Eight-times winner Tiger Woods has withdrawn from this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill after suffering a neck strain but there is a still a star-studded line-up in Orlando including defending champion Rory McIlroy.
Woods has so far completed three tournaments in 2019 but will now rest for a couple of weeks ahead of next month’s US Masters.
McIlroy was ending an 18-month drought when recording a three-shot victory at Bay Hill 12 months ago.
Arnold Palmer Invitational Past Winners
| Year | Player | Country | Score | To Par | 1st Prize ($) | Purse ($) |
| 2018 | Rory McIlroy | N. Ireland | 270 | -18 | 1,602,000 | 8,900,000 |
| 2017 | Marc Leishman | Australia | 277 | -11 | 1,566,000 | 8,700,000 |
| 2016 | Jason Day | Australia | 271 | -17 | 1,134,000 | 6,300,000 |
| 2015 | Matt Every | US | 269 | -19 | 1,134,000 | 6,300,000 |
| 2014 | Matt Every | US | 275 | -13 | 1,116,000 | 6,200,000 |
| 2013 | Tiger Woods | US | 275 | -13 | 1,116,000 | 6,200,000 |
| 2012 | Tiger Woods | US | 275 | -13 | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 2011 | Martin Laird | Scotland | 280 | -8 | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard | ||||||
| 2010 | Ernie Els | South Africa | 277 | -11 | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 2009 | Tiger Woods | United States | 275 | -5 | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 2008 | Tiger Woods | United States | 270 | -10 | 1,044,000 | 5,800,000 |
| 2007 | Vijay Singh | Fiji | 272 | -8 | 990,000 | 5,500,000 |
| Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard | ||||||
| 2006 | Rod Pampling | Australia | 274 | -14 | 990,000 | 5,500,000 |
| 2005 | Kenny Perry | United States | 276 | -12 | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
| 2004 | Chad Campbell | United States | 270 | -18 | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
| Bay Hill Invitational presented by Cooper Tires | ||||||
| 2003 | Tiger Woods | United States | 269 | -19 | 810,000 | 4,500,000 |
| 2002 | Tiger Woods | United States | 275 | -13 | 720,000 | 4,000,000 |
| Bay Hill Invitational | ||||||
| 2001 | Tiger Woods | United States | 273 | -15 | 630,000 | 3,500,000 |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods | United States | 270 | -18 | 540,000 | 3,000,000 |
| 1999 | Tim Herron | United States | 274 | -14 | 450,000 | 2,500,000 |
| 1998 | Ernie Els | South Africa | 274 | -14 | 360,000 | 2,000,000 |
| 1997 | Phil Mickelson | United States | 272 | -16 | 270,000 | 1,500,000 |
| 1996 | Paul Goydos | United States | 275 | -13 | 216,000 | 1,200,000 |
| Nestle Invitational | ||||||
| 1995 | Loren Roberts | United States | 272 | -16 | 216,000 | 1,200,000 |
| 1994 | Loren Roberts | United States | 275 | -13 | 216,000 | 1,200,000 |
| 1993 | Ben Crenshaw | United States | 280 | -8 | 180,000 | 1,000,000 |
| 1992 | Fred Couples | United States | 269 | -19 | 180,000 | 1,000,000 |
| 1991 | Andrew Magee | United States | 203* | -13 | 180,000 | 1,000,000 |
| 1990 | Robert Gamez | United States | 274 | -14 | 162,000 | 900,000 |
| 1989 | Tom Kite | United States | 278 | -6 | 144,000 | 800,000 |
Arnold Palmer Invitational History and Course Details
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of only two PGA Tour events named after former players (the other is the Byron Nelson). Since 1979, it’s been played at Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge.
The Arnold Palmer is one of just five Invitational events on the US PGA Tour, with a reduced field of 120 players, and no Monday Qualifying. The top 70 players from the previous year’s money list are the only guaranteed to receive invitations.
It’s predecessor – the Florida Citrus Open – was first staged in 1966 and played at the Rio Pinar golf club in Orlando. The tournament was moved to Bay Hill in 1979 and became known as the Bay Hill Citrus Classic but it only became an invitational event in 1984.
The Championship course at Bay Hill is 7381 yards long. It starts with a 461-yard par four and doesn’t get any easier, though the numerous lakes it borders aren’t really a threat if drives are straight and true. Professionals call it tough but fair with no hidden traps, a theory backed up by the fact that no winner in the last 30 years has finished with a score higher than five under par.
Arnold Palmer Invitational Predictions
McIlroy has already racked up four top 10 finishes in the 2018-19 season but victory at Bay Hill last year was his only win on the US PGA Tour since 2016. He’s only a best 7/1 to retain his title and that looks too short, though Evens for a Top 10 finish with Unibet could be worth a second look.
Brooks Koepka and Ricky Fowler are 12/1 and 14/1 respectively (Sportingbet) to go one better than in last week’s Honda Classic. Both are back in the top 10 of the world rankings and the latter has already won the Phoenix Open this season. Those world rankings are currently headed by Justin Rose and the Englishman is a best 12/1 with Ladbrokes in Bay Hill this week.
Our first pick against the field is FRANCESCO MOLINARI at 35/1 with Sportingbet.
Last year’s Open champion has finished in the top 10 at Bay Hill in three of the last five years. The Italian has been a slow starter in his last three US PGA tournaments and that will have to change if he is to be involved at the business end in the Arnold Palmer Invitational but the Orlando course clearly suits the powerfully-built 36-year-old and he’s got a better chance than the odds would suggest.
Also overpriced is late developer LUCAS GLOVER. The 39-year-old from South Carolina is arguably in the form of his life. He led last week’s Honda Classic for a while before eventually finishing fourth having recorded top 10 finishes previously at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Shriners Open at Summerlin in Las Vegas, where he shot a stunning third-round 61. If he could just string together four strong rounds, the general 50/1 would look very attractive.
At even bigger odds (a general 80/1) JB HOLMES is another worth a second look. He held off Justin Thomas to win last month’s Genesis Open, even if his style of play is not to everyone’s taste. You can’t condemn a man for taking his time, however, given the amount of money on offer in Tour events nowadays!
Arnold Palmer Invitational Winner Current Best Odds
Rory McIlroy 7/1
Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka 12/1
Rickie Fowler 14/1
Jason Day 16/1
Bryson DeChambeau 18/1
Hideki Matsuyama and Marc Leishman 28/1
Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood 35/1
Patrick Reed 40/1
Lucas Glover, Billy Horschel and Ian Poulter 50/1
Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson 55/1
Charles Howell 60/1
Tyrrell Hatton, Rafael Cabrera Bello, Keegan Bradley and Daniel Berger 66/1
Jason Kokrak and Si Woo Kim 70/1
Hao Tong Li and JB Holmes 80/1
Byeong Hun An and Luke List 90/1
Kevin Kisner, Cameron Champ, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Zach Johnson, Michael Thompson, Adam Hadwin and Matt Every 100/1
125/1 and Upwards Others
(Odds correct at 10.30am March 5)
