American Express 2-Ball Betting Tips
Will Jackson
After a captivating denouement at the Sony Open, the PGA Tour kickstarts its West Coast swing this week in the La Quinta desert, California, for the American Express and we have some 2-ball betting tips to have a look at.
Nick Taylor enjoyed the spoils last weekend in Hawaii, and his last three triumphs on the PGA Tour have come by virtue of a play-off, underlining his grit in pressure-cooker situations.
This week, the players will have to contend with hotter weather, but the tournament element incorporates a pro-am split into three courses in the La Quinta region — PGA West (Peter Dye Stadium), PGA West (Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course) and La Quinta Country Club.
Of the three, La Quinta Country Club is deemed to be the easiest of the three tracks, and it is also the oldest, having made its debut in 1964.
Nick Dunlap will be the hunted as he is the defending champion, and he became the first amateur to win this event since 1991.
Earlier this week, I explored and shared some outright golf betting tips, but now the focus will fall on the 2-ball betting tips, so let’s get stuck in, plus our best golf betting offers from the top online bookmakers.
American Express 2-Ball Betting Tips - Round One
Sam Burns to beat Nick Dunlap
On paper, this appears to be a bit of a mismatch. Sam Burns only missed three cuts from his 21 starts on the PGA Tour last term, and he had one runner-up finish.
In the opening event of 2025 at The Sentry, Burns played some solid golf, assembling three rounds of 66 or better and came in T8.
Dunlap, on the other hand, was cut adrift at The Sentry, finishing 55th and while he came T10 last week at the Sony Open, Burns’ credentials count for something.
Indeed, Dunlap is ranking low for SG: Tee-to-Green (119th) and Total Driving (159th) which could be his undoing.
Burns has made a strong start to 2025, and he has twice posted a T6 finish in the California desert.
To begin my 2-ball betting tips, I’m going with Burns to come out on top in this pairing.
Tony Finau to beat Will Zalatoris
One of the more intriguing all-American ties starting at the 10th hole involves Tony Finau and Will Zalatoris.
After a rather unmemorable 2024, Zalatoris will be hoping for better things in 2025, and his average finish in his past three appearances at the American Express has been 25th.
Last year, Zalatoris was 34th with a total score of -18, but he will need to get his putting firing.
Finau, on the other hand, is 16th in the SG: Putting metric, and after a decent week at the Sony Open where he was T15, I think he could have a productive time in La Quinta.
The 35-year-old was my pick to be the highest-placed American in the field come Sunday, so I’m sticking with that. I also think Finau will put Zalatoris in the shade after Round 1.
Nico Echavarria to beat Camilo Villegas
It was far from an ideal start to 2025 for Camilo Villegas who missed the cut at the Sony Open.
He may well feel like he has a point to prove, but Nico Echavarria has got the bit between his teeth.
There were some moments of brilliance contained in the final round, but he came up just short in a playoff.
A miss with a putt from seven feet proved to be costly, but he will have learned a lot from that.
Echavarria is the stronger player of the two and I think that will be emphasised in Round 1.
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