Scottie Scheffler starts 2026 as expected: with a win. He claimed The American Express on the PGA Tour by a four-stroke margin over Jason Day, Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty, and Andrew Putnam in second place, becoming the second-fastest player to reach 20 wins on the PGA Tour. Scheffler shot a 66 to take the lead while his competitors faltered.
PGA Tour: Scottie Scheffler Dominates The American Express
In the final, Scheffler birdied half of the holes and could have won by an even bigger margin if he had not hit his ball into the water on the island green at hole 17, resulting in a double bogey. Despite this, his 66 was unbeatable. Si Woo Kim, who led after three rounds, could not keep pace and finished with a 72, falling behind. Also, 18-year-old Blades Brown, who had played the Korn Ferry Tour final in the Bahamas on Wednesday and was tied with Scheffler after three rounds, slipped to T18 with a 74 in the final round.
Scheffler begins the new year as dominantly as ever. This marks his 16th consecutive top-ten finish, and he does not take victories for granted. "There is a reason we have to finish the tournament. You don't get the trophy on the 16th hole. You have to finish the tournament. Today I played in the last group against two very talented players. Si Woo has so much talent; he is very good at golf. I saw Blades for the first time, but any 18-year-old making it to the final flight of a PGA Tour event is doing something right. It is a course where you have to go out and make birdies. There were many challenges today, but I am proud of how we played and put together a great round," Scheffler said.