Scottie Scheffler sends a petrifying message to the PGA Tour

Scottie Scheffler shot 27 under par to win The American Express by four shots in his 2026 PGA Tour debut. Unfortunately for the rest of the PGA Tour, the World No. 1 still hasn't hit his peak.

Even though The American Express doesn't feature a strong field, Scheffler's performance in La Quinta, Calif. should worry his PGA Tour counterparts. This is a tournament that doesn't normally suit Scheffler because it's an easy setup that rewards putting and devalues tee-to-green prowess. That's why, in five previous starts at The American Express, Scheffler finished third, cut, T25, T11 and T17. 

It was a much different story in 2026, as Scheffler shot 63-64-68-66 to dominate the field and win by four shots. 

The scary part? The 29-year-old ranked just 55th in the field in strokes gained on approach in two rounds at the Pete Dye Stadium Course (the other two courses don't feature Shotlink or strokes gained stats). Scheffler's elite iron play is typically what separates him from the rest of the pack at PGA Tour venues, but he didn't even need it to lap the field in La Quinta. 

Considering Scheffler shot 63 at La Quinta Country Club and 64 at the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course, it's safe to assume he had a fantastic week with the putter. He's now gained strokes from putting in seven straight starts and 16 of his last 18 events — seven of which were Scheffler victories.

Scottie Scheffler has a stunning recent winning percentage

Dating back to the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Scheffler has won 16 of his last 38 starts for an eye-popping win percentage of 42.1 percent. For reference, Tiger Woods, who is tied for the PGA Tour record for wins with 82, has a career win percentage of 21.7 percent.