World No. 1 Jon Rahm is one of 14 past winners who will be in action this week when the PGA Tour's West Coast Swing tees off at the 2022 The American Express. Rahm won the 2018 version of the event in La Quinta, Calif. Reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, who shot 61 in the final round last year to finish as runner-up to Si Woo Kim, also will be playing this week along with tournament host and two-time winner Phil Mickelson. The event will be back to its three-course format, and the pro-am portion has been reinstated. Rahm is the 6-1 favorite in Caesars Sportsbook's latest 2022 The American Express golf odds, with Cantlay right behind at 8-1. Mickelson is a 100-1 long shot, while Kim is at 50-1 to repeat.
Are Rahm and Cantlay sure bets after both finished in the top five at Kapalua two weeks ago? Or should you go with a different favorite like Scottie Scheffler (18-1) or Tony Finau (20-1) with your 2022 The American Express Fantasy golf picks? Before you lock in any PGA Fantasy golf rankings or bets on the 2022 The American Express, be sure to check out the Fantasy golf projections and lineup advice from SportsLine expert Riley Gates.
In last week's picks for the Sony Open, Gates had seven players among his top 15 who made the top 20. That included winner Hideki Matsuyama, runner-up Russell Henley and co-third-place finishers Kevin Kisner and Seamus Power.
"This is a player we know can contend, and the field is not as strong as it was last week," Gates said of Matsuyama before the event in Honolulu. The Japanese star erased a five-stroke deficit on the back nine Sunday and beat Henley with an eagle on the first playoff hole for his eighth tour win.
Gates also nailed his picks the previous week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, with four of his top seven picks posting top-five finishes. That included winner Cameron Smith and runner-up Jon Rahm.
The expert was on a roll on his picks during the fall season, as well. At the Hero World Challenge, again four of his top seven finished in the top five. Seven of his selections were in the top 20 at the Houston Open, and five of Gates' top six golfers had top-15 outings at the World Wide Technology Championship. Anyone who has followed Gates is way up.
Now, Gates has ranked his top 20 golfers in the 2022 The American Express field. You can only see his fantasy golf rankings and picks at SportsLine.
2022 The American Express golf expert picks
Fading Rahm has been a bad idea, and Gates won't be doing that this week. He is firmly backing the Spaniard to be an anchor for your fantasy golf picks. The world's top player looked like just that in Maui two weeks ago, shooting 33 under for a runner-up finish at Kapalua. He has hit more than 81 percent of his greens this season, first on tour, and he won this event in 2018. He was sixth the following year, his last time playing in La Quinta, and he was 43 under over those two events. He had 15 top-10 finishes in 22 outings last year, and he isn't slowing down.
On the other hand, the expert isn't expecting a lot out of Scheffler and is fading him this week. The 25-year-old has played just once since before Thanksgiving, finishing as the runner-up at the Hero World Challenge more than a month ago. Scheffler might have some kinks to work out after the time off, and against this field, he won't have much ground to lose. He finished third in SoCal two years ago but missed the cut last season. With his accuracy issues off the tee (125th in fairways hit) and his below-average putting, you're better off looking at other options.
How to set your 2022 The American Express golf rankings
For this week in La Quinta, Gates has a long-shot player to win who is listed at more than 30-1. This player has been red-hot, and getting a victory seems like just a matter of time. This golfer has been regularly firing in the 60's, and this week in La Quinta he is a must-play for your Fantasy golf picks. You can find out who it is, and check out all of Gates' The American Express picks only at SportsLine.
Who wins the 2022 The American Express? Who are the top PGA Tour players to target for your PGA Fantasy golf picks? And which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Riley Gates' Fantasy golf rankings for the The American Express 2022, all from the fantasy expert with his finger on the pulse of the game, and find out.