Essentials Inside The Story
- Scottie Scheffler wooed golf reporter Amanda Balionis with his win at the American Express
- Balionis had a long Sunday, switching between the NFL's AFC championship game and watching the $9.2 million golf tournament
- Scheffler wrote his name in the PGA Tour's record books
Like anyone in the US, Sunday was a complete watch fest for Amanda Balionis. Free from her NFL CBS Sports duties now, she watched the New England Patriots’ gritty 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos. But instead of relaxing after the AFC Championship thriller, she quickly switched to her ol’ golf and couldn’t believe Scottie Scheffler’s dominance at La Quinta.
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“And now we flip to golf to watch Scottie come back like he never freaking left 😂 just unreal and so fun,” Balionis wrote on her Instagram story as a serious Scheffler from the 2026 American Express appears on her TV screen.
We’ll have to agree with Balionis on that, as at the PGA Tour’s second event of the season, Scottie Scheffler has already shown why he’s the World’s No. 1.
The final round promised a compelling contest, but by Sunday afternoon, the tension had evaporated. Despite starting one shot back of the lead at the Pete Dye Stadium Course, Scheffler took control early.
With four birdies in a six-hole stretch, he blew past 18-year-old Blades Brown and others. He surged to 27-under par for the week, closing with a final-round 66 to seal his 20th career PGA Tour victory. Overall, he scored 32 birdies, the most in the field.
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 in a tie for 4th.
And this is what has impressed thousands of golf fans, including Amanda Balionis. However, he remained characteristically humble.
“I mean, it’s pretty wild. You know, it’s been a great start to my career, and I’ve had some nice wins out here. And yeah, it’s been special. I try not to really think about that stuff too much,” Scheffler said after the win.
Finishing right behind him were Jason Day, who closed with a 64, Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty, and Andrew Putnam with a T2 finish. Meanwhile, Scheffler was mostly MIA during his off-season.
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 has made six appearances in the tournament, 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 records.
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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 one of the youngest winners at the PGA Tour event. He certainly gave Scheffler and others some tough competition, hanging around the top of the leaderboard across the week.
But as he often does, Mr. Inevitable stormed through, bypassing the 18-year-old to claim his first victory early in the season. Blades Brown ended his final round at T18 because of some last-day mishaps.
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 continues to inch closer to breaking Tiger Woods’s $120M record.
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