1, LIV Golf's debut on The CW scores low ratings, How to watch PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational on ESPN+, Kirk wins Honda in playoff; 1st title since 2015, Howell (63) wins in Mexico for 1st title in LIV, Nicklaus: '24 schedule likely to aid Honda field, Siem ends 8-year wait for another Euro Tour title, Vu overcomes 6-shot deficit to win 1st LPGA title, Scheffler repeats at Phoenix Open, back to No. Plus, access replays, originals and more. In years past, I may have skewed driving stats toward Driving Distance on the week, but Ill simply be using SG: Off the Tee. Shane Lowry : Im going to make the prediction that Lowry ends his strange poor history of four missed cuts here this week. The weather forecast for the week appears to be warm, dry, and windy, so expect the course to play fiery once again. The field at Bay Hill is absolutely loaded once again for the PGA Tours new elevated events. His career victory total is second among South Korean golfers; K.J. The former Pepperdine star did everything he could in trying to become only the sixth player in the last 15 seasons to win a tournament with a sponsor exemption. Ranking Four World Championship Tournaments. There are designated events, and then there is the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. 1. Daytime highs could hit 90 degrees until the wind shifts. That helped him make it onto the American Presidents Cup team where Burns played well despite a middling record. Since tying for second at the Shriners Children's Open in early October, he tied for 16th at the Tournament of Champions, tied for 26th at the American Express and missed the cut in Phoenix, where he lost in a playoff to Scheffler last season. I feel like I'm way better than that and I've been working harder to try to do that.". Thomas posted his fifth top-20 finish in as many PGA Tour starts this season with a tie for eighth at the WM Phoenix Open. 6. Power Rankings: PGA Championship. Of the 23 Player Impact Program winners, the only not to commit is Tiger Woods. Maybe Bay Hill can sort him out, where he finished 2nd last year and struck it well in four starts. Those rarities occurred in the third round (69.85) in 2014 and the second round (69.61) in 2017. His dreams of winning ended on Sunday when his tee shot on No. With primary rough at least 3 inches high, distance and accuracy off the tee plays up all week. Previous rank: 7 He'll take you inside the world of golf with exclusive looks at some of the top courses, feature stories, celebrity guests and interviews with the biggest stars in golf. Bet Now TULSA, Okla. but he tends to play his best golf in the southeastern United States. One of those was at Bay Hill in 2021, and hes been solid here in three starts. Rahm is followed by Rory McIlroy (+900), Scottie Scheffler (+1000) and a large group at +2000 that is headlined by Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa. Hideki Matsuyama Matthew Fitzpatrick : I like to add a few extra players sometimes for big tournaments, and Fitzpatrick is worth noting this week. 1 player catch lightning in a bottle at Pebble Beach, where he picked up his first PGA Tour victory in four years, or was it the start of a real resurgence? 15. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. Any tournament can be won with elite iron play, but with higher scores and the importance on driving it well here, you can get away with just a decent week with the irons. HV3 is probably still celebrating his big victory in Saudi Arabia, even after missing the cut in Phoenix. A week after picking up his first PGA Tour victory, in his 203rd career start, at Pebble Beach, Hoge followed it with another top-15 at TPC Scottsdale. Hes a Louisianan, but he tends to play his best golf in the southeastern United States. pic.twitter.com/xwhDvl8Wrn, "The best bunker shot Jordan has ever hit. A year ago, Kim was preparing for the Royal's Cup in Thailand on the Asian Tour. He claimed the Houston Open in November and has four straight finishes of 16th or better since then, after finishing in a tie for 14th at Phoenix. Skip to main content Skip to navigation > Arnold Palmer Invitational pres. When it does, it could make a difference of 10-15 degrees cooler. Over his past six starts, Hoge finished tied for fourth, missed cut, solo second, missed cut, first and a tie for 14th. Get ESPN+ here | Download the app | WatchESPN. He's as hot as they come entering the Honda Classic, having won in Abu Dhabi a month ago (for a European Tour event) then finishing as the runner-up in Phoenix earlier this month. Just a friendly reminder that these aren't necessarily the 25 most talented players in . The tee-to-green play was still there, and now the World No. How much "louder" will LIV Golf get in its second season? The question will be if the putter does enough to win. Sure, its been 10 years since Woods last won at Bay Hill, but he collected eight victories here across 14 editions, including the last two of three consecutive when the course routed as a par 70 through 2009. The Norwegian went into Phoenix as one of the hottest golfers on the planet, having won in three of his past five starts on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. So, the test still tips at 7,125 yards, the tallest of the overseeded rough might not reach three inches and the TifEagle bermuda greens will run 12 feet on the Stimpmeter. Now, he has already won twice on the PGA Tour and is one of the more popular players. But his course history of 9th, 10th, 9th and 2nd is still worth looking at. Ranks 7th in SG: OTT and 7th in SG: APP. "High praise from Michael Greller on @JordanSpieth's ridiculous shot on 17 @WMPhoenixOpen. * - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COMs Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday. Unlike last week, none of the top-10 golfers in the world are in attendance this week; only 12 of the top-50 in the world are making their way to PGA National for The Honda Classic. Like the TV newscaster in the classic movie "Network," Hahn is mad as hell except he's mad as hell about the changes coming to the PGA Tour in 2024. Its going to be hot and humid this week but little to no rain is expected. Scheffler, who entered the week ranked No. Max Homa Phil Allen of Twenty First Group noted that Matsuyama has 29 rounds in the 60s there -- the most since 2014 -- and 32 of his 33 rounds at the Phoenix Open have been par or better. Call 1-800-GAMBLER if you have a gambling problem. Previous rank: 8 Each week in our golf power rankings, we will highlight the top players on the PGA TOUR in order of likeliness to win the tournament. As it has throughout the FedExCup era, PGA National Resorts Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens is the host. He hit the ball well last year, gaining nearly 2 strokes per round tee-to-green on the field, but his putting was dreadful, which is why he finished in a tie for 43rd. He ranks in the top 15 on tour in strokes gained: total, tee to green and approach. 13. All five dozen bunkers on the property also are equipped with new drainage and sand. FREE Picks Contest For the Arnold Palmer Invitational: Win An Amazon Gift Card Instantly! Ranks 9th in SG: Par 5 and 12th in High Winds. 35 on No. * - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COMs Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday. By Friday, thatll be the sustained average for the prevailing push from the southwest, while gusts will reach 35 mph. Michael Kim Hes a living, breathing example of the power of the additional event. Scheffler will defend his title as The No. Average-sized paspalum greens wont exceed 11 feet on the Stimpmeter because of the omnipresence of the sea breezes from the east. The West Coast Swing, and for that matter the fortnight that was the Aloha Swing, fulfilled an alternate version of their nicknames. The PGA Tour's 2021-22 season started way back in September but it kicks into high gear this week with the annual Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua's Plantation course.. The PGA Tour heads north to central Florida to visit Orlando and continue the Florida Swing at one of the most well-known events of the season. The Florida swing on the PGA Tour begins this week at the 2023 Honda Classic as players aim to kickstart their seasons in the Sunshine State. Jon Rahm is a +650 favorite to triumph at Bay Hill. He still has three top-10s, including a victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Ranking Four World Championship Tournaments, The Aussie and brother to LPGA star Minjee Lee. PGA Championship 2022 Power Rankings: Top-50 Players This Week at Southern Hills Golf Credit: Getty Images. An unforgettable PGA Tour season reaches its second major championship this week, as the best of the best golfers in the world congregate in the oil capital of the world, better known as Tulsa, Oklahoma, as Southern Hills Country Club hosts the 2022 PGA Championship. Day had just two top-10s and five top-25s in 19 starts last season. He was just four off the winning pace on a crowded, talented . The cutline has been over par in 10 of the last 11 years. Few players have performed better at the TPC Scottsdale than Matsuyama, who had victories there in 2016 and 2017. 2 in the world, will regain the top spot after becoming the seventh player to repeat as champion of the WM Phoenix Open, an event he claimed last year for his first PGA Tour victory. 16. Keegan Bradley : I always think of Bradley when I hear about potentially brutal conditions on a course. Unlike the last two tournaments that exceeded the allotted reservation to make room for all automatically eligible PGA TOUR members both were designated events the cap of 144 at PGA National is the field size as advertised. On the heels of last weeks Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the tour takes its talents to Orlandos Bay Hill Club & Lodge for the Arnold Palmer Invitational that begins on Thursday and wraps up on Sunday. Trusting that greens will be adjusted accordingly, its a plan that likely will extend into Saturdays third round for which the elements will mimic the opener, albeit with a slight risk of inclement weather. Previous rank: 2 Schauffele made more than 89 feet of putts -- on the first five holes Sunday. The greens can run fast if conditions allow. Each week in our golf power rankings, we will highlight the top players on the PGA TOUR in order of likeliness to win the tournament. The 28-year-old seeks his first win since the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge, his third win in the 2021-22 season. It was the largest 36-hole comeback at the WM Phoenix Open since it moved to TPC Scottsdale in 1987, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Im taking a small look at SG: Tee-to-Green in very high winds to get a grasp on who will be able to navigate Bay Hill in the worst of conditions this week. Previous rank: 22 Corey Conners : Conners will be happy hes off the West Coast considering his usual struggles there. Length is not a huge advantage this week as fairway woods and irons are the common play on many par-4s and par-5s. Hovland was one of the best iron players on tour last season; he was first in approach shots from 200 to 225 yards, second from 125 to 150, and third from 175 to 200. Ranks 3rd in SG: Par 5 and 7th in the model. This event has annually attracted strong fields since it began in 1966 and moved to current host course, Bay Hill Club and Lodge, in 1979. To go forward, we must go back for a moment and tie off a loose end. Tom Hoge Payne Stewart in 1987 was the only player to go 20-under when he won by three. The Honda Classic leads off a month of competitions in the Sunshine State. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. The PGA Tour moves from Phoenix to Los Angeles this week for The Genesis Invitational, a tour mainstay dating back to 1926. He lost in a playoff to Homa and finished second in the 2021 Genesis Invitational. 13. After his runner-up finish at the WM Phoenix Open, Cantlay has finished inside the top five in 21 of his past 24 rounds played. Make no mistake, however, par still remains a terrific score on the course. It's the third ace of his career. This week, the tour heads to the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, for the unofficial "fifth major," which now has a $20 . Ranks 1st in Proximity: 200+ Yards and 4th in the model. The winner in a 156-player field has a record of 155-0-0, the runner-up is 154-1-0, etc. It didnt matter to him that there were two fewer par 5s at the time, but thats always been a cornerstone weapon for the 82-time PGA TOUR winner. Burns also finished T-11th at The American Express. Cantlay has six straight top-10s dating to his back-to-back victories in the FedEx Cup playoffs at the end of last season. Of course, he remains indefinitely beholden to when his extended recovery will allow him to play in accordance with a chosen schedule. In his first start at the Genesis last year, he tied for 15th at 4-under, 8 strokes behind winner Max Homa. Ranks 1st in SG: Par 5, 2nd in SG: APP and 2nd in the model. Just a friendly reminder that these aren't necessarily the 25 most talented players in the . "I think when guys are playing as well as Nick [Taylor] was today, it really did put a lot of pressure on me and I responded very well," Scheffler said. He flew back to the U.S. to compete in the WM Phoenix Open, and the long travel seemed to catch up with him. Previous rank: 1 If you want more Arnold Palmer Invitational predictions at even longer odds, our experts suggest looking at Jason Day (+3000), Billy Horschel (+10000) and Tom Hoge (+12500). Will Zalatoris Schauffele's ailing back hasn't been much of a problem since he withdrew from the Tournament of Champions in his first start of 2023. In addition to fully exempt status in the winners category through 2025, the champion will earn exemptions into THE PLAYERS Championship next week, the PGA Championship in May and the Sentry Tournament of Champions in 2024. Rory McIlroy : Lets not overreact to a very cold putter from McIlroy in mediocre results at Phoenix and Riviera. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. A year ago, PGA National averaged 71.341, and thats pretty much where everyone expected it to land. It guarantees that someone else will be holding the trophy. If you are looking to back our Arnold Palmer Invitational predictions, be sure to do so at DraftKings Sportsbook. Bet with your head, not over it. Ranks 4th in SG: APP and 7th in Proximity: 200+ Yards. 12. 15. Finished 5th here last year. Its one of seven cuts made in 2022-23. Our Arnold Palmer Invitational predictions are focused on Will Zalatoris, who is also among the top choices at +2200. He took T-2nd at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship where he was just a shot behind Victor Perez. Its, ahem, treated to one of the hardest par 70s on the PGA TOUR. Billy Horschel He joins Luke List (Farmers Insurance Open) and Tom Hoge (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) as new champions. : Payouts and Points, Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The four Par 5s are the real scoring opportunities at Bay Hill. Seamus Power: irl 2.579 . Viktor Hovland : Hovlands short game continues to let him down as he struggles to get much going since his run at The Open at St. Andrews. He would have become only the fifth player to win it three times, joining Phil Mickelson, Mark Calcavecchia, Gene Littler and Arnold Palmer. The Los Angeles native hasn't finished better than 26th in two starts at the Genesis Invitational. 11. With that being said, it seems that distance may be becoming less important since some changes from the Bay Hill superintendent that have opened the course up more and made the fairway width closer to average.