GOLF
2024 The American Express tournament: Round 1 Thursday tee times, pairings and featured groups
After a brief trip to Hawaii, it is now time for the Desert Classic, a professional golf tournament held in mid-winter in the Coachella Valley of South Cal.
The PGA Tour golf has been taking place in Hawaii for the past two weeks. This week’s tournament is the American Express and will be played on American continental soil with a unique format. Golf enthusiasts are in for a treat as the tournament unfolds across three different courses: the Stadium Course, Linta Country Club, and the Nicholas Tournament Course.
All three courses share a par-72 layout and measure under 7,200 yards. They have reachable par-fives, and the small greens demand precision from the players. The dormant rough minimizes the penalty for missing fairways, allowing players to use their drivers, occasionally opting for three-woods confidently.
The Stadium Course hosts half of the rounds and is known for its transformation into a “wedge fest.” The absence of significant rough penalties allows players to position themselves strategically for approach shots, turning the competition into a showcase of wedge skills. There are only a few holes with water hazards, allowing players to dictate their shots and leading to a birdie-laden spectacle.
The American Express is known as a birdie festival, where players aim to score below par. Over the past five years, the average winning score has been 25 under, highlighting the need for players to maintain an aggressive, birdie-seeking mindset throughout the tournament.
The tournament is played in near-perfect scoring conditions, with rare strong winds. Even when the wind does make an appearance, it tends to be mild and potentially assists the players in navigating the courses.
2024 The American Express tournament: Round 1 Thursday tee times
La Quinta Country Club
1st tee
- 8:30 am: Adam Long, Ryan Palmer
- 8:41 am: Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau
- 8:52 am: Pierceson Coody, Adrien Dumont De Chassart
- 9:03 am: Ben Griffin, Davis Thompson
- 9:14 am: Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay
- 9:25 am: Ben Kohles, Ryo Hisatsune
- 9:36 am: Greyson Sigg, Justin Suh
- 9:47 am: Zach Johnson, Brandt Snedeker
- 9:58 am: Chris Kirk, Wyndham Clark
- 10:09 am: Vince Whaley, Robert MacIntyre
- 10:20 am: Akshay Bhatia, Nico Echavarria
- 10:31 am: Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas
- 10:42 am: Taiga Semikawa, Jacob Bridgeman
10th tee
- 8:30 am: Charley Hoffman, Kevin Streelman
- 8:41 am: Shane Lowry, Jason Day
- 8:52 am: Jake Knapp, Ben Silverman
- 9:03 am: Bill Haas, Chesson Hadley
- 9:14 am: Sam Burns, Seamus Power
- 9:25 am: Parker Coody, John Pak
- 9:36 am: Michael Kim, Maverick McNealy
- 9:47 am: Aaron Rai, Ben Taylor
- 9:58 am: Tom Hoge, Si Woo Kim
- 10:09 am: Brandon Wu, Will Gordon
- 10:20 am: Christiaan Bezuidenhout Alex Noren
- 10:31 am: Erik van Rooyen, K.H. Lee
- 10:42 am: Kevin Dougherty, Alexander Bjork
Nicklaus Tournament Course
1st tee
- 8:30 am: Carl Yuan, Callum Tarren
- 8:41 am: Davis Riley, Matt Wallace
- 8:52 am: Jimmy Stanger, Blaine Hale Jr
- 9:03 am: Andrew Novak, Matti Schmid
- 9:14 am: Jason Dufner, Andrew Landry
- 9:25 am: Ryan McCormick, Joe Highsmith
- 9:36 am: Dylan Wu, Robby Shelton
- 9:47 am: David Lingmerth, Kevin Yu
- 9:58 am: Ryan Moore, Joseph Bramlett
- 10:09 am: Max Greyserman, Raul Pereda
- 10:20 am: Zac Blair, David Lipsky
- 10:31 am: Matt Kuchar, Nick Taylor
- 10:42 am: Roger Sloan, Scott Gutschewski
10th tee
- 8:30 am: Taylor Montgomery, Austin Eckroat
- 8:41 am: Sungjae Im, Cameron Champ
- 8:52 am: Alejandro Tosti, Rico Hoey
- 9:03 am: Troy Merritt, Josh Teater
- 9:14 am: Andrew Putnam,Cam Davis
- 9:25 am: Matthieu Pavon, Paul Barjon
- 9:36 am: Stephan Jaeger, Matt NeSmith
- 9:47 am: Keith Mitchell, Joel Dahmen
- 9:58 am: Adam Hadwin, Taylor Pendrith
- 10:09 am: Chris Gotterup, Chan Kim
- 10:20 am: Justin Lower, Alex Smalley
- 10:31 am: Tom Kim, Min Woo Lee
- 10:42 am: Wilson Furr, Nick Dunlap
Pete Dye Stadium Course
1st tee
- 8:30 am: Mark Hubbard, Hayden Buckley
- 8:41 am: Scott Stallings, Lee Hodges
- 8:52 am: Hayden Springer, Harrison Endycott
- 9:03 am: Sam Ryder, Peter Malnati
- 9:14 am: Chez Reavie, Kevin Kisner
- 9:25 am: Sami Valimaki, David Skinns
- 9:36 am: Aaron Baddeley, Thomas Detry
- 9:47 am: Eric Cole, Adam Schenk
- 9:58 am: Billy Horschel, Camilo Villegas
- 10:09 am: Tom Whitney, Trace Crowe
- 10:20 am: Will Zalatoris, Daniel Berger
- 10:31 am: J.T. Poston, Grayson Murray
- 10:42 am: Norman Xiong, Michael Block
10th tee
- 8:30 am: Harry Hall, Sam Stevens
- 8:41 am: Ryan Brehm, Chad Ramey
- 8:52 am: Patrick Fishburn, Yuxin Lin
- 9:03 am: S.H. Kim, Tyson Alexander
- 9:14 am: Martin Laird, Lanto Griffin
- 9:25 am: Rafael Campos, Nicholas Lindheim
- 9:36 am: Garrick Higgo, Doug Ghim
- 9:47 am: Ben Martin, Beau Hossler
- 9:58 am: Tyler Duncan, Patton Kizzire
- 10:09 am: Nate Lashley, Carson Young
- 10:20 am: Bronson Burgoon, Tyler McCumber
- 10:31 am: J.B. Holmes, Jhonattan Vegas
- 10:42 am: Mac Meissner, Chandler Phillips