SPORTFIVE, the organizers and operators of The American Express® PGA TOUR event in La Quinta, California, helped this year's tournament achieve record-breaking success both on and off the golf course. The Coachella Valley saw massive crowds, world-class players, and the best player in the game emerge victorious.
In this Success Story:
For the first time in the illustrious history of The American Express®, the top-ranked player in the world emerged victorious. Scottie Scheffler, in his sixth career start at this event, won the 2026 edition on PGA West’s Stadium Course in La Quinta, California, by four shots, posting rounds of 63-64-68-66 to finish at 27-under par.
Scheffler’s win in the Coachella Valley is the 20th win of his PGA TOUR career, thus becoming the first player since Tiger Woods to earn 20 victories before turning 30. It’s also Scheffler’s seventh win in his last 13 starts.
“I love playing this event to start,” Scheffler said earlier in the week. “You get a good gauge of where you're at just based upon you're not really playing in so many conditions, and you got to be sharp around this place to make enough birdies to compete. It's a good way to gauge where I'm at to start the year and it's a fun event.”
This year’s The American Express® earned 379.25 points in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), making this the strongest field on the PGA TOUR outside of the four majors, THE PLAYERS, and the Genesis Scottish Open over the last two seasons. This tournament featured perhaps the best field the Coachella Valley has ever seen, making Scheffler’s win even more impressive.
Along with history being made on the course, the tournament announced that it had a record attendance in 2026, with ticket sales seeing a 30% increase when compared to last year. Concessions and merchandise sales also saw record highs.
SPORTFIVE is proud to have had played a role in these successful endeavors both on and off the course. The agency has a dedicated staff of over 30 professionals who help with organizing and facilitating everything with the tournament.
Planning for this distinguished PGA TOUR event begins more than 10 months in advance, making this a year-round effort for all involved. From on-the-course operations, to selling hospitality suites, to working with players on producing social content, as well as facilitating the Pro-Ams, the SPORTFIVE team does it all.
Organizing the concert series, which featured country sensation Old Dominion on Friday night and renowned pop-rock group OneRepublic on Saturday evening, also falls under SPORTFIVE’s purview. So does supporting the media center, booking local concessions, selling and marketing tickets, and securing sponsorships for on-site activations.
The 2026 edition of The American Express® will be remembered for years to come. We are delighted to have a once-in-a-generation player win our event, with the strongest field ever, all while also setting records in ticket, concessions, and merchandise sales. Players love the unique three course venue early in the year and they know we are focused on created a world class event for players and fans alike.
Pat McCabe, Tournament Director of The American Express
What makes The American Express® so distinctive is that amateurs join the professionals over the first three rounds, with many of these players being some of the country’s top businessmen and executives. Relationships between these impressive individuals and PGA TOUR players are formed, leading to more opportunities for all involved down the road. These pairings become crucial for younger and up-and-coming players, who can network with some of the most influential individuals in the country.
“I have met some pretty cool people along the way,” said PGA TOUR winner Will Zalatoris before the tournament.
“It's just such a great week to [start the season] because, even though it is a pro-am and there is just a slight bit of a relaxed atmosphere to it, we're obviously starting off our season and wanting to compete and win. Being able to come out and make some birdies early in the year and get the mojo going [is great]. It's always fun to be here. Every year, this tournament has gotten better. I always love coming here.”
American television ratings also saw an impressive lift. Golf Channel’s coverage of this year’s tournament is the most watched edition of The American Express® since 2015, with overall viewership up 124% when compared to last year. Four-day coverage averaged 515,000 viewers on Golf Channel. Meanwhile, in the wake of 18-year-old Blades Brown’s historic 12-under par 60 on Friday, Saturday’s third round coverage averaged 883,000 viewers and peaked with more than one million viewers – a 284% increase from last year. The final round averaged 617,000 viewers, a 127% increase versus 2025.
The SPORTFIVE team is thrilled to have successfully operated another The American Express® once more and is excited to have these record-breaking metrics turn into reality. The agency looks forward to lending its expertise to more professional golf tournaments in 2026.
