Betting Golf And The American Express

Following two events in Hawaii including last week’s Sony Open, the PGA Tour West Coast swing heads to La Quinta, CA for The American Express.

I chip-in my weekly coverage of the PGA Tour event at TheLines, which includes The American Express odds on the top players from leading U.S. legal online sportsbooks like FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM.

My golf coverage and research includes use and references from sites like Golf Stats along with Fantasy National and Data Golf. I gain added information from contacts and golf insiders.

I put it all together and add my intuitive feel for the game and betting acumen to provide golf picks and chip-in added insight with information you can bet on. This page will be updated up to the start of the tournament and include picks for consideration to win and top finishing position, along with tournament match-ups.

COURSE AND TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

  • Course: PGA West (Stadium)
  • Location: La Quinta, CA
  • Date: Jan. 21-24
  • Par: 72 / Yardage 7,113
  • Purse: $1.6 Million / Winner $1.2 M
  • Fairways/Rough: Tifgreen 328 bermudagrass
  • Greens: : Tifdwarf bermudagrass
  • TV: Golf Channel (Thurs-Sun) and App
  • Twitter & Hashtag: @theamexgolf
  • Defending Champion: Andrew Landry

UPDATE: Golf Power Rankings and Stats for Top 20 players at The American Express

I’ve added more coverage each week with ‘Golfers to Watch‘, which are mostly players at 30/1 or greater. The favorites of 25/1 or less are the most heavily bet but often offer little value.

Last week at the Sony Open we targeted Russell Henley at +4000, and he won our tournament match-up easily over Adam Scott while finishing T11. Henley was in the mix to win heading into the final round T4 and just 3-shots off the lead before falling back. He just missed a +400 payout for Top 10, but did cash near +165 for Top 20.

We’ve added Henley to the golfers to watch section again this week, and you can view the analysis of all five players at TheLines, along with course information and key stats including Strokes Gained.

If you’re in Las Vegas, the best odds to win on most golfers is at Circa Sports. For example, Kizzire is +8500

GOLFERS TO WATCH AT THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

Russell Henley (+3500), Paul Casey (+5000), Brian Harman (+5500),  Patton Kizzire (+7500), Zach Johnson (+8000), BH An (+18000), Harry Hall (+30000).

Russell Henley (+3500 DraftKings): Consider Henley again with continued strong current form, which is a better indicator of success more than course form. Using Fantasy National data, Henley tops this field in Strokes Gained: Total over his last 36 rounds and ranks No. 1 in SG: Tee-to-Green, Ball Striking and Approach. He’s the best iron player in this field over the past year, and only his past putting has held him back. But add in Henley’s premier driving accuracy combined with his ability to hit greens and score, along with his proven performances on Pete Dye courses on Tour, and he seems like a strong candidate for another top finish.

Brian Harman (+5500 FanDuel/DraftKings): Heading into The American Express last year, Harman had among the field’s best strokes gained-model for the event. He’s also finished third here in 2017 and has another Top 20 finish since. Harmon’s strength is on and around the greens where he ranks Top 10 in the field over his last 36 rounds and No. 15 in SG: Total.

Zach Johnson (+8000 FanDuel): Accuracy, Short Game and Approach play will serve him well where he’s had a number of solid rounds on the Pete Dye design at the Stadium Course and numerous top finishes in other PGA events on Dye courses.

Patton Kizzire (+7500 FanDuel): Another short game specialist is Kizzire, who ranks No. 1 in this field in SG: Putting on bermuda greens over his last 36 rounds and No. 1 in Short Game.

Harry Hall (+30000 FD/DK): Played college at UNLV, and the Englishman made his pro debut on the European Tour in 2019 and finished 15th at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Hall shot 65 on Sunday playing alongside Rory McIlroy. Accuracy is not Hall’s strength, but Scoring is thanks to his strong Approach play, Putting, Around the Green including from the Sand.

Players to Win and Top Finishing Position (Top 5, 10, 20)

Fairway’s Favorites: Henley, Ancer, Harman, Casey
Fairway’s Longshots: Kizzire (+7500), Z. Johnson (+8000), BH An (+16000), Harry Hall (+30000)

Tournament Match-ups:

  • Z. Johnson (-120) over Mickelson
  • Harman (-120) over Moore
  • Ancer (+135) over Cantlay
Author: FairwayJay is a leading national sports betting analyst, writer, handicapper and sports betting insider providing insight and information you can bet on for nearly two decades from Las Vegas. He chips in additional sports betting coverage and reporting on industry news and events for leading media and sports betting sites and companies. Follow him on X (Twitter): @FairwayJay