One-and-Done Golf Picks for The American Express

As the PGA Tour returns to action, so do the one-and-done pools for golf contest players. 

For those unfamiliar, OAD pools closely mirror an NFL survivor contest. Players select a golfer each week and earn their prize money at the conclusion of the event. 

The catch? Contestants can only use a player once. Additionally, not all prize pools are created equally, which further adds to the game theory. 

Below, I’ve outlined three players worth a look for OAD pools this week at the American Express. Golf odds are reflective at time of writing and are subject to movement. 

PGA One and Done Picks: American Express Golf

Option 1: Ben Griffin (+2000)

I’ll begin by stating the obvious: don’t use Scottie Scheffler this week. Yes, he’s a prohibitive favorite, but it’s better to save him for the majors or PGA Tour signature events. 

Griffin, on the other hand, doesn’t offer the same intrigue in those same events. Plus, Griffin offers perhaps the safest floor of the top players. 

Since the Wyndham Championship, Griffin’s worst finish is a T-19th. While it’s a slight concern that finish came last week, Griffin owns a strong record at this event. 

After a T-32nd here in 2023, Griffin recorded a pair of top-10 finishes in 2024 and 2025. 

Metrics also like Griffin this week. He ranks third in my mixed condition model, driven by a second-place rating in SG: TOT on “easy” or “very easy” courses over the last two years. 

Only Scheffler gained more strokes over the last 50 rounds than Griffin. Pair that output with the course history, and I like Griffin to record another strong finish. 

Option #2: Si Woo Kim (+3000)

Kim won here in 2021 and has subsequently recorded worse finishes with each start. However, the glass-half-full view is that he owns three top-25s in his last four Amex starts. 

Kim’s irons are working very well at the moment. He gained +1.62 SG: APP per round at the Sony, his best measure since August. 

Since January 2025, that output was Kim’s fourth-best SG: APP measure. 

The problem last week? Kim lost over a stroke per round with the putter. A potential silver lining? He gained strokes putting at the Amex in four of five appearances. 

Kim ranks seventh in my mixed condition model. Over the last two years, he ranks eighth in SG: TOT on “short” or “very short” courses. 

Here are his last seven finishes at those events: 11-4-MC-WD-17-8-12. Like Griffin, Kim offers a fairly safe floor purely by his ball-striking record. 

Option #3: Alex Noren (+5000)

If you’re seeking a low-ownership angle, Noren’s profile intrigues me this week. 

The Swede has won twice on the DP World Tour since August. In his last PGA Tour start on a short course – the Wyndham Championship – he finished in a tie for third. 

Oddly, Noren’s results at the Amex fly in the face of some metrics. His best finish here came in 2020 (T-14th) with a T-25th in 2024. 

Noren ranks fifth in driving accuracy on less-than-driver courses over the last two years. 

He ranks 11th in GIR% on “short” or “very short” courses. Noren also ranks 12th in bogey avoidance percentage on “easy” or “very easy” courses and 14th in SG: TOT. 

The knock? Noren ranks 53rd in birdie or better percentage on those easy setups over the last two years. In good news, he improved to 13th over the last six months. 

Accordingly, Noren could prove an under-the-radar longshot at a birdie fest.