Golf: PGA Tour – Arnold Palmer Invitational
Venue: Bay Hill Golf Club, Florida
Dates: Thursday 5th – Sunday 8th March 2020
Tournament Preview
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of the staple events on the PGA Tour, having first been introduced by Palmer himself back in 1966. It is one of only 5 invitational events on the tour, meaning it has a restricted field of only 120 players. Arnold Palmer won the event back in 1971 and other previous winners include Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. The event has a prize pot of $9.3 million whilst the winner is in line to take home a healthy $1.65 million. With Ryder Cup points to play for and plenty of dollars too, it should be an excellent week at Bay Hill.
Betting Preview
Outright Winner
The field in Bay Hill is always strong and the usual smattering of big names will be keen to get their hands on the trophy come Sunday:
2018 winner Rory McIlroy starts as the heavy favourite here in Florida. The world number one has finished in the top 5 in his last 6 starts and he will be the man to beat this week.
With 5 top 10 finishes from his last 7 appearances, Tommy Fleetwood is in fine form and he will be eager to bounce back from his disappointing finish at the Honda Classic last week.
2018 runner up Bryson DeChambeau continues to churn out the results on the PGA Tour and he sits at number 14 in the world rankings. With top 5 finishes from his last 2 starts, he could go well this week.
Fresh from his win at the WGC Mexico in his last start, Patrick Reed will be eager to make a point here in Florida at an event he is yet to win.
2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational champion Jason Day has been a man reborn in 2020 and despite his fade at the AT&T Pebble Beach earlier in the season, he could go well this week.
1st Round Leader
The whole field here in Florida will believe they can get off to a strong start and if they do so they could set themselves up for the week ahead:
Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama continues to put in consistent performances on the PGA Tour and he will be one to watch from the outset here at Bay Hill.
Billy Horschel faded badly at the Honda Classic last week but his run at the WGC Mexico the week before should fill him with confidence and he is well suited to the conditions here in Florida.
With a win already under his belt this season, Lee Westwood enjoyed a terrific week at the Honda Classic last time out, finishing 4th and he could get off to a flyer here.
Top 10 Finish
With so many good players assembled here in Florida, getting into the winning enclosure could be tough but there are plenty of candidates to finish in the top 10 come Sunday:
Xander Schauffele finished inside the top 15 at the WGC Mexico Championships last time out and he will arrive in good form here in Florida, with a Ryder Cup spot sure to be at the back of his mind.
With a win at the Genesis Open already under his belt, Adam Scott looks set to enjoy another stellar season in 2020 and he will be eager to keep building on his world ranking of 7th.
Tony Finau continues to put in consistent performances on the PGA Tour. With two top 10 finishes from his last 3 starts, he will once again be sure to be in contention here at Bay Hill.
BetXChange Best Bets:
Outright Winner: Rory McIlroy – 5.00
1st Round Leader: Hideki Matsuyama – 28.00
Top Ten Finish: Adam Scott – 2.25
