The American Express: Golf One and Done Picks Strategy (2026)

2026 American Express One and Done Picks, looking at strategy and picks to consider when accounting for the field, purse, and more.

by Jason Lisk - Jan 19, 2026

The 2026 PGA Tour heads to the desert this week, and The American Express One and Done Picks are now on the board. This is the second decision point of the season after we opened with the Sony Open, where Chris Gotterup took home the win.

Now we turn to La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California, part of the Tour’s early-season “West Coast Swing”. Sepp Straka is back to defend his title, and the biggest storyline is World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler making his season debut.

There’s real depth in this field, so you’ll have options. The harder part is deciding which golfers you want to consider here that you won’t miss for higher-purse events later on.

American Express One and Done Picks Strategy: Purse Info

The American Express has a total prize purse of $9,200,000, with $1,584,000 going to first place.

This is a second-tier purse week, and there are still plenty of bigger leverage spots ahead:

• 15 picks remaining in tournaments in a higher purse tier
• 9 picks remaining in tournaments with a higher first prize, but in the same purse tier

That’s why this week is a balancing act. You want win equity, but you also don’t want to burn a golfer you will wish you had later when the schedule hits the biggest payout events.

If you want to see where this tournament’s purse ranks in your specific PGA One and Done pool, you can set up your pool entry in our Golf One and Done Picks product.

American Express OAD Picks Video

Watch as Jason Lisk and Stephen Andress run through the best One and Done picks, strongest grades, and high-upside longshots for The American Express.

American Express Overview for One and Done Pools

This analysis is a complement to the data in our product, which provides customized weekly pick grades that account for factors like:

• The total number of picks you need to make this season
• The specific tournaments included in your pool
• The golfers you’ve already used so far

Here are a few notable highlights for the 2026 American Express field:

• 156 golfers are in the field. The American Express has a cut, but it’s a 54-hole cut. The top 65 and ties advance to the final round at the Stadium Course.
• World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler makes his season debut. Scheffler did not play last week at the Sony Open, and he also skipped this event last year. Before that, he finished top 25 in each of his previous three appearances, with his best finish being 11th in 2023.
• Plenty of top-end depth. We have 13 of our Top 25 golfers competing, including four ranked in our Top 10 in this field: Scottie Scheffler, Ben Griffin, Russell Henley, and Robert MacIntyre.
• Previous winners are in the mix. Sepp Straka won last year and is back in the field. Nick Dunlap won in 2024 and followed it up with a 24th-place finish last year.

American Express One and Done Picks Advice

Below, we’ll break down the top American Express One and Done picks by looking at tournament odds, future value rankings, pick popularity, and the strategy behind when to use each golfer.

Top 10 in Win Odds

Here are the top 10 (and ties) in win odds for the American Express as of Tuesday morning, January 20: