The four-tournament tour of the Sunshine State is on to the second stop with the PGA Tour invading Orlando for the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week. One notable name will be absent as eight-time winner of the Arnie, Tiger Woods, withdrew because of a sore neck. Don’t fret golf fans, this event typically draws a strong field and that’s the case this time around with 12 of the top 20 golfers in the world rankings pegging it up at Bay Hill Golf Club and Lodge. Defending champion Rory McIlroy is the betting favorite at BookMaker.eu with world No. 1 Justin Rose and reigning U.S. Open and PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka next in line. There are plenty of intriguing matchups featuring those players with a full list and odds below.
Arnold Palmer Invitational Matchup Odds at BookMaker.eu
Sungjae Im -117 vs. Keith Mitchell -113
JB Holmes -116 vs. Hao Tong Li -114
Matthew Fitzpatrick -117 vs. Michael Thompson -113
Shane Lowry -123 vs. Kiradech Aphibarnrat -107
Bubba Watson +101 vs. Charles Howell III -131
Lucas Glover -121 vs. Louis Oosthuizen -109
Tommy Fleetwood -172 vs. Patrick Reed +136
Luke List -125 vs. Adam Hadwin -105
Tyrrell Hatton -114 vs. Rafael Cabrera Bello -116
Scott Piercy +117 vs. Kevin Na -147
Rickie Fowler -161 vs. Jason Day +128
Jason Day -108 vs. Bryson Dechambeau -122
Jason Kokrak -147 vs. Si Woo Kim +117
Rory McIlroy -159 vs. Brooks Koepka +127
Byeong Hun An -125 vs. Zach Johnson -105
Billy Horschel +112 vs. Henrik Stenson -142
Hideki Matsuyama -127 vs. Francesco Molinari -103
Rickie Fowler -156 vs. Bryson Dechambeau +124
Keegan Bradley -128 vs. Daniel Berger -102
Rory McIlroy -134 vs. Justin Rose +104
Kevin Kisner -107 vs. Cameron Champ -123
Justin Rose -133 vs. Brooks Koepka +103
Marc Leishman -113 vs. Francesco Molinari -117
Phil Mickelson -112 vs. Ian Poulter -118
Hideki Matsuyama -128 vs. Marc Leishman -102
Need To Know
Stretched out to over 7,400 yards, Bay Hill actually plays longer than its listed distance, if that’s possible. We’ve seen past winners take a conservative approach, which is the way to go considering the numerous water hazards and bunkers that surround the layout. The many doglegs make iron play and approach shots extremely important, and staying out of the rough is a key here more so than any other course on Tour. The thickness of the grass can cause many problems. Scores are going to be made on the par-5s with most of them offering low numbers. However, the par-5 sixth can be tricky. Since 1983, this hole has produced a whopping 23 scores in double-digits. Ideal conditions are in the forecast with temps in the 70s and calm winds.
Arnold Palmer Invitational Matchup Picks
Rory McIlroy -134 vs. Justin Rose +104
Two of the betting favorites in a head-to-head showdown is must see golf. Both McIlroy and Rose are on incredible runs of form. JR has been perhaps the most consistent player on Tour over the past 18 months. He hasn’t started since missing the cut in Saudi Arabia, but playing a few days after winning the Farmers Insurance Open likely had something to do with that. McIlroy’s attention to the PGA Tour has paid dividends and he’s done everything but win. A return to the site of his last title might spark him to the top. He’s expressed his love for Bay Hill and enters with four top-5s in his four 2019 starts.
Jason Day +128 vs. Rickie Fowler
Hold on a second. Can we really get Day at these matchup odds? This isn’t a misprint and I’m jumping all over Day for his head-to-head with Fowler. Rick came close to earning his second win of 2019 at last week’s Honda Classic, closing with a 67 in difficult conditions. However, he’s been inconsistent and hasn’t put back-to-back solid performances together. Day on the other hand hasn’t finished outside the top-25 since last year’s FedEx Cup playoffs and enters with consecutive top-5s. He’s also a past winner at Bay Hill, taking the title in 2017 by finishing at 17-under, which is the third-lowest winning score in the last 10 years.
Ian Poulter -118 vs. Phil Mickelson
Mickelson is more of a West Coast player and he appears at this event more out of respect for Palmer. He’s a past winner, but that title came back in 1997 when Lefty was in his mid-20s. Poulter is a resident of Orlando and has played this event every year since 2011, making the cut each time. He’s tasted success at Bay Hill with five consecutive finishes inside the top-25 from 2011 to 2015, and he’s been stellar recently with a T6 or better in each of his last four starts, with a T3 two weeks ago in Mexico. I like lefty, but I have to lean towards Poulter in this one.
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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 7-10 and can be seen on Golf Channel and NBC.
