Golf Glance: Scheffler makes '26 debut; McIlroy, Fleetwood battle in Dubai

The PGA Tour returns to the mainland for this week's pro-am tournament in La Quinta, Calif., while the lucrative Rolex Series kicks off in Dubai and the Champions Tour begins its season in Hawaii.

PGA TOUR

THIS WEEK: The American Express, La Quinta, Calif., Jan. 22-25

Course: Pete Dye Stadium Course (Par 72, 7,210 Yards); Nicklaus Tournament Course (Par 72, 7,147 Yards); La Quinta Country Club (Par 72, 7,060 Yards)

Purse: $9.2M (Winner: $1.656M)

Defending Champion: Sepp Straka

FedEx Cup Leader: Chris Gotterup

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Sunday: 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Streaming:

X: @TheAmexGolf

NOTES: This is the only event on the PGA Tour to be contested across three courses. The pro-am format will see competitors rotate across each course for the first three rounds, with the low 65 professionals (and ties) playing the final round at the Stadium Course at PGA West. ... World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will make his 2026 debut, headlining a field that includes eight of the top 13 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. He missed the event last year while recovering from a hand injury. ... Will Zalatoris will make his first PGA Tour start since undergoing back surgery in May 2025. He did return to finish 15th at the Nedbank Golf Challenge on the DP World Tour last month. ... Former Masters champion Adam Scott will make his tournament debut. Ranked No. 68, he is not currently exempt into signature events. The same is true for Jordan Spieth, who received five sponsor exemptions into signature events in 2025. ... Blades Brown, 18, is set to compete after finishing a Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas on Wednesday. Other sponsor exemptions include Harry Higgs, Zach Johnson and Camilo Villegas. ... This is the second of three events for players to qualify for the first two signature events via the Aon Swing 5.

BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+290 at DraftKings) has won three of his past six starts has 16 consecutive top-10 finishes worldwide. However, his best event finish in five previous starts was a third place back in 2020. ... Ben Griffin (+2000) is one of nine players in the field who played in Honolulu last week. He closed 2025 with a win at the World Wide Technology Championship. ... Sam Burns (+2500) enters 2026 with a streak of four consecutive finishes of T13 or better. ... Robert MacIntyre (+2500) is a career-best sixth in the world following his T4 at the Sony Open. ... Ludvig Aberg (+2500) is competing for the first time since a T3 at the DP World Tour Championship in November. ... Matt Fitzpatrick (+4000) won the DP World Tour Championship in his most recent start. ... Sepp Straka (+4500) beat Justin Thomas by two strokes last year and is coming off his first multiple-win season on tour. ... Alex Noren (+5500) is coming off a runner-up at the Hero World Challenge and also won the BMW PGA Championship in September.

Last Tournament: Sony Open in Hawaii (Gotterup)

Next Tournament: Farmers Insurance Open, San Diego, Jan. 29-Feb. 1

DP WORLD TOUR

THIS WEEK: Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Jan. 22-25

Course: Emirates GC, Dubai (Par 72, 7,439 Yards)

Purse: $9M

Defending Champion: Tyrrell Hatton

Race to Dubai Leader: Jayden Schaper

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Friday: 2:30-8:30 a.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 2-8 a.m. (Golf Channel)

X: @DPWorldTour

NOTES: This is the second event of the tour's International Swing and the start of the five-event Rolex Series. ... The field includes World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who first played this event as a 16-year-old amateur 20 years ago. He holds the tournament record with four wins. World No. 3 and Dubai resident Tommy Fleetwood is also in the field along with other notables including Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson.

Last Tournament: Dubai Invitational (Nacho Elvira)

Next Tournament: Bahrain Championship, Kingdom of Bahrain, Jan. 29-Feb. 1

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

THIS WEEK: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii, Jan. 22-24

Course: Hualalai GC (Par 72, 7,107 Yards)

Purse: $2M (Winner: $340,000)

Defending Champion: Ernie Els

Charles Schwab Cup Champion: Stewart Cink

HOW TO WATCH

TV: Thursday-Saturday: 7-10 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

X: @MEC_golf

NOTES: This is the first of 28 tournaments on the Champions schedule, and the 30th edition of the 54-hole event at Hualalai. ... The 42-player field features six World Golf Hall of Fame members, including Els and three-time event champion Bernhard Langer. ... Miguel Angel Jiminez, who finished third in last year's Charles Schwab Challenge, has also won the event three times.

Last Tournament: Charles Schwab Cub Championship (Cink)

Next Tournament: Chubb Classic, Naples, Fla., Feb. 13-15

LPGA TOUR

THIS WEEK: OFF.

Race to the CME Globe Champion: Jeeno Thitikul

Last Tournament: CME Group Tour Championship (Thitikul)

Next Tournament: Tournament of Champions, Orlando, Fla., Jan. 29-Feb. 1

LIV GOLF LEAGUE

THIS WEEK: OFF.

Season Winners: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: Legion XIII

Last Tournament: Team Championship (Legion XIII)

Next Tournament: LIV Golf Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 5-7

--Field Level Media