For Amanda Balionis, Sunday has been a watch fest. Moments before, the CBS reporter was locked in watching the AFC Championship thriller. New England Patriots’ gritty 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos made Drake Maye the second-youngest quarterback to reach the Super Bowl. As the credits for the match rolled, Balionis switched the channel. Cut to Scottie Scheffler at La Quinta.

“And now we flip to golf to watch Scottie come back like he never freaking left 😂 just unreal and so fun,” Balionis writes on her story as a serious Scheffler from the 2026 American Express appears on her TV screen.

Amanda Balionis’s assessment is honest and true to the very core. The PGA Tour’s second event of the season, and Scottie Scheffler already showed why he’s the World’s No. 1.

The final round promised a compelling contest, but by Sunday afternoon, the tension had evaporated. Scottie Scheffler took control early, steadily pulling away from the field. He surged to 27-under par for the week. Scheffler closed with a final-round 66 to seal his 20th career PGA Tour victory. Overall, he scored 32 birdies, the most in the field. On the other hand, there were 3 bogeys in all, with a double bogey on the 17th hole, during R4. Finishing right behind him were Jason Day, who closed with a 64, Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty, and Andrew Putnam with a T2 finish.

And this is what has impressed thousands of golf fans, including Amanda Balionis.

The 2026 American Express is Scheffler’s first professionally competitive appearance in nearly two months. His last start came at the Hero World Challenge in early December. The tournament was not an official PGA Tour event, yet Scheffler was dominant, finishing T4.

Other than that, he was all MIA during his off-season.

Before his disappearance, he played the Procore Championship, where he won. Next came the Ryder Cup. Scheffler’s performance was notably disappointing as Team USA suffered a massive defeat (15-13) on their home ground.

Last season, the World No. 1 missed the start due to a hand injury sustained in a freak accident on Christmas. But this time, he flipped the script.

The American Express is, anyway, a traditional stop for Scheffler. He had played it five straight seasons, except last year. Previously, he has finished in the top 10 just once, back in 2020, with a solo third. This is Scottie Scheffler’s first win at La Quinta. And with this win come many record-breaking performances.

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Scottie Scheffler prevails at La Quinta, crossing the $100M Mark.

For a while, the crowd at the American Express (and Rickie Fowler) was sure to see Blades Brown become a young winner at the PGA Tour event. But as golf often turns unpredictable, Mr. Inevitable stormed through, bypassing the 18-year-old to claim his season’s first victory. Blades Brown ends his final round at T18.

For Scottie Scheffler, the wins break many records. At 29 years of age, he is now the second youngest player in history to reach 20 PGA Tour wins. He surpassed Jack Nicklaus in his position and now trails behind Tiger Woods.

In terms of stats, Scheffler led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and Greens in Regulation. He hit 67 of 72 greens over the four days. Now with this win, Scheffler takes home a massive $1.65 million prize from the event’s $9.2 million total purse. His career has now officially surpassed the $100 million mark, as he is closer to breaking Tiger Woods’s $120M record.