PGA West in La Quinta, California, hosts this week’s American Express as the PGA Tour returns to the mainland after opening 2021 with a two-week stay in Hawaii. Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings and betting odds for the top 30 golfers at the 2021 American Express.
The first two rounds of the tournament will be split between the Stadium Course and the Nicklaus Tournament Course with all golfers who make the 36-hole cut sticking to the Stadium Course for the weekend.
Also see:
2021 American Express: Fantasy Golf Top 30
Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday at 8 a.m. ET.
30. John Augenstein (+25000)
The runner-up at the 2019 US Amateur makes his professional golf debut following a T-55 finish at the 2020 Masters. He’s an excellent irons player and will have better success on more neutral putting surfaces.
29. Nick Taylor (+9000)
Moved up 11 spots to 125th in the Official World Golf Ranking with a T-11 finish at the Sony Open last week. Gained 1.59 strokes per round putting and stays on Bermudagrass this week.
28. Zach Johnson (+6600)
Missed the cut here three times in his last five appearances but has made the cut in nine straight events since the 2020 PGA Championship. He has three top-10 finishes during that stretch, including a T-8 at the US Open.
27. Si Woo Kim (+6000)
Tied for 25th last week with 0.00 strokes lost or gained on the greens. Averaged 1.25 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green per round.
26. Kevin Streelman (+10000)
Finished second on another Pete Dye-designed course at the Travelers Championship last summer. Has averaged 0.51 total strokes gained on the field per round over 13 career rounds at the Stadium Course, according to Data Golf.
25. Sepp Straka (+8000)
Tied for fourth in this event last year while ranking second in the field with 2.78 SG: Approach per round. He missed the cut in his 2019 debut.
24. Keegan Bradley (+8000)
Missed the cut last week due to 3.49 strokes lost putting per round but ranked second in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach.
23. Francesco Molinari (+8000)
Slipped to 130th in the OWGR and 359th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings after playing just seven tournaments last year. He won four times through 2018 and 2019, including the 147th Open Championship.
22. Rickie Fowler (+4500)
Had just two top-10 finishes against eight missed cuts in 20 events last year, but one of the top 10s was a T-10 in his debut at this event. He has played his best golf early in the season in recent years.
21. Brian Harman (+5000)
No. 27 in the Golfweek rankings despite not registering a win since the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship. Didn’t pick up a top-10 finish last year but was T-21 at PGA West. He tied for third here in 2017.
Place your legal, online 2021 American Express bets in CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM. Risk-free first bet! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
20. Cameron Davis (+8000)
Twelfth on Tour in Birdie or Better Percentage through 24 rounds on the 2020-21 season. Finished 31st last week while gaining 1.57 strokes per round off-the-tee.
19. Andrew Landry (+12500)
The defending champ also finished second in 2018. He relied heavily on his putter last year, but he also averaged 1.94 SG: Approach and 2.22 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.
18. Russell Henley (+3000)
Has been on a steady rise from No. 251 to No. 52 in the OWGR since a missed cut at last year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. He’s No. 18 in the Golfweek rankings after collecting six top-10 finishes in his last 17 events.
17. Charles Howell III (+5000)
Only one golfer in this field has played more rounds on the Stadium Course. He has averaged 1.02 strokes gained on the field per round over his 14 laps but missed the cut last year.
16. Cameron Champ (+3500)
Just two top-10 finishes in 20 events last season. Tied for 21st in this event despite a dreadful 1.77 strokes lost around-the-green per round. His distance doesn’t provide his usual advantage.
15. Doc Redman (+8000)
Tied for 29th last year with an impressive 1.44 SG: Putting per round. Hasn’t played since missing the cut at The RSM Classic but had success against weaker fields last year with three top 10s.
14. Phil Mickelson (+6000)
The tournament host is a two-time winner here and more recently tied for second in 2019. Having slipped to 137th in the Golfweek rankings, he figures to split his time between the PGA Tour and Champions circuit this year but could start strong against a weaker field.
13. Gary Woodland (+8000)
The 2019 US Open winner dropped to No. 40 in the OWGR in an uneventful 2020 campaign in which he had four top-10 finishes in 19 events but never really seemed to challenge for the winner’s circle. He tied for second in 2011 at this event but on different courses.
12. Adam Hadwin (+6000)
Missed this event last year for the birth of his child, but finished 2nd, T-3 and T-2 from 2017-19. Leads those with a minimum of four rounds played on the Stadium Course with 2.56 strokes gained per round.
11. Sam Burns (+5000)
First on Tour in Total Driving through five events played on the 2020-21 season. Tied for sixth last year with 2.66 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.
10. Matthew Wolff (+2500)
No. 46 in the Golfweek rankings and 15 in the OWGR. Hasn’t played since a missed cut at the 2020 Masters. Finished just T-61 here last year but averaged 1.61 SG: Off-the-Tee per round and has improved his short game.
9. Paul Casey (+5000)
Ranked second on Tour in Par 4 Efficiency: 400-450 Yards last year. That’s the key distance at PGA West with 11 of 20 par 4s between the Stadium Course and Nicklaus Tournament Course falling in that range.
8. Kevin Na (+3000)
Last week’s winner finished T-17 here last year with 3.00 SG: Approach per round. He’d be ranked higher if it weren’t for the long trip back from Hawaii.
7. Tony Finau (+1800)
Tied for 14th last year despite losing strokes on the greens, on approach and off the tee. Was off last week after finishing T-31 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
6. Brooks Koepka (+1800)
The former world No. 1 makes his 2021 debut having slipped to No. 54 in the Golfweek rankings. He has never played this event.
5. Abraham Ancer (+2800)
Has averaged 0.73 strokes gained per round over 11 career rounds on the Stadium Course. He finished alone in second with 2.38 SG: Putting and 3.32 SG: Tee-to-Green per round last year.
4. Sungjae Im (+2000)
Disappointed with a T-56 result as a popular betting pick last week at the Sony Open. He continues to strike the ball well but is struggling on the greens.
3. Patrick Reed (+1400)
A somewhat surprising entry this week coming off a T-21 at the Tournament of Champions. He ended his 2020 schedule with a T-3 finish in a strong field at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
2. Scottie Scheffler (+1600)
Debuted here last year with a third-place finish. Still trying to get back on track after having to withdraw from the 2020 US Open due to a positive COVID-19 result.
1. Patrick Cantlay (+1200)
Became the betting favorite after world No. 2 Jon Rahm withdrew Monday for an undisclosed reason. Tied for ninth in his lone appearance here in 2019 with 3.13 SG: Approach and 3.45 SG: Tee-to-Green. He’s 10th in the Golfweek rankings and is the top golfer in the field by that measure.
Get some action on the 2021 American Express by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Golfweek:
- For first time, Official World Golf Ranking top 23 features five players under age 24
- Lynch: Justin Thomas learned something this week. Everyone else? Not so much.
Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]