Overview
- The field is locked at 156 for Jan. 22–25 across PGA West and La Quinta Country Club, with defending champion Sepp Straka joined by 12 of the OWGR top 25.
- World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler makes his 2026 season debut after missing last year with a hand injury and opens as a heavy betting favorite near +300.
- The purse is $9.2 million with about $1.65 million to the winner and 500 FedExCup points at stake.
- Notable absentees are Rory McIlroy competing at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Xander Schauffele planning to start at the Farmers Insurance Open, and Justin Thomas continuing recovery from back surgery.
- SportsLine’s model flags Patrick Cantlay as a top‑10 value and Ludvig Åberg as top European, while several books list Ben Griffin as the second choice behind Scheffler.