Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking and winner of nine tournaments worldwide this year, will return to the desert in January for the 66th annual American Express PGA Tour event at La Quinta.
The American Express also officially announced that Nick Dunlap, who became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event with his one-stroke victory at La Quinta last January, was also officially entered into the 2025 tournament.
Scheffler and Dunlap join a growing list of players committed to the American Express, which will be played Jan. 16-19 at three La Quinta courses. Billy Horschel and Sam Burns, both top 20 players in the world, and Tom Kim, ranked 21st in the world, announced they would participate in the event at PGA West and La Quinta Country Club.
Scheffler’s ninth victory of the year came Sunday in the Hero World Challenge thanks to a final round of 63. Now a winner of 13 official PGA Tour events over the past three seasons, Scheffler’s 2024 included his second Masters title as well only victories at the Players. Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial. In addition to his victory at the Unofficial Heroes Tournament, Scheffler won the gold medal at the Paris Summer Olympics in men’s golf. Scheffler earned just over $29 million in official money for the season.
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His year was also notable for his arrest while attempting to break into the player’s entry at the PGA Championship in Kentucky in May. Scheffler was ultimately convicted on four charges, but returned to the course to play his second round. A few weeks later, the charges against Scheffler were dropped.
Scheffler will be competing in his sixth The American Express event, his first in 2020 when he finished third.
Dunlap, the 2023 U.S. Amateur champion, earned several notable firsts during his 2024 season, including his first PGA Tour victory playing at American Express as an amateur and guest of a sponsor. He turned professional just days after the victory and played in 23 events. In July, Dunlap won the Barracuda Championship at Truckee, becoming the first golfer in tour history to win as a amateur and professional during the same calendar year.
Tickets for The American Express are now available at theamexgolf.com. The week includes concerts on the PGA West driving range after the match on Friday and Saturday. Country band Little Big Town will perform Friday while Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Journey will perform Saturday.
This article was originally published on Palm Springs Desert Sun: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler signs with American Express at La Quinta
