Scottie Scheffler will compete at the American Express Championship in late January, marking his 2026 debut.
Scottie Scheffler is set to make his first start of 2026 at the American Express Championship on the PGA Tour, tournament organizers confirmed on Wednesday. The event will take place from January 22 to 25 in La Quinta, California, with a total purse of $9.2 million. Last year, Austrian Sepp Straka claimed the title.
Challenging Task Ahead for Scheffler in California
The American Express Championship is one of the few tournaments missing from Scheffler’s victory list. After finishing third in 2020, he placed within the top 25 in subsequent years before missing the 2025 event due to a hand surgery. This year’s competition promises to be fierce with players like defending champion Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, and Robert MacIntyre posing strong challenges to the world number one.
The tournament is the PGA Tour’s second event of the year following next week’s Sony Open in Hawaii. The usual season opener, The Sentry, was canceled in October due to course conditions at dry Kapalua.
Is Another Outstanding Season Ahead for Scottie Scheffler?
Scheffler aims to start the new season strong at the American Express Championship to build on his achievements from the past year. In 20 events, he secured six victories, including the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. He finished in the top 10 in 17 of those 20 starts and never finished outside the top 25. These feats earned him the PGA Tour Player of the Year award for the fourth consecutive time.
With his two major wins in 2025, Scheffler now has a clear target for 2026. After Masters wins in 2022 and 2024, the US star only needs the US Open to complete his Career Grand Slam. He will compete for the title there from June 18 to 21.