The first month of the PGA Tour season has been a letdown for many fans. Hideki Matsuyama’s historic win at The Sentry saw a 263K drop in viewership from last year, while the Sony Open was marred by bad weather and a string of withdrawals from PGA Tour pros. Now, as the Tour shifts from Hawaii to California, things aren’t looking much better.

The devastating LA wildfires have made conditions in California precarious, but the PGA Tour hasn’t announced any postponements for the American Express. It is set to take place at the La Quinta Country Club from January 16th to 19th.

According to the newly released field of 156 golfers for the 2025 American Express, former winner Nick Dunlap is making a comeback! Dunlap captured last year’s edition as an amateur, becoming the first to accomplish that on Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991. But there’s a catch! Some of the biggest names in golf are noticeably MIA from the lineup.

Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler was expected to return at the American Express event after his unexpected palm injury. However, it seems his condition is still delicate. His agent confirmed last week that the 13-time PGA Tour winner needs more time to recover from his Christmas injury. Scheffler also shared an update on his Instagram story, expressing his hope to return at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, starting January 30.

“After consulting with my medical team, I have made the decision to withdraw from next week’s American Express tournament to give my injury more time to heal,” Scheffler said. “I am still hopeful to begin my 2025 season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.” Last year, Scheffler impressed with a 21 under-par score, carding a total of 267. It came after shooting 23 birdies over all four rounds.

Ludvig Aberg

Rory McIlroy

Familiar surroundings can work wonders for his game! As he said earlier, “I’d say my schedule will look pretty much the same as it did this year. I’ll most likely—I’m not a huge Hawaii guy, so I’ll probably not go to Hawaii.” Guess that settles it!

When can we expect him next? McIlroy will be defending his title at the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic from January 16-19, followed by the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am from January 30-February 2, 2025. Smart move, if you ask us!

Max Homa

Collin Morikawa

While that covers our top five, it’d be unjustified to not mention Sahith Theegala and Hideki Matsuyama’s names. These two PGA Tour stars have also been noticed from the 156th field player’s list of the American Express. Matsuyama bagged his very first 2025 win at the Sentry this month, beating Collin Morikawa by just 3 strokes.