Scottie Scheffler appears to have picked up exactly where he left off at the end of the 2025 PGA Tour season, with the world number one set to be in the final group on Sunday at The American Express.
It is easy to forget now that Scottie Scheffler won the Procore Championship on his final official PGA Tour start of last season. The 29-year-old was in Napa to gear up for the Ryder Cup.
How many times do you think Scottie Scheffler will win in 2026?
Over or under 4.5…
And there is a very real possibility that he will kick off 2026 with a significant victory in his career.
Scottie Scheffler will join exclusive club with victory at The American Express
Scheffler heads into the final round at La Quinta tied for second – one shot behind Si-woo Kim. He sent an ominous warning to his rivals by holing a long putt on his last hole of the day on Saturday.
That par ensured that Scheffler will be in the last group for the final round.
He will almost certainly be the name that everyone is concerned about. And should he secure victory, he will join a very exclusive club.
As noted by Justin Ray on X, Scheffler would become only the third player in the modern era, after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to win at least 20 times on the PGA Tour – including four majors – before turning 30.
Scheffler’s record at La Quinta may actually give his rivals some hope
In truth, it would be a shock if Scheffler did not join that club at some stage. He does not turn 30 until Sunday at the US Open – the day he could also complete the Career Grand Slam, of course.
But it is not a surprise that he is the overwhelming favourite heading into the last round of The American Express.
As shown by Data Golf, no one has gained more shots off the tee at the Stadium Course this week than Scheffler. He also picked up 1.8 shots on the greens.
How many majors do you think Scottie Scheffler will win during his career?
The world number one already has four majors under his belt
When you consider that it is normally his iron play that stands out, it is going to take some effort to stop Scheffler winning the event for the first time.
Having said that, his past record at The American Express can perhaps give the likes of Si-woo Kim and Blades Brown some encouragement.
Scheffler is on course for only his second top 10 in six starts at La Quinta. He finished third on his debut at the tournament back in 2020.
And given that everyone inside the top 10 is within five shots of the lead, there is certainly the potential for someone to go incredibly low and cause a bit of an upset.
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