Fans who have been paying attention know that the PGA Tour is going to make some significant announcements about its 2027 schedule and beyond in mid-June around the Travelers Championship.
That doesn’t mean that information about the new schedule, which first became a hot topic in the game last fall, isn’t already getting out anyway.
The latest news comes from Sports Business Journal, reporting that the tour wants 16 elevated events in 2028 along with the four major championships and three FedEx Cup playoff events. Another 20 events or so will be part of what PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp termed a second track of events, something below the signature events but above the Korn Ferry Tour.
So what does this all mean for the desert’s PGA Tour event, The American Express in La Quinta?
The good news for the desert’s PGA Tour event is that it has secure dates from the tour for 2027, Jan. 21-24. But nothing has been said about The American Express beyond that point. In fact, only about a dozen events have dates for 2027.
So how does The American Express shake out for 2028? If the tour is looking at 23 first track events and 20 second track events, that is more than 40 tournaments overall. It would seem there is room for The American Express under that scenario. What is important is whether that is room on the first track or the second track.
Few tournaments on the PGA Tour have the history and tradition that The American Express has, from its celebrity and pro-am beginnings in 1960 through today, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as the defending champion. But in a new world where the PGA Tour is looking to expand to larger markets while avoiding television conflicts with the NFL in January and February, nothing is certain. In many ways, The American Express should be considered a track 1 event.
But track 1 also means a $20 million purse, more than double the current purses in La Quinta. It would mean cutting the number of players in the La Quinta tournament from 156 to 120. It would mean modifications in the tournament format, perhaps scaling down the pro-am and perhaps eliminating the need for three courses in the rotation. All of those things are part of what makes The American Express special, or at least stand out from other events.
Much of what will go into the decisions about The American Express in 2028 and beyond will come from the PGA Tour. But American Express, one of the largest sponsors on the PGA Tour and certainly a company that is involved with sports around with world, will have to have its say, too. Does American Express want to fund a $20 million purse, or cut back on a pro-am that has been a corporate meeting place for some of the country’s most important financial and corporate names?
Of course there is still time to answer all of these questions, and they will be answered. Some of those answers might come in June as the PGA Tour board and players meet. Some of the answers could be months away, about the time the 2027 tour season begins at The American Express.
But with a combination of more than 40 tournaments, including the major championship and the playoffs, it seems like The American Express should have a place in the PGA Tour’s future. Toss in the traditional great weather, great conditions on the golf courses and the way that players have embraced the tournament in recent years — Scheffler has been joined in the field most years by names like Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas. Si Woo Kim and other top-20 players — and you can easily craft a scenario where The American Express should be played for years to come, not just 2027.
But as we see all the time these days, money and television overwhelm common sense in sports. Do we really need a 24-team college football playoff, for instance, or is that just television talking? Do we need 78 teams in the NCAA basketball championship? Are 18 games needed in an NFL regular season?
So there is no way to know what the future truly holds for the PGA Tour. But 2027 is secure, and that’s important for The American Express and desert golf fans.
Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on X at @larry_bohannan.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: The American Express PGA event’s place on 2028 Tour still a question
Reporting by Larry Bohannan, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
