2026 American Express.
Week 2 rolls in with the TOUR leaving the Pacific behind and launching a five week West Coast stretch, starting in La Quinta for The American Express and its signature three course rotation. The setup is familiar, but the storylines are not. World number one Scottie Scheffler makes his 2026 debut, the rotation brings a mix of pure shootout tracks and one course with enough trouble to matter, and the conditions look tailor made for a low scoring week on poa greens.
Before turning the page, we unpack what happened at the Sony Open. Chris Gotterup’s win was not just an opening round blitz. Yes the 63 put him in position, but the tournament swung when the course firmed up, the wind got loud, and the grind arrived. We walk through the moment the runaway look stalled, how he managed the damage across the middle holes, and why the short game signs were the real headline. The sand saves, the timely up and downs, and the late Saturday birdie burst created the momentum that showed up again in a calm closing round. We also zoom out to what this result means going forward and why the market is reacting quickly.
Then it is on to the desert, where the scoring expectation is extreme and the decision making gets sharper. Two of the courses invite flags and birdie runs, while the Stadium Course asks you to stay disciplined with water and bunkers waiting to punish one loose swing. With the final round on Stadium after the 54 hole cut, the conversation shifts from who can make birdies to who can avoid the one stretch that flips a card upside down. We also dig into what poa surfaces can change for certain profiles, why scrambling still matters even in a birdie fest, and how recent form can mislead if you do not account for course rotation and where players start.
The episode closes with a full board walkthrough and a build of the week’s betting approach without spoilers, plus quick thoughts on DFS construction, lineup philosophy, and what to watch Thursday and Friday to adjust before the weekend in La Quinta.