Over his past six starts, Hoge finished tied for fourth, missed cut, solo second, missed cut, first and a tie for 14th. Rory McIlroy The former Wake Forest University star has gained strokes on the greens in all four of his starts in 2023, which is an encouraging trend for a player who had previously struggled with that part of his game. Going into Round 3 . Spieth followed up his near-miss at Pebble Beach with a rather ordinary start at TPC Scottsdale, a tie for 60th at even par. The product of Arizona State University has already won three times this season, including two weeks ago at Riviera, and he has not finished outside the top 10 in any of his seven starts. After the Florida Swing got underway last week at the Honda Classic, the stakes raise with this weeks Arnold Palmer Invitational. Get ESPN+ here | Download the app | WatchESPN. He tied for third at the American Express and 13th at the Farmers Insurance Open, followed by a tie for 10th at the Phoenix Open. Brutally difficult conditions led to Scottie Scheffler persevering to win at 5-under last year. Sahith Theegala 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. He also took T-21st at last years Open Championship. PGA TOUR Rob Bolton's fantasy golf preview for the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational ROB BOLTON'S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.com's Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives.. Szokol opens with 64, up 3 shots in Singapore, More PGA Tour changes: No cuts, smaller fields, Rahm sought Tiger's advice on staying No. It's difficult to believe that it has been 456 days since DJ last won a PGA Tour event -- the 2020 Masters that was played in November. I'm not happy at all that I'm seventh. He was just four off the winning pace on a crowded, talented . Jordan Spieth Other results in Orlando include T-49th in 2018, T-54th in 2019, T-36th in 2020, and a missed cut in 2021. Let's get down to the top 10 players to get it done at PGA National: 10 Min Woo Lee OWGR: T-47th, FedEx Cup: --, Min Woo Lee is making his Honda Classic debut this week on a sponsor exemption.. Perks for the winner, a brief breakdown of Grand Reserve Golf Club and more can be found below. By Friday, thatll be the sustained average for the prevailing push from the southwest, while gusts will reach 35 mph. Its one of seven cuts made in 2022-23. 8. Kim grabbed his fourth PGA Tour victory when he rallied from 3 shots back to catch Hayden Buckley and win the Sony Open in Hawaii. The 28-year-old seeks his first win since the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge, his third win in the 2021-22 season. 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. Poston, Thomas Detry, Webb Simpson and Min Woo Lee will be among the notables reviewed in Golfbet Insider. A cozy field of 120 is chasing a winners cut of 550 FedExCup points and $3.6 million from a prize fund of $20 million. He's coming. 1 for much of last season, when he won four times, including his first major championship (at the Masters). He was sixth on the DP World Tour last year in driving distance (322.07). 13. 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. It could get windy but doesnt look like it will be too out of control. Max Homa Harold Varner III 7. 1. The first designated event of the PGA Tour season means a $20 million purse, and world No. Hes never played the Arnold Palmer, but Cantlay has strong results in Florida and enjoys tough conditions. Its an event dating back to 1972 thats been held at its current venue, PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, since 2007. Its officially a designated event in 2023, but you dont need to conceive a visual of the King himself winking, grinning and giving a thumbs-up to approve what we already know, that this tournament is special. 6. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports. There may be few players happier that the PGA Tour is onto the Florida swing than Sam Burns. Previous rank: 11 Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will once again be looking to be World No. Collin Morikawa 9. 24. Ranks 3rd in SG: Par 5 and 7th in the model. One of those was at Bay Hill in 2021, and hes been solid here in three starts. Its fun to watch the games best have to struggle to make par and be tested on a tough layout. He had three victories in his previous eight worldwide starts. Plus, access replays, originals and more. He should be well rested after taking last week off following a missed cut at the Genesis Invitational. Tom Kim : Going through his first mini-slump here since getting his PGA Tour card, but theres not too much to be concerned about. 35 on No. Because it can stretch to 7,466 yards and winds often punish, muscle almost always has contributed to the profile of the champion. The West Coast Swing, and for that matter the fortnight that was the Aloha Swing, fulfilled an alternate version of their nicknames. Pictured: Rory McIlroy (left) and Brooks Koepka. The Spaniard finished in third place in Phoenix, 5 shots back, but was in contention once again. Marc Leishman He missed the cut in each of his past two starts at Riviera, after finishing solo second there in 2019, 1 shot behind winner J.B. Holmes. TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Puerto Rico), Sleepers (API), SUNDAY: Payouts and Points (API), Payouts and Points (Puerto Rico), Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle. Bradley was just 2nd at Torrey Pines in a great field, and he has a 2nd and 3rd at Bay Hill. He was 120th in shots gained: approach going into the WM Phoenix Open. Detroit Golf Club is a shorter par-72, measuring 7,370 yards and is one of the easiest courses on the circuit. Scroll to the bottom to find odds comparisons for every golfer in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Tom Hoge FREE Picks Contest For the Arnold Palmer Invitational: Win An Amazon Gift Card Instantly! Theres usually rain during at least some point in the event and water lurks around many corners. 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. Schauffele made more than 89 feet of putts -- on the first five holes Sunday. The highest-ranked golfer is Louis Oosthuizen at 13th in the world. According to Justin Ray of Twenty First Group, that's the best of any tour player during that span. Burns ranks 16th in strokes gained per round putting (.723) and is 16th in driving distance (312.0). When it does, it could make a difference of 10-15 degrees cooler. It currently plays to a par 70 at 7,244 yards with a 75.5 course rating and 149 slope rating. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider SUNDAY: Payouts and Points, Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle * - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM's. 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. He missed the cut in his previous two starts at the Genesis Invitational in 2019 and 2020. Previous rank: 10 19. 15 and 17 annually are among the most challenging as a set on TOUR, a fact due to sustained breezes from a southeasterly direction. Tyrrell Hatton : With some solid form building and a trip back to Florida, Hatton has to be in good spirits going to Bay Hill. Here are the latest PGA Tour Power Rankings heading into this week's Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, where you-know-who (Tiger Woods!) 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, odds, Fantasy golf power rankings: PGA Tour predictions and best bets from top golf expert Jim Holliman, who has been rolling with his golf picks this season, offers his PGA Tour golf best bets and top players for the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Of the 23 Player Impact Program winners, the only not to commit is Tiger Woods. Ranks 5th in Proximity: 200+ Yards and 8th in SG: OTT. He has two top-15 finishes in his past three starts, including a tie for 14th in Phoenix. The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hillbrings out many of the best players in the world due to its rich history and the new elevated status it holds on the PGA Tour. The Los Angeles native hasn't finished better than 26th in two starts at the Genesis Invitational. Previous rank: 9 He's 13th strokes gained: total and has putted well this season. Proud of how I fought around the golf course.". TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Puerto Rico), Sleepers (API), SUNDAY: Payouts and Points (API), Payouts and Points (Puerto Rico), Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle. "I'm gonna say exactly what 99.99 percent of fans said about players leaving . The greens tend to not be too difficult to roll putts in on, especially for guys based in the Southeast U.S. used to Bermuda. He finished fifth in the Genesis Invitational last season. Winners become PGA TOUR members for life, but theyre treated to so much more. He finished 10th in the Genesis Invitational last season, after claiming his second PGA Tour win in the event in 2021. He had a 1-shot lead at the Sandersons Farms Championship in October and tied for eighth. The course measures 7,261 yards for a par 70. Its clear the Englishman loves the firm conditions and high winds that are often present in Orlando. However, giving the benefit of the doubt that, indeed, his game can travel, the third-ranked putter on TOUR deserves attention on a track that, like TPC Summerlin, can capitalize on piling up the scoring opportunities. 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. How Arnold Palmers Bay Hill Club & Lodge will present itself, what Mother Nature has planned and more can be found below. Just make sure to click here to create your new DraftKings account today. He ranks in the top 15 on tour in strokes gained: total, tee to green and approach. The Englishman has played very well in his first two starts in 2022, tying for sixth at Pebble Beach and tying for 10th at TPC Scottsdale. Theegala is the first player this season to hold at least a share of two 54-hole leads. The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass has continued to grow in importance and popularity every year, and its safe to say you can throw it in as the unofficial fifth major of the season. Previous rank: 13 The Irishman has it going again with a 14th Riviera and 5th at Honda with more excellent ball striking. In 2022, Lee struggled early on with one top-10 in his first 20 starts. Did the former world No. With tree-lined, narrow fairways on a longer course, elite drivers of the golf ball are at an upper hand at Bay Hill. 10. There were plenty of changes in this week's edition of the PGA Tour Power Rankings, including a new No. 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. You may call them opposite events, but to the 120 in pursuit of a boatload of benefits, Puerto Rico is the island of opportunity. Just because you know what to do doesnt make it an easy task. In his defense, he might have needed a week to calm his nerves after his cliff-hanger shot in the third round at Pebble Beach. Only 10 players broke par for 72 holes. Ranks 1st in Proximity: 200+ Yards and 4th in the model. His strength is on approach and, given his roots, also confidence when the wind blows. pic.twitter.com/U4xDqJhNHs. Matt Fitzpatrick Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. Justin Thomas With primary rough at least 3 inches high, distance and accuracy off the tee plays up all week. Call 1-800-GAMBLER if you have a gambling problem. On cue, the wind steps forward as the primary defense to a course that surrendered a scoring average of 71.339 last year, which essentially is the expectation. 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. Jon Rahm : Rahms numbers in the model this week are just absurd, and hes a runaway No. He also led the Phoenix field in strokes gained: tee to green and scrambling. . As always, Ill prefer distance, but you can get around here in a variety of ways. 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. The reigning U.S. Open winner has only four PGA Tour starts this season; his best finish was a tie for seventh at the Tournament of Champions. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images). They're the 25 who have played the best this season and have the best form right now. A cozy field of 120 is chasing a winners cut of 550 FedExCup points and $3.6 million from a prize fund of $20 million. Things are about to get good on the PGA Tour. Previous rank: 18 Those rarities occurred in the third round (69.85) in 2014 and the second round (69.61) in 2017. But he missed the cut at the WM Phoenix Open after hitting consecutive shots into the water on No. In fact, a field has beaten par in a round just twice since PGA National assumed its role as the host in 2007. There are designated events, and then there is the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. 57 in the OWGR, moving him closer to the top 50 for an invitation to the Masters in April. 15. Michael Collins is back for an all-new season of America's Caddie. is making his 2023 debut: Scheffler picked up his fifth victory over the past 365 days, but he hasn't been as consistent as Rahm during the past few months. Ranks 4th in High Winds and 8th in SG: APP. 16. Impressive stuff. Seamus Power: irl 2.579 . 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. 5. MEN -- 10 needed to qualify on nine worldwide tours: PGA Tour, PGA European Tour, Nationwide Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Southern Africa Tour, PGA Tour of AustralAsia . Scheffler is atop the OWGR for the second time in his career, after spending 30 weeks at No. For a variety of reasons. This years field is as weak as this tournaments seen in years. Bermuda grass is where he tends to thrive. Well look at SG: Approach as well as Greens in Regulations Gained to get a grasp on the guys who will be avoiding trouble with their irons this week and making plenty of pars. It's major week once again and with the best players in the world preparing to tee it up at Kiawah Island, we have listed 10 players in our PGA Championship Player Power Rankings. In his first start at the Genesis last year, he tied for 15th at 4-under, 8 strokes behind winner Max Homa. Ranks 3rd in Proximity: 200+ Yards and 5th in the model. 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. Has only one start at Bay Hill. 4. But hes continued his elite golf as of late even if the driver hasnt quite been clicking. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. pic.twitter.com/Eud55ZASZc, the mug shot of the mulletted streaker from Friday at the WM Phoenix Open is rather perfect pic.twitter.com/ISyMDuc3me, Scheffler, Rahm and McIlroy battle for the top spot in PGA Tour Power Rankings, A battle for No. There are designated events, and then there is the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. 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. Hes unsurprisingly 1st in High Winds, and some of his recent top finishes came when the going got very tough. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. Finished 5th here last year. Xander Schauffele : Schauffele has been a bit lost since he tied the lead in Phoenix on Saturday, as he dropped to 10th there on Sunday and had a strange week at Riviera. The North Dakota native is on a remarkable run. All of golfs best players will be in attendance. Kevin Yu and Joseph Bramlett both finished T7 at Pebble and didnt get into the WM as predicted, but only Bramlett is committed to the Honda (as of Monday). TifEagle bermuda greens are larger than average in size (and not overseeded), but theyre equipped to flirt with and exceed 13 feet on the Stimpmeter. 10. 1, Tiger to play in next week's Genesis Invitational, Author of seven books on college football. His opening 74 was the highest score by anyone inside the top 28. *All stats are from a players last 24 rounds. Just a friendly reminder that these aren't necessarily the 25 most talented players in . He finished in a tie for third at 15-under. It's a weaker field than we've seen at the past two designated PGA Tour events, with the likes of Sungjae Im and Shane Lowry headlining the Honda Classic 2023 field. Were now onto a multi-week jaunt through Florida starting with the Honda Classic. It's the first time the tour has had three consecutive first-time winners since 2019. Few players have performed better at the TPC Scottsdale than Matsuyama, who had victories there in 2016 and 2017. 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. Since Scheffler's first victory at TPC Scottsdale a year ago, he has collected $17.6 million in official earnings, not including what he won at the Tour Championship at the end of last season. Scottie Scheffler It also features world #2 Scottie Scheffler, world #3 Rory McIlroy and world #4 Patrick Cantlay. Who's out: Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, Just missed the cut: DeChambeau, Hatton, Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Russell Henley, Brian Harman, Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen, Harris English, Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Matthew Wolff, PGA Tour Power Rankings: Time to make a change at the top, A battle for No. TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Puerto Rico), Sleepers (API), SUNDAY: Payouts and Points (API), Payouts and Points (Puerto Rico), Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle. It was only a matter of time before the former Texas star closed out his first PGA Tour victory, and it finally happened on Sunday, when he beat Cantlay in a playoff. You could certainly argue that over the past few weeks, Spain's Jon Rahm was performing like the best player in the world. His fortune turned late in the year when a solo third at the Acciona Open de Espana Presented by Madrid sparked a run of eight straight top-13s. 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 . 20. Pro golf will be back to California this summer for the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, but the PGA Tours West Coast swing is in the books. Keegan Bradley : I always think of Bradley when I hear about potentially brutal conditions on a course. With that being said, some of the players who have caught fire on the greens arent necessarily great putters historically, so well take an average look at SG: Putting on Bermuda. pic.twitter.com/S4Ax1qYYeQ, Wind's coming HARD left-to-right at 16. Expected high winds and firm conditions this week will also open things up a bit to accurate drivers. 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. Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns, Jordan Spieth and Hideki Matsuyama will be among the notables considered in Golfbet Insider. Ranks 17th in the model. Scheffler will defend his title as The No. Will likely be excited to get back on Bermuda. Competed once before at Grand Reserve, finishing T52 in 2020 via a sponsor exemption. And since The Genesis Invitational was, self-evidently, an invitational, top 10s at Pebble would get into The Honda Classic. Access 4,300-plus hours of live coverage from 35 PGA Tour tournaments each year, including four days of coverage at 28 events with four feeds each day. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. Spieth bounced back from disappointing back-to-back starts-he missed the cut at the Sony Open and tied for 63rd at Pebble Beach-to finish tied for sixth at TPC Scottsdale. It guarantees that someone else will be holding the trophy. Like Deion Sanders, Rickie Fowler is coming. It's the third ace of his career. He carded an 8-under 63 in the second round, the lowest round of the tournament, and hit all 18 greens in regulation, which he had done only one other time in 843 official rounds on tour. After a weekend of beer showers, aces and shirtless celebrations at the biggest party of the season at the WM Phoenix Open, the PGA Tour returns to normalcy with this week's Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. 19. 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. He was also fifth in fewest putts per round (28.14). Bet Now TULSA, Okla. In what appears to be the most star-studded event hosted at Riviera Country Club since the 1995 PGA Championship, only world No. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. The injury is hopefully past him now, and we know Zalatoris is at his best in major-like conditions. Those only resulted in an 11th, 10th and 20th thanks to other areas failing him, but this is a course he has plenty of experience on and has finished 3rd in the past. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images) The Grateful Dead didn't release an album about 2020, but the band . The driver and putter are putting in elite work, while the irons have shown enough life at times to get him near the top of the leaderboard. Just a friendly reminder that these aren't necessarily the 25 most talented players in the . 16. Finally, the forecast for this week is predicting very high winds on Friday and Saturday along with consistent winds for the rest of the week. 2. Daytime highs could hit 90 degrees until the wind shifts. 12. Schauffele called on his former Long Beach State teammate, Kevin "Tech" Techakanokboon, to carry his bag this weekend. Putting can give you some real success at Bay Hill. Ranks 9th in SG: Par 5 and 12th in High Winds. Rory McIlroy is not human. When asked about being ranked No. Morikawa showed a lot of backbone by finishing third at the Farmers Insurance Open, his first start after blowing a 6-shot lead in the final round of the Tournament of Champions. He was just four off the winning pace on a crowded, talented leaderboard. It had chased a couple of grumbles on the Korn Ferry Tour just before that. 1 for more than another dozen years to catch Woods' record total of 679 weeks ranked atop the Official World Golf Ranking. You can bet on the Arnold Palmer Invitational at DraftKings Sportsbook. He posted another top-10 on Sunday, a tie for eighth, after overcoming a shaky driver in the first two rounds with a combined 11 fairways hit. He is skipping the Genesis Invitational after missing the cut in his last two starts at Riviera. Ultimately, his top-10 exemption wasnt necessary, anyway, as the entire. The question will be if the putter does enough to win. Previous rank: 20 The cutline has been over par in 10 of the last 11 years. Hes 4-for-5 in 2023. Hell bank 300 FedExCup points and $684,000 of a record prize fund of $3.8 million. Previous rank: 2 In addition to the aforementioned rewards, clutching the silver trophy and slipping on the iconic red sweater, the winner will be exempt into THE PLAYERS Championship through 2025 and his PGA TOUR membership will be extended through at least 2026. PGA Championship Fantasy Golf Power Rankings (odds via DraftKings as of May 12) 1. It guarantees that someone else will be holding the trophy. Choi had eight PGA Tour wins. 22. 1 last season, following his victory at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play. PGA Tour Power Rankings: 2016 Honda Classic 1. Hovland won the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event that Woods hosted in the Bahamas in December, but he hasn't done anything spectacular in official tournaments so far in 2023. Scheffler is the defending champion at Bay Hill, as he edged out Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Billy Horschel by a single stroke. Wind is often a factor at this event and seven water hazards eat up a lot of wayward shots. Previous rank: Not ranked PGA Tour Power Rankings: Arnold Palmer Invitational Written by Tyler Duke Last Updated Feb 28, 2023 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. Sam Burns The field gets a primer on Thursday when gusts might touch 20 mph. He carded a 7-under 64 in the third round of the WM Phoenix Open, his 15th such round of 64 or better since 2021. He led the field in shots gained: approach this past weekend, the first time he has accomplished that since the 2022 U.S. Open at Brookline. Brett White's wife, Natalie, was emotional watching her husband make his TOUR debut @WMPhoenixOpen. @JordanSpieth found out on this unique ruling on No. Ranks 6th in SG: OTT and 26th in SG: APP. The 24-year-old has two-career DP World Tour wins at the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open and the 2021 abrdn Scottish Open. 1 Jon Rahm. Stewart Cink knew how to win over the Phoenix fans. Previous rank: 3 The Dick Wilson design is a course that does not allow players to get too creative strategically. When it does, it could make a difference of 10-15 degrees cooler. 2 ranked player in the world. 1. Previous rank: 17 The PGA TOUR heads to Detroit this week for the fourth edition of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.