Know the contenders: American Express champion will likely be one of these 12 guys
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Large final-day comebacks have been pretty rare during the 62-year history of The American Express, the desert’s PGA event.
David Duval famously made up seven strokes in 1999 to win, but he had to shoot a 59 to do it.
With that in mind, the 2021 champion will probably come from a player who is close to the top entering Sunday’s final round.
To help you get to know and pick a favorite from the crowded field, here is a little primer on the 12 players within three strokes of the lead heading into championship Sunday.
Among the players up top, they range in age from 24 years old to 44, from No. 22 on the golf rankings to No. 390, from major champions to non-winners and the top 12 hail from seven different countries.
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Max Homa (-15)
Age: 30
Born: Burbank
Current World Golf Ranking: 103
PGA Tour wins: 1 — (2019 Wells Fargo Championship)
Best finish at this event: T48 (2020)
Did you know: Went to Valencia High School where he also played quarterback on the football team. He was named the Foothill League football MVP in 2009. … He went to Cal Berkeley
Si Woo Kim (-15)
Age: 25
Born: Seoul, South Korea
Current World Golf Ranking: 96
PGA Tour wins: 2 — (Wyndham Championship 2016; Players Championship 2017)
Best finish at this event: T9 (2016)
Did you know: He is exempt on tour through 2022 thanks to his impressive win at the Players Championship in 2017, though he has not won since.
Tony Finau (-15)
Age: 31
Born: Salt Lake City
Current World Golf Ranking: 22
PGA Tour wins: 1 — (Puerto Rico Open 2016)
Best finish at this event: T14 (2020)
Did you know: He is of Tongan and Samoan descent, the only PGA player ever with that ancestry. … His first name is actually Milton … He has only won once on the PGA Tour, but since 2019 he has a top-five finish in all four majors. … He has two pro sports cousins in Jabari Parker of the NBA and Haloti Ngata of the NFL.
Richy Werenski (-14)
Age: 29
Born: Springfield, Mass.
Current World Golf Ranking: 141
PGA Tour wins: 1 — (Barracuda Championship 2020)
Best finish at this event: T9 (2017)
Did you know: He went to Georgia Tech … In 2015, he was on the Golf Channel’s reality show Big Break and was the winner of that season.
Brian Harman (-13)
Age: 33
Born: Savannah, Ga.
Current World Golf Ranking: 97
PGA Tour wins: 2 — (John Deere Classic 2014; Wells Fargo Championship 2017)
Best finish at this event: T3 (2016)
Did you know: Tied for second at the U.S. Open in 2017. … Went to University of Georgia … Harman is a left-handed golfer, and it’s the only thing he does left-handed.
Emiliano Grillo (-13)
Age: 28
Born: Resistencia, Argentina
Current World Golf Ranking: 159
PGA Tour wins: 1 — (Frys.com Open 2015)
Best finish at this event: Only participated in 2017 and missed the cut
Did you know: Grillo was the 2016 PGA Rookie of the Year.
Russell Knox (-13)
Age: 35
Born: Inverness, Scotland
Current World Golf Ranking: 235
PGA Tour wins: 2 — (HSBC Championship 2015, Travelers Championship 2016)
Best finish at this event: T13 (2014)
Did you know: Part of the rare club who has had an “albatross” in a PGA event. He accomplished the feat with a 2 on a par 5 at the 2019 Valspar Championship.
Cameron Davis (-12)
Age: 25
Born: Sydney, Australia
Current World Golf Ranking: 217
PGA Tour wins: Zero
Best finish at this event: T28 (2019)
Did you know: Davis is one of the only players on tour who can play golf ambidextrously.
Rory Sabbatini (-12)
Age: 44
Born: Durban, South Africa
Current World Golf Ranking: 122
PGA Tour wins: 6 (most recently the Honda Classic in 2011)
Best finish at this event: 2nd (2000)
Did you know: Sabbatini changed his citizenship from South Africa to Slovakia, which is his wife’s nationality, in 2019.
Chase Seiffert (-12)
Age: 29
Born: Panama City, Fla.
Current World Golf Ranking: 271
PGA Tour wins: Zero
Best finish at this event: T21 (2020)
Did you know: Seiffert went to Florida State University.
Francesco Molinari (-12)
Age: 38
Born: Turin, Italy
Current World Golf Ranking: 130
PGA Tour wins: 3 (most notably The British Open in 2018)
Best finish at this event: T10 (2015)
Did you know: He was on the European Ryder Cup team in 2010, 2012 and 2018, all of which were won by Europe.
Doug Ghim (-12)
Age: 24
Born: Des Plaines, Illinois
Current World Golf Ranking: 390
PGA Tour wins: None
Best finish at this event: Missed cut in 2020, only appearance
Did you know: Ghim went to the University of Texas … He was the only amateur to make the cut at the 2018 Masters.
