No multi-day pro-am or spectators at American Express event

The American Express will be played without the traditional multi-day pro-am format as well as without spectators, because of the current COVID-19 outbreak in California and travel restrictions created by the pandemic.

The American Express – one of two multi-day pro-am events on the PGA Tour, along with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which is also scheduled this month in California – will now be played at two courses at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. Officials will host a one-day pro-am on Wednesday.

“This decision by the PGA Tour to modify the pro-am format due to the current COVID-19 climate locally was made out of an abundance of caution with the full support from American Express and the Mickelson Foundation,” said Tour executive vice president Tyler Dennis. “We are fully committed to continuing the positive impact on local charities to the same degree as past years, if not more, and we are grateful to American Express for their support in doing so.”

The Tour also announced that American Express will donate more than $1 million to Coachella Valley charities. The event will now include a nine-hole charity match on Jan. 20 between tournament host Phil Mickelson, Tony Finau and Paul Casey along with celebrity partners.

The tournament will return to its multi-day pro-am format in 2022.