2023 The American Express First Round Leader Picks and Predictions: Can Tony Finau Start Hot?
The PGA Tour is back in the continental United States for The American Express in California after spending two weeks in paradise on Maui and Oahu. Johnny Covers takes a closer look at who may come out hot in The American Express tournament.
Johnny Covers - January 18, 2023, 9:44 AM EST
7 min2023 The American Express First Round Leader Picks and Predictions: Can Tony Finau Start Hot?
The PGA Tour is back in the continental United States for The American Express in California after spending two weeks in paradise on Maui and Oahu. The PGA West and La Quinta Country Club are once again the focus of the opening part of the California swing, as this week will feature three different courses.
By American Express's standards, this week's field is exceptionally strong and features some of the best players in the world, including Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler.
Want to make a bet on The American Express? We have over $5,000 in free bets just waiting to be claimed right now!
The first three rounds of this week's tournament will be played on each of the three courses listed above: Stadium Course (PGA West), La Quinta Country Club, and Nicklaus Tournament Course (PGA West). The Stadium Course will be used for the final round for players who make the cut after 54 holes.
Let’s take a closer look at who may come out hot.
American Express First-Round Leader Predictions
Patrick Cantlay (+950) Bet $100 to collect $1,050 FanDuel has the best odds, click here to bet
It's not often that I recommend betting on players that are this close to the top of the odds board, but when I do, it's because I strongly believe they have a good chance of winning that week's event.
Throughout his career, Patrick Cantlay has excelled at The American Express. He has made three previous starts at the competition and has placed ninth, second, and ninth overall. On the three courses used for the competition, he is third in the field in terms of strokes gained overall and has led the competition with birdies or better each round since the tournament's inception in 2016.
Cantlay shines on tracks by Pete Dye, as the 30-year-old has now played 36 rounds on Dye-designed courses and is currently first overall in that category. This week, five of the top seven golfers in the world will be on the course, and I think he makes it a point to come out hot. If the putter gets going, he might even take this one wire to wire.
Tony Finau (+1200) Bet $100 to collect $1,300 FanDuel has the best odds, click here to bet
Tony Finau's performance in his last three starts at The American Express has been T-14, fourth, and T-40. He's also coming in relatively hot, having won the Houston Open in November and placed seventh at the Hero World Challenge and Sentry Tournament of Champions to start the year.
I firmly believe it's going to be another great year for Big Tone, and a hot start here would be just what the doctor ordered.
Tom Kim (+1400) Bet $100 to collect $1,500 FanDuel has the best odds, click here to bet
Tom Kim failed to make the cut last week, which I think is why we're getting such value this week, and I'm not deterred. According to the golf database at RickRunGood.com, the putter was the issue as he lost 6.69 strokes in the worst performance of his career.
Even still, he was the field's 12th best ball-striker during the first two rounds, and while many are staying away, I'm going right back to Tom Cat out of the gates.
American Express First-Round Leader Picks
Summary of my first-round leader picks for the American Express:
- Patrick Cantlay (+950) Bet $100 to collect $1,050 FanDuel has the best odds, click here to bet
- Tony Finau (+1200) Bet $100 to collect $1,300 FanDuel has the best odds, click here to bet
- Tom Kim (+1400) Bet $100 to collect $1,500 FanDuel has the best odds, click here to bet
Are you already signed up for DraftKings and FanDuel? Want a new sportsbook to use for The American Express? Well, click below to get just that.
