The 2025 American Express PGA tournament began Thursday morning in La Quinta.

The tournament runs through Sunday. Some of the top players in the PGA Tour will play for the $8.8 million purse.

We’ll have complete coverage of the tournament, watch News Channel 3 for highlights and more.

What a beautiful day it is at La Quinta Country Club to start the first start day @theamexgolf. @KESQ @BlakeArthur24 @newsmanzach pic.twitter.com/yKBPzuIDvF

— Kenji Ito (@KenjiitoKESQ) January 16, 2025

Time to shine ✨ pic.twitter.com/IoSMeCnafk

— The American Express ® (@theamexgolf) January 16, 2025

After the top two top-ranked players in the world dropped out, Justin Thomas is the 12-1 pre-tournament favorite as he seeks his first PGA Tour win since the 2022 PGA Championship and 16th of his career, according to BetMGM, an official betting operator of the PGA Tour.

Thomas will be making his fourth start at The American Express. He missed the cut in 2014 and tied for seventh in 2015. Last year, he played in the final group in the final round and finished in a three-way tie for third, two strokes behind winner Nick Dunlap.

Thomas had six top 10 finishes in 2024, 10 top 25 finishes and made 16 cuts. He was 21st on the money-winning list with $5,223,561 and 41st in scoring average, averaging 69.62 strokes per round.

South Korean Sungjae Im is the second choice at 14-1 and American Sam Burns the third choice at 16-1.

One year after becoming the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open, Dunlap will attempt to become the first player to win The American Express in consecutive years since Johnny Miller in 1976. He is the co-13th choice at 55-1.

Dunlap entered the tournament in 2024 through a sponsor’s exemption as a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Alabama with a goal of “just try to come here and learn” after missing the cuts at his first three PGA Tour starts.

Not only did he learn, he won, finishing one stroke ahead of South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

Dunlap turned professional four days later, then finished 80th in his first tournament as a professional, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and missed the cut in his second, The Genesis Invitational.

He missed the cuts at all three majors he played in — the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship and U.S. Open — but had four top 25 finishes in his first 16 starts as a professional, then won the Barracuda Championship, an alternate event played the same week as the British Open, becoming the first player to win as an amateur and professional in the same season.

Dunlap was voted by his fellow players as the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He tied for 10th in his latest event, the Sony Open in Hawaii, which concluded Sunday.

Dunlap will begin the tournament at the La Quinta Country Club where he shot a 12-under 60 last year, tying the PGA Tour record for the lowest round by an amateur.

Nick Dunlap getting some shots off before his 8:41 am tee off. Dunlap looks to defend his title. @KESQ @BlakeArthur24 @newsmanzach pic.twitter.com/2DWsUmK6pf

— Kenji Ito (@KenjiitoKESQ) January 16, 2025

The highest-ranked player in the field of 156 is 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who is ranked seventh.   

The field also includes Rickie Fowler, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour who was born and raised in Murrieta.  

The field will be reduced to the low 65 and ties following the conclusion of the third round. Sunday’s final round will be played at the Pete Dye Stadium Course. The winner will receive $1.584 million.

Dunlap was voted by his fellow players as the PGA Tour Rookie of the
Year. He tied for 10th in his latest event, the Sony Open in Hawaii, which
concluded Sunday.

Dunlap will begin the tournament at the La Quinta Country Club where he shot a 12-under 60 last year, tying the PGA Tour record for the lowest round by an amateur.

The highest ranked player in the field of 156 is 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who is ranked seventh.   

The field also includes Rickie Fowler, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour who was born and raised in Murrieta.   

The field will be reduced to the low 65 and ties following the conclusion of the third round. Sunday’s final round will be played at the Pete Dye Stadium Course. The winner will receive $1.584 million.

The four-time Grammy-winning country vocal group Little Big Town will perform a concert on the PGA West Stadium Course driving range following conclusion of play Friday. The rock band Journey, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, will perform a concert at the same site following conclusion of play Saturday.  

All Friday and Saturday tournament tickets include admission to the concerts. There are no concert-only tickets.   

The concert area on the Pete Dye Stadium Course driving range will open to spectators at 4 p.m., with the concerts expected to start at approximately 5 p.m. Chairs and blankets will only be allowed in designated areas.   

All tickets are digital and are available at www.theamexgolf.com.