Si Woo Kim holds a one-shot lead at 22 under par heading into the final round of The American Express, with Scottie Scheffler and 18-year-old Blades Brown tied at 21 under. The tournament's unique 54-hole cut fell at 11 under, eliminating notable players including Justin Rose, Tony Finau and defending champion Sepp Straka. Wyndham Clark and Eric Cole sit two shots back at 20 under after strong third rounds.
The American Express, the PGA Tour's early-season event in La Quinta, California, reached a dramatic conclusion to its third round on January 24, 2026, with the field converging on three courses before a 54-hole cut. Unlike most tournaments, this event trims the 156-player field after 54 holes, sending more than half home. The cut line settled at 11 under par, a low mark that still saw high-profile players like Justin Rose (8 under), Tony Finau (9 under) and 2025 winner Sepp Straka (even par after rounds of even, 2 over and 68) miss out on the weekend.
Rose, who had posted a bogey-free 9-under 63 in the second round, faltered with a 1-over 73 on the Pete Dye Stadium Course, including a double bogey on the par-3 17th after hitting into the water and three-putting. Finau, seeking redemption after missing the cut at the Sony Open, managed back-to-back 68s before bogeys on holes 13 and 14 derailed his third round. Straka, aiming to join Johnny Miller as the only back-to-back winner since 1975, couldn't overcome early struggles.
Among those advancing, Si Woo Kim seized the lead with a 6-under 66 at La Quinta Country Club, making four birdies in five holes early on his second nine. "I putted great the last two days," Kim said. "Just not thinking about trying to win or trying to finish, just enjoy the round [on Sunday]. That's my goal."
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, in his season debut, carded a 4-under 68 with six birdies and two bogeys—his first of 2026—despite a slow start. "I struck the ball pretty nicely for the rest of the round," Scheffler noted. Blades Brown, the 18-year-old sponsor exemption playing his eighth straight competitive round after a Korn Ferry event in the Bahamas, thrilled the crowd with birdies on his final three holes, including a 25-footer on 17 and a 44-footer on 18, for a 68. "It was surreal," Brown said. "That's what you practice for."
Wyndham Clark and Eric Cole fired matching 66s at La Quinta to reach 20 under. Clark birdied five of his last six holes, saying, "As the round went on I adjusted and hit some good shots and had a great back nine." Cole was bogey-free with three straight early birdies. Will Zalatoris made the cut on the number in his first PGA Tour start since May 2025, finishing with birdie-birdie for a 70.
The final round on the Pete Dye Stadium Course promises a showdown, with Kim, Scheffler and Brown teeing off at 1:35 p.m. ET in the last group. The $9.2 million purse awaits, with $1.656 million to the winner.
