PGA’s The American Express Thursday, January 20 – Sunday, January 23, 2022

The Tour starts its California swing of tournaments as it heads to La Quinta, California for The American Express.

The tournament is a hit and giggle for three rounds. Unlike other tournaments, this one will jump to three different courses – making it hard to handicap. The pros will have amateurs, like actor Alfonso Ribeiro (best known for his role as Carlton in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) tagging along as well until Sunday. It’s a tournament known for having long par 5s, which leads me to believe that the bombers will be bewitching the leaderboard.  

So without further ado, here are Ian Davis Picks for The American Express this weekend:

Top South African: Christian Bezuidenhout +105

If we were playing Scrabble this weekend, Bezuidenhout would already be the winner. The South African showed promise last year as he finished third on The Korn Ferry Tour, which secured his PGA Tour card for this season. Bezuidenhout started his season with a T17 at the Sony Open last week. He goes against three other South Africans – Dylan Frittelli who hasn’t played since November, Dawie van der Walt who hasn’t made his last five cuts, and 6 ‘ 10’’ James Du Preez who is ranked No. 1,319 in the world. Take Bezuidenhout and hope he outduels the others at plus money.

Top GB + Ireland: Seamus Power +240

There aren’t many hotter golfers than Seamus Power. The Irishman has finished top 25 or better in his last eight tournaments, with two of those being top fives. Power isn’t someone who kills it off the tee, ranking 113th last year in driving distance. But he did finish 5th around the green. Also, fellow Irishmen Rory McIlory and Shane Lowry aren’t playing this weekend. Run with the hot hand. (Fun fact: Power graduated from Eastern Tennessee State University in 2010.)

Winner: Matthew Wolff +2900

Last year was hard on Wolff, battling injuries and taking time off for mental health. However, he returned in October and played some great golf. Finishing top 20 in all four events, including two top 10s. He absolutely murders the ball off the tee (averging 321 yards so far this year), which should play into these long par 5s if he finds the fairways. 

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.