Defending champion Jason Day +850, Japan sensation Hideki Matsuyama +1000, Rory McIlroy +750 and Rickie Fowler +1500 headline this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. It should be quite an emotional event after the passing of Arnold Palmer earlier this year, making 2017 the first year that the “King” won’t be on hand. And I am stunned that more elite players didn’t show up to play to honor the great Arnold Palmer. Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm, I am talking to you, why aren’t you guys playing?
Others poised to perform well this week at Bay Hill Club and Lodge include England’s Justin Rose +1550, Tommy Fleetwood +3000 and Tyrrell Hatton +2200, Belgian Thomas Pieters +1900, Swede Henrik Stenson +800 and Americans Brandt Snedeker +2000 and Zach Johnson +6065.
The Course: Bay Hill Club and Lodge, 7,419 yards, par 72. The course was designed by Dick Wilson in 1961 and the first time Arnold Palmer played it in 1965, he fell in love with it and proclaimed it the “best course in Florida.” A few years later Palmer bought the course and the rest is history. The PGA TOUR arrived in 1979, when the old Florida Citrus Open relocated across town to “Arnie’s Place.”
Last year Jason Day went wire-to-wire to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Aussie carded a final round 70 to get to 17-under par and hold off Kevin Chappell by a stroke. It was Days’ eighth career win.
TV Coverage: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET - Golf Channel. Saturday-Sunday, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Golf Channel, 2:30 - 6 p.m. - NBC.
Current Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Odds at BookMaker.eu:
Rory McIlroy +750
Henrik Stenson +800
Jason Day +850
Hideki Matsuyama +1000
Rickie Fowler +1500
Justin Rose +1550
Paul Casey +1750
Thomas Pieters +1900
Brandt Snedeker +2000
Tyrrell Hatton +2200
Charl Schwartzel +2550
Francesco Molinari +2750
Tommy Fleetwood +3000
Wesley Bryan +3333
Louis Oosthuizen +3500
Martin Kaymer +3750
Ryan Moore +4000
Tony Finau +3500
Kevin Kisner +4050
Kevin Na +4400
Russell Henley +4550
Adam Hadwin +4800
Graeme McDowell +5000
Matthew Fitzpatrick +5350
Zach Johnson +6065
Bubba Watson +6000
Charles Howell III +5900
Graham DeLaet +6166
Branden Grace +6500
Brooks Koepka +7500
Jason Kokrak +7777
Lucas Glover +8000
Marc Leishman +6500
Pat Perez +6900
Byeong Hun An +7050
Emiliano Grillo +7500
Kevin Chappell +8000
Alex Noren +8250
Anirban Lahiri +9000
Billy Horschel +9090
Chris Kirk +9500
Keegan Bradley +10000
Martin Laird +8500
Harris English +10000
Jim Herman +11000
Webb Simpson +11500
Danny Willett +12500
Ollie Schniederjans +12555
FIELD - Any Other Player +325
ODDS ANALYSIS
Henrik Stenson +800 worst finish here in his last three starts at Bay Hill has been a T5. The ball-striking machine is constantly in the hunt and is due to add this title to his resume before his career is over. He played solid last week at the Valspar, finishing T7 and will be poised to play well in Orlando.
FADES
Bubba Watson +6000 continues to struggle and missed another cut last week making it three in a row. You can tell by his body language that he is not a confident player right now. He is letting the little things get under his skin, creating a real bad attitude. It’s EASY M$NEY to FADE Watson!!
Since he switched equipment to start the year, Brooks Koepka +7500 has fallen on hard times, missing three of five cuts with a best finish of T42 in Phoenix. Somehow he is still ranked No. 23 in the world. He is an over-valued player. FADE material!
SLEEPER
Ollie Schniederjans +12500 has three top 10’s in his last eight starts, but none in his last two. The former world No. 1 ranked amateur is finally starting to live up to the expectations. He is going to win this year and at +12500, he’s worth a look.
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu. The Arnold Palmer Invitational is scheduled for March 16-19, 2017. Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida will host the event and NBC and Golf Channel will televise it.
