World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opened his 2026 campaign Thursday at The American Express, looking every bit like the player who has won four consecutive PGA TOUR Player of the Year awards. His campaign to match Tiger Woods’ record of five straight began at La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California.

Scheffler wasted little time settling in, birdieing five of his first six holes on the way to a front-nine 30. He finished his day bogey-free at 9-under and T3, one shot back of the lead.

“(I) got off to a good start today,” Scheffler said after his round. “I was really sharp on the front nine. Made some nice putts, hit some good iron shots, a lot of good tee balls. I wasn't as sharp as I would hope to be on the back nine, but I scrambled pretty well and was able to post a good score.”

Scheffler hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation in his opening round. The lone miss came on the par-4 17th, where his tee shot struck a fan left of the fairway. Forced to hit a punch cut under a tree directly in his line, his approach rolled past the pin and into the rough behind the green — before fittingly chipping in for his ninth birdie of the day.

The winning score at The American Express is likely to once again be well below 20-under.

“I mean, you have to approach it mentally like you got to make some birdies,” Scheffler said. “And I think putting yourself in position as many times as you can in order to, you know, get some looks and hole some putts … I think if you start forcing things, you can still get in some trouble. I mean, it's still golf, it's still quite difficult, believe it or not, even though the scores are low and you just have to keep putting yourself in position and giving yourself opportunities.”

Scheffler’s best finish at The American Express came in 2023, when he finished T11 at 22-under.

“Like I said, maybe be a little bit sharper with the ball striking tomorrow, but I was pretty sharp on the front nine today, so maybe just go hit a few balls and get a good feel and get ready for tomorrow,” Scheffler said.

Scheffler won six times in 2025, including The Open Championship and PGA Championship, after winning nine times worldwide in 2024, highlighted by a Masters victory and wins at THE PLAYERS Championship, TOUR Championship and the Olympics. While no golfer is perfect, Scheffler is the closest thing to it right now.

“I think I have the understanding that I'm never going to get there,” Scheffler said ahead of The American Express. “This is a game that can't be perfected. But I think that's what always keeps you coming back. Because you can always get a little bit better, you can always get a little bit sharper. And there's nothing better than hitting the ball exactly the way you want to. That's one of the best feelings ever. I think as golfers, we're all kind of chasing that.”

Scheffler is no stranger to chasing history. A U.S. Open victory in June at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club would make the 29-year-old just the seventh golfer to complete the career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

“I always do my best to try to stay in the present, and I've been preparing to get ready for this event to start the season,” Scheffler said Tuesday. “I feel like my game's in a good spot, and I'm definitely excited to get out there and start another season.”