Golf best bets: 3 props for The American Express
The PGA Tour rolls on to California this week for The American Express at PGA West. Instead of a 36-hole cut at one golf course, The Amex features a 54-hole cut and three different courses. It's a unique event on the PGA Tour schedule, and it's also one of the easiest in terms of scoring.
With that in mind, here are our three favorite prop bets for The American Express.
Taylor Montgomery top-20 finish (+230 FanDuel)
Jon Rahm famously called this tournament a "putting contest" because of how many players can easily pepper the greens on this layout. The players who make the most putts are typically the ones in contention by Sunday afternoon.
That brings us to Taylor Montgomery, who ranked second on the PGA Tour last season in strokes gained: putting. Montgomery struggled down the stretch due to his terrible ball striking, but he's gained strokes on approach in two straight starts for the first time since October 2022. He gained 7.24 true strokes on approach last week at the Sony Open, which is the best mark of his career.
If Montgomery can keep the momentum rolling with his irons and putt as well as he normally does, he'll be a threat to win this week. The 28-year-old finished fifth at The American Express last year, and we're expecting a similar performance in 2024.
Erik Van Rooyen top-40 finish (+115 DraftKings)
Speaking of hot ball strikers, Erik Van Rooyen has been on a recent tear with his iron play. The South African has gained strokes on approach and off the tee in seven of his last eight PGA Tour starts. He's finished inside the top 40 in eight of his last nine worldwide starts, and he won the World Wide Technology Championship during that span.
EVR finished T6 at PGA West last year and gained strokes across the board. It was the only tournament last season in which he gained strokes in all four categories and the first time he accomplished that since the 2021 BMW Championship. This is clearly a great layout for Van Rooyen.
Chesson Hadley top-40 finish (+175 DK)
Chesson Hadley is quietly putting together an impressive string of golf. The World No. 164 has nine top-40 finishes and three top-10s over his last 11 starts. He's also gained true strokes on the green in nine of those 11 tournaments.
Hadley has played well on desert-style golf courses in the past, most recently with a T7 finish at the Shriners Children's Open in October.
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