Scottie Scheffler Wins The American Express; Stewart Cink Claims Victory at Mitsubishi Electric Championship
The desert wind was blowing in California this week as golf’s biggest names played on two continents. In the Coachella Valley, Scottie Scheffler reminded everyone why he’s the world’s top player, while in Hawaii, a veteran showed that experience still matters when it counts.
PGA Tour: The American Express
Watching Scottie Scheffler work through a tournament feels almost predictable at this point. At The American Express, the world number one didn’t just win—he showed the steady excellence that got him to the top of golf.
Four players finished tied at 23-under: Jason Day, Ryan Gerard, Andrew Putnam, and Matt McCarty. But Scheffler found another level when he needed it. Day’s strong finish is encouraging—the Australian has been working his way back after years of back problems that nearly ended his career.
Gerard and McCarty played well, showing the depth on tour these days, and Putnam’s consistency is the kind of grinding that keeps careers going in professional golf. But this was really about Scheffler making the shots when they mattered.
DP World Tour: Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Patrick Reed won in the desert, finishing at 14-under to take the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. His four-shot win over England’s Andy Sullivan looked comfortable, though Reed’s victories always come with questions about his complicated history with golf’s establishment.
Sullivan’s second place continues his good early-season play, while France’s Julien Guerrier finished third at 9-under. Nicolai Højgaard tied for fourth—another sign of strong Scandinavian players emerging on the European tour, along with South Africa’s Jayden Schaper.
Reed seems to have found success on the European tour, where he can play without as much scrutiny as he faces back in America.
PGA Tour Champions: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
Stewart Cink rolled back the years with a dominant win at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. At 23-under par, the Georgia native found the form that won him major championships, beating a field full of golf’s recent stars.
Ángel Cabrera finished three shots back at 20-under, showing glimpses of the game that won major championships. Retief Goosen was third at 18-under with that smooth swing that made him a U.S. Open champion. Thomas Bjørn and Ernie Els tied for fourth, adding some international names to the leaderboard.
Cink’s win is a good reminder that the Champions Tour isn’t just about nostalgia—these players still have the competitive drive that got them to the top of professional golf.
Early in the season, these results give us hints about what’s coming. Some stories are about staying excellent, others about finding it again. Either way, golf keeps surprising us.