2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational: McIlroy and Fleetwood top the betting
Published:
The PGA Tour rollsaround to the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Florida, for the annual weekend at theArnold Palmer Invitational.
It’s always one of the most popular events of the PGAseason, and although Tiger Woods has elected to skip the tournament due toconcerns over his back, plenty of the PGA’s biggest names will be on the BayHill greens this weekend.
The favourites
Rory McIlroy’s 5/1 price at the top of the market says everything about the Northern Irishman’s form this season.
The 30-year-old looks to be in a very happy place with hisgame right now, and has carded top-five finishes in each of his last five PGAevents, winning the WGC-HSBC Champions in November.
McIlroy won this event in 2018 too, but he’ll have to fend off a determined Tommy Fleetwood at 14/1 this time around.
Plenty has been said about the Southport swinger, who hasyet to win a PGA event. Fleetwood finished third at the Honda Classic lastweek, but made bogey on the 18th when a birdie would have forced a play-off.
If he can shake off that disappointment, plenty will fancythe in-form 29-year-old to land that first win on the Tour.
Hideki Matsuyamais consistently finishing at the sharp end of the leaderboards this season. The16/1 shot has posted four top-sixresults in his last eight events.
American duo BrysonDechambeau and Xander Schauffele complete the top-five in the betting at 18/1 and 20/1 respectively.
The ones to watch
All eyes will be on 21-year-old South Korean sensation Sung-jae Im after his incredibleperformance last week to win the Honda Classic.
He’s the PGA Tour’s newest winner and his victory last weekcame as little surprise after excellent performances this season, including secondplace at the Sanderson Farms Championship and a third in the ZOZO.
Im was in sublime form just a week ago, and plenty willfancy the South Korean to maintain that game at 25/1 at Bay Hill.
And there’ll be plenty of attention on 30/1 shot Brookes Koepka too, although maybe not for the rightreasons.
The American has won four Majors since 2017, but underwent aknee operation in September and he’s yet to card a top-40 result in fourtournaments since.
If it’s course form you’re looking for, then Bay Hill expert Henrik Stenson lurks at 40/1.
The Swede has posted six top-five finishes in his last six visits to the course, and is returning fresh after taking time out to deal with elbow niggles.
Defending champion FrancescoMolinari is a 100/1 shot. Something appears to have gone amiss in theItalian’s game since the heady days of 2018 when he won The Open and starred inthe Ryder Cup.
All Odds and Markets arecorrect as of the date of publishing
