Golf Glance: PGA hits West Coast; LPGA, Champions kick off '24

The PGA Tour arrives on the West Coast this week while the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions begin their seasons.

PGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: Sony Open in Hawaii (Grayson Murray)

THIS WEEK: The American Express, La Quinta, Calif., Jan. 18-21

Host course: PGA West, Pete Dye Stadium Course (Par 72, 7,187 yards). Other courses: PGA West, Nicklaus Tournament Course; La Quinta Country Club

Purse: $8.4M (Winner: $1,512,000)

Reigning champion: Jon Rahm

FedEx Cup leader: Chris Kirk

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Sunday, 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Streaming: Thursday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

X: @TheAmExGolf

NOTES: This is the first of the five-event "West Coast Swing." It is one of only two events that uses a pro-am format (AT&T Pebble Beach) and one of only four that utilizes multiple courses. ... Rahm will not defend his title after signing with LIV Golf last month, but the field does include 21 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. ... Former U.S. Ryder Cup player Daniel Berger will make his first PGA Tour start since the 2022 U.S. Open as he returns from a back injury. Ranked No. 25 in the world at the time, Berger enters this week at No. 664. The four-time PGA Tour winner is exempt through 2024 via his win at the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. ... Bill Haas, champion in 2010 and 2015, is making his 20th consecutive event start, the longest active streak in the field. ... Since the tournament went to a 72-hole format in 2012, Patrick Reed's 28-under-par 260 in 2014 is the scoring record.

BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+550 at BetMGM) makes his fifth consecutive start in the event. He finished solo third in 2020 and T11 last year. ... Patrick Cantlay (+1000) has three top-10s in five previous event starts, and he carded a final-round 61 while finishing second three years ago. ... Xander Schauffele (+1100) is coming off a T10 at The Sentry, and he tied for third at the AmEx last year. ... Tom Kim (+2500) finished T6 last year. He began 2024 with a T45 at The Sentry after closing out last year with a win at the Shriners and a T15 at the DP World Tour Championship ... Chris Kirk (+4000) is one of 15 players making their third consecutive start to begin 2024. He backed up his win at The Sentry with a T18 last week.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Farmers Insurance Open, San Diego, Jan. 24-27

LPGA Tour

LAST TOURNAMENT: CME Group Tour Championship (Amy Yang)

THIS WEEK: Tournament of Champions, Orlando, Jan. 18-21

Course: Lake Nona Golf & Country Club (Par 72, 6,608 yards)

Purse: $1.5M (Winner: $225,000); Celebrities/Amateurs: $500,000 (Winner: $100,000)

Defending champion: Brooke Henderson (pro); Mardy Fish (celebrity)

Race to the CME Globe leader: first event

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Friday, 1-4 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2-3 p.m. (GC), 3-5 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-4 p.m. (GC)

Streaming (Peacock): During all televised windows.

X: @HiltonGrandVac

NOTES: This is the first of 33 events to be held in 10 countries and 15 states in 2024. ... The no-cut pro-am event features 35 professionals competing in a 72-hole stroke-play tournament, while 46 celebrities and amateurs compete over 72 holes in a Modified Stableford scoring format. Players earn 10 points for a double eagle, five points for an eagle, three for a birdie, two for a par and one for a bogey. A double bogey docks 10 points from a player's score, while a hole-in-one earns eight points. ... World No. 1 Lilia Vu is joined in the field by No. 2 Ruoning Yin, No. 5 Nelly Korda and No. 8 Charley Hull. ... Jessica Korda and Danielle Kang share the tournament score record of 260 that they both posted in 2021, with Korda going on to win in a playoff.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: LPGA Drive On Championship, Bradenton, Fla., Jan. 25-28

PGA Tour Champions

LAST TOURNAMENT: Charles Schwab Cup Championship (Steven Alker)

THIS WEEK: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii, Jan. 18-20

Course: Hualalai GC (Par 72, 7,107 yards)

Purse: $2M (Winner: $340,000)

Defending champion: Steve Stricker

Charles Schwab Cup leader: first event

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Saturday, 7-10 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Twitter: @MEC_Golf

NOTES: This 54-hole event is the first of 28 tournaments in 2024, culminating with the Charles Schwab Cup champion in Phoenix in November. ... Stricker, now 56, set the single-season records for scoring average (67.54) and money earned ($3,986,063) while winning three majors and six tournaments overall last year. ... Bernhard Langer is the winningest player in Champions tour history with 46 victories. He is joined in the field by fellow three-time event champion Miguel Angel Jimenez. ... Stewart Cink, who competed in four events last year, is considered a rookie on tour in 2024 and will make his first start at Hualalai. Other rookies who will turn 50 this year include four-time PGA Tour winners Heath Slocum (Feb. 2) and Chad Campbell (May 31).

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Chubb Classic, Naples, Fla. 16-18

LIV Golf League

THIS WEEK: Off

Series Winners: Talor Gooch (Individual), Crushers GC (Team)

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Mayakoba, Mexico, Feb. 2-4

—Field Level Media