After two weeks in Hawaii, the PGA Tour returns to California and The American Express, a tournament that is played over three courses the first three days, before culminating at the PGA West’s Dye Stadium Course on Sunday.
Last year, it was Nick Dunlap who made history, as the then college sophomore fired a 29-under-par total to claim a one shot victory and become the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson back in 1991.
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This year, a bumper field is set to be present in Coachella Valley and, despite World No.2 Xander Schauffele withdrawing on Monday, there’s still some great value to be had across the board.
Among the big names include Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler, whilst Tom Kim, SungJae Im and last weeks Sony Open winner, Nick Taylor, compete for the $1.53 million first prize.
Being played over three courses, the winning score has been consistently high, with the 20-under-par mark being surpassed for the last 18 years. Therefore, we can expect a lot of birdies and eagles to be made over the next four days of action.
Last year, Dunlap’s 29-under-par total set the tournament’s scoring record since it turned into a 72-hole competition in 2012. What’s more, with the wind set to be low and temperatures high, don’t be surprised to see low-scoring once again.
The American Express Course Guide: Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta Country Club & Nicklaus Tournament Course
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The three courses set to host are the Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta Country Club & Nicklaus Tournament Course, with the Pete Dye Stadium Course staging the final day of play.
Regarding distance, all sit in the 7,000 – 7,200 yard mark, with La Quinta measuring 7,060 yards, Nicklaus Tournament Course being 7,147 yards and Pete Dye Stadium Course 7,210 yards.
Because of the short distance, as well as the perfect conditions, the winning score since 2016 averages 24.5-under-par and, in terms of previous rounds, we have seen two 59s – David Duval in 1999 at PGA West and Adam Hadwin at La Quinta in 2017.
The 16th hole at Pete Dye Stadium Course features a 20-foot deep bunker
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In terms of course features, Pete Dye Stadium Course has a number of memorable holes, with the closing stretch a particular…
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