The American Express: Scottie Scheffler makes fast start in first appearance of 2026 amid low-scoring on PGA Tour

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler made an impressive return to action on his first appearance of 2026 to shoot 63 after an early birdie surge in a first round dominated by low scoring at The American Express in California.

The second tournament of the season on the PGA Tour sees the 156-player field play across three different courses in La Quinta before a 54-hole cut at the end of Saturday, with the final round taking place on the Pete Dye Stadium Course.

Back in action for the first time since finishing tied-fourth at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas at the start of December, Scheffler - who won six times on tour last year, including major victories at the PGA Championship and The Open - immediately marked his return in statement style by birding five of his first six holes.

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Playing on the La Quinta Country Club course, Scheffler soon added a further birdie at the par-four eighth and reached the turn in 30.

More birdies at the 12th, 13th and 17th - when he chipped in from the primary rough around the green - saw the American card an opening-round 63, leaving him one shot adrift of co-leaders Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody after they finished at 10 under after rounds of 62.

Like the leading duo, Scheffler - whose ball struck a spectator when he went left off the tee at the 16th - kept a bogey off his card all day and the nine-under total was his best in 19 career rounds at the tournament.

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Scotland's Robert MacIntyre was playing the Nicklaus Tournament Course and also shot 63.

Fresh from finishing tied fourth with the final day's best round at the season-opener last week in Hawaii, MacIntyre birdied his first five holes on Thursday having started from the 10th.

And although a bogey at the par-five 15th cost the Scot a shot and a little of that early momentum, he came back in 31 with his fine round capped by a birdie at his last hole, the ninth.

The Nicklaus course proved particularly conducive to low-scoring on a day that 70 players finished at least five under par and 130 were under par.

But only two posted 62s - Australian Woo Lee and American Coody.

Starting from the 10th, Woo Lee made five birdies either side of the turn, while Coody's round truly came alive from the 11th when he set off on a run of seven successive birdies.

The American ended up shooting 29 on the back nine to tie Woo Lee's benchmark.

Scheffler and MacIntyre were joined by seven other players on nine under, including Jason Day, Patrick Cantlay and Ben Griffin.

But it was Day who was arguably the most satisfied of all given his 63 came on the Stadium Course, which is viewed as the most challenging of the three in use this week.

England's Jordan Smith was also well placed heading into Friday after shooting an eight-under 64 on the Nicklaus course, while Matt Wallace was at six under.

But the widespread low scoring did not flow so easily for everyone.

Justin Rose finished at level par in tied 131st place after a round of La Quinta Country Club that included a double-bogey at the par-three seventh.

And American Brian Harman suffered the embarrassment of mistakenly hitting the ball of one of the Pro-Am amateurs in his playing group from the fairway into the 10th, suffering a two-shot penalty as a result.

Harman double-bogeyed that hole and then compounded the situation by finding the water with his second at the next hole, the 11th, which led to another double bogey. He finished his round at one over.

Watch every round of The American Express live on Sky Sports Golf, with Friday's early coverage under way from 4.30pm. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more on NOW.

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