The swing through the Sunshine State continues this week when the PGA Tour heads to Orlando for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The event attracts a strong field with a number of golfers attacking the Bay Hill Club and Lodge to pay tribute to the tournament’s namesake. One prominent name missing from the invitation list is Tiger Woods, who’s taking time to mend his back in preparation for The Masters. The elevated status of the API comes with a larger purse and three-year Tour exemption instead of the usual two. Francesco Molinari is back to defend his title and is situated well down the odds board due to recent struggles. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy opened as the betting favorite at online sportsbooks. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Rory McIlroy +450
Tommy Fleetwood +1352
Bryson Dechambeau +1452
Hideki Matsuyama +1654
Xander Schauffele +1887
Sungjae Im +2153
Adam Scott +2456
Patrick Reed +3060
Tony Finau +3060
Brooks Koepka +3362
Jason Day +3564
Henrik Stenson +3664
Rickie Fowler +3866
Byeong Hun An +4250
Marc Leishman +4450
Justin Rose +4750
Collin Morikawa +4750
Matthew Fitzpatrick +5000
Tyrrell Hatton +5500
Bubba Watson +6550
Billy Horschel +6850
Viktor Hovland +6850
Abraham Ancer +6850
Kevin Na +8550
J.T. Poston +8550
Scottie Scheffler +8850
Lee Westwood +9050
Phil Mickelson +9050
Max Homa +9050
Rafa Cabrera Bello +9050
Kevin Kisner +9050
Brendan Steele +9550
Charl Schwartzel +9550
Corey Conners +9550
Carlos Ortiz +9550
Wyndham Clark +9850
Joaquin Niemann +10000
J.B. Holmes +10000
Joel Dahmen +10000
Harold Varner III +10050
Lucas Glover +10550
Odds Analysis
Henrik Stenson +3664
The results haven’t been Stenson-like lately, but he’s a few solid rounds away from becoming the machine we’ve seen in the past. And we know he likes playing Bay Hill based on his previous finishes. It’s basically a home game for Stenson this week and he’s made the most of it going 10 for 11 in his career at the API with five finishes of T8 or better, four in the top-5 over the last six years. The only thing missing on his resume is a victory.
Xander Schauffele +1887
The uniqueness of Bay Hill can be tamed with course experience and knowledge. Schauffele has neither since he’s making his API debut. Golf is golf, though, right? The X-man has correlated stats that line up well for the track. He ranks among the top-7 on Tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green, scrambling and adjusted scoring. He also comes in with top-25s in his last three starts so his recent form is solid.
Byeong Hun An +4250
Watching fellow Korean Sungjae Im pick up his first Tour victory last week should give An the spark to do the same. His continued development has him on a fast track and like Im that maiden victory isn’t far behind. He already has five top-10 finishes this season, including a T4 at the Honda Classic when he rallied after an opening 76 put him on the verge of a MC. An grabbed a top-10 here last year and is perfect at Bay Hill since 2016.
Jason Day +3564
Day has some unfinished business to attend to at Bay Hill, and that’s always powerful motivation. He was forced to withdraw last year due to an injury, which was not something he wanted to do considering the success he’s had at this event. Prior to last season Day was a perfect 6 for 6 with a one-shot win in 2016 when he scored a 271, the third-lowest finishing total in the last 11 editions. He missed the cut at the Genesis but was solo fourth last month at Pebble Beach.
Rory McIlroy +450
There certainly are better value picks in the field, but man it’s hard to overlook just how good McIlroy has been. He’s placed among the top-5 in his last six worldwide starts, including a win at the WGC-HSBC Champions before breaking for the Holidays. McIlroy has also abused Bay Hill with a T4 and T6 sandwiched around his 2018 title. And he’s 5 for 5 with a lifetime 69.40 scoring average.
Course: Bay Hill Club and Lodge – 7,454 yards, Par 72
Arnold Palmer loved the property so much he purchased the course in 1975. He negotiated with the PGA Tour to bring an official tournament to Orlando in 1979 and the Arnold Palmer Invitational has been played ever since. The layout has undergone a few renovations in the years since to increase its appeal to amateurs and the public while remaining a challenge for the Tour pros who visit every year. The strategy has proven successful. It’s a standard par 72 that plays long. Wide fairways are a bonus, but the par 4s need to be played conservatively making this a second-shot course. Scoring can be made up on the par 5s. Though the track is straightforward it yields closer to par scores on average. And it’s Florida so expect water to be a factor and there’s always a chance wind plays a role.
TV Coverage: NBC, Golf Channel
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