Orleans
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Decline Recent Offer for Jonathan Kuminga
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner, Magic Agree to One-Year Deal
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
Robbie Ray

Earns Ninth Win in Complete Game
T.J. Watt

Likely to Reset the Edge-Rush Market
George Springer

Blasts Two Homers, Drives in Four
James Wood

Goes Yard in Five-Hit Night
Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Los Angeles Lakers

Jaxson Hayes Staying with the Lakers
NBA

Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
Max Muncy

Out at Least Six Weeks
Clarke Schmidt

Leaves Start with Forearm Tightness
Colson Montgomery

Promoted to the Major Leagues
Pittsburgh Steelers

Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
Max Muncy

Goes on Injured List With Knee Bruise
Max Muncy

Out of Thursday's Lineup
James Wood

Joining Home Run Derby
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
Divine Deablo

Could be the Quarterback of the Defense
Isaiah Rodgers

a Likely Starter for the Vikings
Boston Celtics

Josh Minott Inks Deal With Celtics
Sandro Mamukelashvili

Heading to Toronto
Jared McCain

Not on 76ers Summer League Roster
Dylan Harper

Unavailable for California Classic
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF