2023 American Express

Quotes

I think it's a little more difficult because the conditions inevitably are going to be different on each golf course. We saw that last year here with, usually the Nicklaus Tournament plays the easiest of all the courses, maybe not La Quinta, but definitely more than Stadium and I think -- correct me if I'm wrong, but I think last year Nicklaus tournament maybe played even harder than Stadium because the greens were brand new and firm. So the most difficult part is actually the changing conditions of the three golf courses, especially me having seen all the golf courses as opposed to learning the golf courses. - Cantlay (2021)

I mean, we can score on all of them. I would say Stadium obviously is the most challenging to score on. I think those other courses maybe you can fake it around a little bit. But I played a practice round on the Stadium today, you got to drive the ball pretty well off the tee out there and still have to get the ball in the fairway and hit good shots. Especially with the green firmness being up, it definitely kind of brings difficulty up a little bit for sure. If you play this golf course in soft conditions, it doesn't really make a big difference whether or not you're in the fairway or in the rough that's that long, but now if the rough's that long (indicating) it takes spin off the ball and if you're going into a firm green and if the pin is tucked at all it makes it a lot more challenging. So you good still got to get the ball in play. - Scheffler (2021)

If you hit the fairways, you have a lot of good looks, I feel like. There's obviously a handful of very daunting holes. I've been fortunate enough to play here a ton, so I have a pretty good feel for the place. But I've been driving it great on a lot of the holes where you're going to have a wedge or short iron in. I've been playing the par-5s really well because of that too. So I've just been able to kind of put myself in a position to have good looks for birdie and I've been putting great, so it's just something about these greens, it feels like home. - Homa (2021)

You know you're going to have to surpass the 20-under barrier. I think I went into a playoff at 20-under and that's because the leaders didn't have their best day. So yes, you're right, I shot 26-under at La Quinta, I think a few years back Phil shot 60, Adam Hadwin shot 59, and there's many other low scores out here. Patrick Cantlay last year was 18-under on the weekend a lone on the Stadium which is the hardest of the three courses. So if the wind doesn't pick up, yeah, you know you're going to have to go out there and post a score. But we all know it, so it's almost like a green light to be aggressive. I also think one of the reasons why that happens is because after the overseed these greens are in such a good condition that it enables players to make putts and if you combine it with good ball striking you're going to have some low rounds. - Rahm (2022)