Chris Gotterup and Scottie Scheffler have set the tone early in the 2026 PGA Tour season, each picking up wins in the opening events.
With The Sentry cancelled, the year began with two full-field tournaments, giving players a proper start to their campaigns.
The American Express did not disappoint last week. Scheffler edged out a tight field to claim his 20th career win on the tour, making it an eventful way to kick off 2026.
There was no shortage of talent at La Quinta. And while some of the usual suspects were in contention, there were also a few names looking to cause an upset.
Smylie Kaufman shares his view on The American Express’ future
Blades Brown and Andrew Putnam both shot 60s on Friday, with Putnam keeping pace with the world number one through the front nine of the final round.
There is growing talk about a streamlined calendar, with some suggesting a move to just 20 events. That puts tournaments like the Sony Open in Hawaii and The American Express under threat.
But Smylie Kaufman, speaking on The Smylie Show, pointed out that this season’s start has been a great showcase for full-field events.
“I’ll say this about the AmEx as we kind of think about next year, a broader conversation, what I loved about Sunday and what I loved about this field is that there were so many different storylines,” he said.
“I don’t want the tour to go away too much from events like this, because you had Andrew Putnam, a guy that has everything to play for. You have Blades Brown, an 18-year-old, who has an opportunity to be the second youngest winner on the tour. And you’ve got Si-woo Kim, who’s a guy who everybody loves to watch. But there were so many other guys who had chances to win. I think the more storylines the better.
“The signature event model I think you could argue you wouldn’t have had nearly as many fun storylines as a viewer where you feel like somebody’s life and their job feels like it’s on the line on Sunday and you can feel it through the TV screen. And I felt that today with some players.”
What sponsors think about backing PGA Tour events
There is no doubt that big changes could be on the way for the PGA Tour calendar, especially with Brian Rolapp in charge and less tied to tradition than his predecessors.
Sponsor opinion will play a huge role. And according to Kaufman, there is support from backers to keep these tournaments alive.
He revealed: “I can tell you that Sony and American Express, they want to be back on the PGA Tour. They want to have these events. I think there’s a little bit of a song and dance that’s happening between the two. I think the PGA Tour is tap-dancing a little bit and everybody else is out on the dance floor wanting to party.
“I’m interested to see what happens, because it’s just hard to say no to these big sponsors that are willing to put the dollars, especially in locations which players like to be at in Hawaii and American Express at La Quinta – such an amazing place to start the year. I understand from a ratings aspect starting the year with a big bang in Phoenix, but I still feel like if you can manoeuvre around football enough, I feel like these events still should be happening.”
The uncertainty around how events like The American Express fit into future plans has naturally grown louder as talks about changes gain traction.
One thing is clear: fans do enjoy watching those underdog stories unfold when lesser-known players go head-to-head against some of golf’s biggest names.
But Rolapp is focused on making decisions that help broaden golf’s appeal beyond its core audience. And that could mean some tough calls are ahead for tournaments without top billing.
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