Scottie Scheffler romps in desert, wins American Express by four

Scottie Scheffler Dominates in the Desert, Wins American Express by Four Strokes

By

Brentley Romine

Published January 25, 2026 06:54 PM

 

Was there ever any doubt?

 

Scottie Scheffler entered the final round of The American Express trailing leader Si Woo Kim by one shot, while tied with 18-year-old pro Blades Brown. Throughout his career, he had converted nine consecutive victories on the PGA Tour when finishing a round either tied for first or one shot behind.

 

On Sunday, Scheffler pulled away from the field with a 6-under 66 on the PGA West Stadium Course, finishing at 27 under to win by four strokes. This victory marked his 20th career win on the PGA Tour within just four years and brought his lifetime earnings to over $100 million—only Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have surpassed that amount.

 

“Being mentioned alongside those guys indicates I’m doing something right,” Scheffler remarked. “However, it’s not something I dwell on daily. My focus this week was solely on preparing and performing at my best.”

 

Regardless of the challenge, Scheffler shines, and the American Express once again proved less difficult, producing a winning score of 20 under or better for the 15th consecutive year since the format changed from 90 to 72 holes in 2012.

 

Even though it was his first event of the year, Scheffler was eager to capitalize on birdie opportunities. He started strong, hitting his opening approach from 133 yards to just 4 feet for a birdie, one of eight successful putts from within 5 feet made during the round.

 

After dropping a shot at the second hole and falling two behind Kim, Scheffler was nothing short of impeccable, while his rivals Kim and Brown both faltered with a combined score of 2 over. Scheffler shot a 4-under 32 on the front nine, and after hitting lob wedges close at holes 12 and 14, he took a five-stroke lead.

 

“There’s always a bit of rust in competitive golf,” Scheffler explained. “You can practice at home, but nothing compares to being in the moment during a tournament. It’s rewarding to see my hard work pay off, especially with my wedges.”

 

Upon reaching the 17th hole, famously known as “Alcatraz” for its island green, it became increasingly unlikely for anyone to catch the world No. 1. Scheffler did hit his tee shot into the water, resulting in a double bogey, but it didn’t affect his lead.

 

Ryan Gerard, Jason Day, Matt McCarty, and Andrew Putnam tied for second at 23 under, with Day finishing strong, scoring a 64.

 

Brown, who had participated in competitive golf for eight consecutive days following the Korn Ferry Tour’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, held his own until a double bogey on the par-5 fifth hole. Two additional bogeys in his final four holes prevented him from finishing in the top 10.

 

“Playing with Scottie Scheffler in the final group at 18 years old was surreal,” Brown commented. “It wasn’t the Sunday I hoped for, but it was an incredible experience to play alongside him and witness his victory.”

 

Scheffler switched back to his TaylorMade Qi10 driver after previously using the Qi4D model since early December. He ranked fourth in strokes gained off the tee over the final rounds.

 

Since a T-20 finish at The Players last March, Scheffler hasn’t ranked outside the top 8 in his last 17 global starts, including seven victories. For comparison, McIlroy would need to count his last 29 events to equal 17 top-8 finishes, and McIlroy’s 10 wins since the beginning of 2022 stand second to Scheffler’s 20.

 

Scheffler’s last finish outside the top 25 came at the 2024 BMW Championship, where he placed T-33.

 

“We’re not comparing him directly to Tiger, but his numbers are reminiscent of Tiger’s era,” Jason Day said. “Every time he competes, he’s in contention, which is incredibly difficult to maintain. It’s essential to stay motivated and not become complacent after achieving success.”