KSR Golf: The American Express

The PGA Tour has returned and that means KSR Golf is back to provide some winners. After a quick two-week stop in Hawaii to begin the season, golfers return to the mainland for a quick California swing.

Out in the Los Angeles area, the third stop of the tour will take place at the American Express. Luckett’s Locks has returned to help find some value.

Let’s ride!

Course layout for The American Express

The American Express has a very unique format. Out in California, golfers will compete at three separate courses in the unique event.

La Quinta Country Club, The Nicklaus Tournament Course, and the Stadium Course on PGA West will host the 156-golfer field. The setup is different than normal.

Each participant will play the first three rounds participating at each course once throughout the weekend. After that, the Stadium Course will host the final round on Sunday.

Each course measures over 7,000 yards, and only La Quinta Country Club (Par 70) is not a Par 72.

With some manageable Par 5s and a few short Par 4s on each, low scoring should happen frequently this weekend. However, due to the shortness of the tracks, length off the tee will not be essential.

The American Express is a second-shot tournament.

KSR Golf Advanced Stat of the Week

Due to lack of length from tee to green, second shots are much more important than first shots. Accuracy isn’t all that important easier since there is a lack of rough on the California courses, but players need to be wary of numerous water hazards.

On the green, players will be playing on bermuda grass for the third week in a row and shouldn’t have too difficult of a time reading and rolling in putts. Therefore, approach shots will be the key.

Russell Henley is fresh of a playoff loss to Hideki Matsuyama where the Georgia product led most of the way in Honolulu. Henley currently ranks third on tour strokes gained approach and finished sixth overall last season. The No. 40 overall player in the world has value at 35/1 to win.

Young phenom Will Zalatoris is participating in his first event since November, and the 25-year-old was top-10 last year in approach. At 45/1, Zalatoris could be a sneaky good play.

Corey Conners is off a very strong finish at the Sony Open and was a top-10 player in approach last season. At 22/1, the Canadian and Kent State product also has a lot of value this week.

Luckett’s Locks

Last season, Corey Conners recorded eight top-10 finishes and only missed four cuts in 29 events. A top-40 player in the world, Conners is an excellent ball-striker who doesn’t need a hot putter to compete. One of the best players on the circuit with just one career win, Conners is our pick to take the trophy home this week.

Will Zalatoris treated us well last year, and KSR Golf is jumping on him early. At 4/1 to finish in the top-10, we like the value for one of the biggest young guns in golf.

In matchups, there is one group that jumps off the page. Russell Henley is getting plus odds (+100) matched up against Seamus Power who ranked just inside the top-40 in approach last year. Power has five top-15 finishes in his last six starts, but this course seems built for Henley’s game. We’re not fading the Georgia product yet and will take him over the big favorite in this head-to-head.