American Express Golf Betting Tips: Jon Rahm to continue hot streak on PGA Tour

Jon Rahm starts a warm 6/1 favourite at this week's The American Express on the PGA Tour, but deservedly so, according to GolfMagic Editor Andy Roberts.

Rahm not only won this tournament in 2018 in a playoff over Andrew Landry, but he arrives in southern California in the form of his life having won three of his last five starts around the world. 

The Spaniard even finally bumped himself up a spot in the world rankings to fourth, after remaining fifth for what seemed an eternity. 

Rahm didn't even play on the PGA Tour last week, just to add the confusion behind the Official World Golf Rankings. 

While the price is a short one for Rahm to etch his name on a ninth PGA Tour trophy this weekend, it's hard to look past him.

Every aspect of his game looks immaculate right now, so he's the banker bet of the week for us here at GolfMagic. 

WATCH our latest video below to check out GolfMagic's best bets for the American Express and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (skip to the end of the video for the tips): 

In Rahm's last six starts on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour, he's gone 2-1-4-1-8-1. 

These form figures are quite simply ridiculous.

And with no World No.1 Rory McIlroy in this week's lineup, that 6/1 price could look a bargain come Sunday night. 

This event is one of the rare ones in the sense it's staged over three courses at La Quinta, Nicklaus Tournament and Stadium Course. 

The final round is then staged at the Stadium Course at PGA West. 

For those unfamiliar with this tournament's name, this used to be the event known as the Desert Classic. 

It changed name to The American Express in 2020. 

So Rahm is without question our pick of the bunch this week, but I also like one more. 

My second pick is Patrick Cantlay, who surged here late in the day back in 2021 only to lose by a solitary shot to last week's victor Si Woo Kim. 

Cantlay then finished ninth in this tournament in 2022, once again proving his admiration for this three-course tournament. 

The American, who was pushed back to fifth in the world earlier this week, can actually move back to World No.1 with victory this week. 

And yes, you guessed it, even though Rahm is ahead of Cantlay in the rankings right now, even if Rahm does win this week he cannot move back to World No.1. 

What a joke. 

Cantlay is available with multiple bookmakers at 10/1, and that looks a very fair price given his consistency at this venue. 

If Rahm doesn't turn up with his A-game, then Cantlay could be the man to take full advantage. 

Other big name players in the field include Scottie Scheffler (10/1), ranked second in the world, and Xander Schauffele (20/1), at sixth in the world. 

Scheffler can also move back to World No.1 with a fifth career win on the PGA Tour this week. 

My colleague Matt also fancies Cantlay for the win.

For an each-way play, he likes the look of Landry, who despite not being in a great deal of form of late, is something of an American Express specialist given he lost to Rahm in a playoff in 2018 and then won here in 2020. 

Landry is available at a huge 350/1. 

Who will win The American Express on the PGA Tour?

— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) January 18, 2023

To mark your card for this week on the PGA Tour, the courses are all fairly even, at least that's how they played last year with La Quinta's scoring average at 69.92, Nicklaus Tournament Course (70.26) and Stadium Course (70.57). 

In previous years, La Quinta had often proven the harder of the trio, but last year it was the easiest. 

The PGA Tour tells us that the rough is up a bit more at La Quinta this year, so perhaps it will end up proving the harder of the three courses once again this year, but we'll have to wait and see. 

Fancy a bet on the DP World Tour this week? You'll want to check out our Golf Betting Tips for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship where both Andy and Matt are in agreement with one particular player to win the tournament.