Scottie Scheffler carries La Quinta win into Masters spotlight

Larry Bohannan, Palm Springs Desert SunThu, April 9, 2026 at 9:54 PM UTC

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Scottie Scheffler will get plenty of attention at the Masters this week as the defending champion. But for California golf fans, there’s an extra layer to his return to Augusta National: Scheffler arrives not only as the sport’s top name, but as the most recent winner of The American Express in La Quinta.

That matters here because the American Express has always been more than a January stop on the calendar. It’s the PGA Tour’s big annual stage for the Coachella Valley — a week when the desert gets a national spotlight, local courses get talked about like major venues, and golf fans see the sport’s biggest names in their own backyard. When the Masters starts, and Scheffler’s name rises toward the top of the leaderboard, the TV broadcast is likely to repeat a phrase people around PGA West have been saying since January: Scheffler won earlier this year at The American Express in La Quinta.

That one sentence reaches an audience The American Express can’t reach on its own, and it’s why Scheffler’s presence at Augusta is still doing work for a desert tournament three months after the final putt dropped on the Stadium Course.

The Masters invitation starts in La Quinta

Here’s a simple reality that makes The American Express feel bigger than many early-season events: win at PGA West, and you’re in the Masters field. It’s one of the clearest pipelines the sport has — a direct reward that players and fans understand immediately.

Just look at Nick Dunlap. His 2024 victory at The American Express was his first PGA Tour win, and so far his only one. Even though he was an amateur at the time, that win still delivered the prize golfers talk about in hushed, reverent tones: a Masters invitation — the kind players dream about, the kind they wait for each year.

Scheffler didn’t need The American Express to punch his ticket to Augusta. As the No. 1 player in the world and a two-time Masters winner, his place in the field is never in doubt. He has the kind of résumé that effectively guarantees he can show up at Augusta National for as long as he wants to keep playing the first men’s major of the year. He also has a permanent seat at the champions’ dinner — and a lifetime invitation that eliminates the anxiety most players live with.

More: Looking for a first-time Masters winner? Try Aberg or Fleetwood

A January win that carried into April

Scottie Scheffler won The American Express PGA golf tournament at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.

In the Coachella Valley, the biggest value of Scheffler’s January win isn’t just the trophy or the headline. It’s what the win signaled — to casual fans, to TV audiences, and possibly to decision-makers who shape the Tour schedule.

We may never know precisely what Scheffler’s four-shot victory meant behind the scenes for The American Express’ long-term future. What we do know is that the tournament has guaranteed dates for 2027. And we do know that the Tour itself, in highlighting those dates, pointed directly to Scheffler as the defending champion — an unmistakable nod to how much star power matters when you’re trying to sell an event in a crowded calendar.

That’s the part desert golf fans understand instinctively: when the sport’s biggest players show up — and win — the tournament’s story changes. It becomes easier to market. Easier to justify. Easier to frame as something more than a pleasant winter stop.

Scheffler was a ratings boost — and the numbers showed it

Scheffler’s impact wasn’t abstract. It showed up quickly where tournaments measure attention most clearly: television.

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Saturday’s ratings at The American Express were up more than 280 percent year over year, and Sunday’s ratings were up more than 120 percent, according to the figures cited after the event. Yes, Blades Brown — the 18-year-old who shot 60 in the third round — helped create buzz and curiosity. But the central attraction was obvious: Scheffler, the game’s top player, a major champion, and a name even casual fans recognize.

There’s no insult intended toward 2025 American Express winner Sepp Straka, or toward any of the Tour’s deep pool of talent. But there’s a difference between a strong winner and a winner who moves the needle.

Scheffler moves the needle.

Why this is bigger than one player

o, yes, Scheffler has already been invaluable to The American Express by winning the tournament and driving major TV interest in January. But his value isn’t over — not if he contends this week.

He may also have helped in a longer-term way, by reinforcing to the PGA Tour that the desert event is worthy of top-tier consideration in a future schedule conversation. Star winners don’t solve every problem. But star winners do change the tone of the discussion — and they give a tournament a stronger argument for why it deserves its place.

And that’s why this week matters to the Coachella Valley in a way that doesn’t apply to most Tour stops. The American Express is not physically present at Augusta National, but it can still be part of the story — every time Scheffler’s name appears on a leaderboard graphic, every time the broadcast recaps his year, every time someone says “La Quinta” to a national audience.

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.

How to watch Masters 2026

THURSDAY (ROUND 1)

Noon-4:30 p.m.: ESPN

10-noon: Prime Video

FRIDAY (ROUND 2)

10-noon: Prime Video

Noon-4:30 p.m.: ESPN

SATURDAY (ROUND 3)

9-11 a.m.: Paramount+

11 a.m.-4 p.m.: CBS

SUNDAY (ROUND 4)

9-11 a.m.: Paramount+

11 a.m.-4 p.m.: CBS

Larry Bohannan

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How Scottie Scheffler’s La Quinta win still matters at the Masters

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