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!) Notice the amount of green AM tee times. Viktor Hovland That helped him make it onto the American Presidents Cup team where Burns played well despite a middling record. In 2022, Lee struggled early on with one top-10 in his first 20 starts. * - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COMs Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday. 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). How much "louder" will LIV Golf get in its second season? RECORDS: A player's won-lost-tied record, based on head-to-head competition, in each category. After opening with a 70 in Phoenix, he caught fire over the final 54 holes to tie for sixth. Itd be dumb to ignore him at a course that requires elite driving, and he gained 4.6 OTT here in a 13th last year. @StewartCink is already rocking a @KDTrey5 jersey pic.twitter.com/FQLxm4tuo8. pic.twitter.com/U4xDqJhNHs. The positive is that Thomas rarely chains together poor ball striking, and he did putt well at Genesis. 20. He missed the cut in his previous two starts at the Genesis Invitational in 2019 and 2020. 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 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. Its all about finding the fairway however you can to avoid hazards around the green and avoid approaching from the long Bermuda rough. The injury is hopefully past him now, and we know Zalatoris is at his best in major-like conditions. 17 took a bad bounce and went into the water, resulting in a bogey. Morikawa is back from the Middle East and is scheduled to play at Riviera Country Club, which will be his first start on the U.S. mainland since a runner-up at The CJ Cup at Summit in mid-October. Now, he has already won twice on the PGA Tour and is one of the more popular players. Has only one start at Bay Hill. 1 coming out of the tournament. Just a friendly reminder that these aren't necessarily the 25 most talented players in the . Keegan Bradley : I always think of Bradley when I hear about potentially brutal conditions on a course. To go forward, we must go back for a moment and tie off a loose end. 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. 9. There are designated events, and then there is the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. They took their cuts and delivered. 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. Sam Burns, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports. 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. 15 in the second round, which knocked him out for the weekend. Sundays finale easily will be the best round in the context of scoring conditions, but Bay Hills bite might strengthen even more than usual as the wind will rotate and howl in from the north. Many lower-ranked golfers will. Sungjae Im : Im not going to make the mistake of dismissing Sungjae this week because of a couple of mediocre results at Honda and Riviera. 5. Jon Rahm is a +650 favorite to triumph at Bay Hill. After finishing solo fifth at Phoenix, he now has three top-10s and seven top-25s in nine starts this season. It should also be noted that Zalatoris was in the top 10 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2021. Ranking Four World Championship Tournaments. As always, Ill prefer distance, but you can get around here in a variety of ways. He hadn't missed the weekend since the 2021 Masters. They're the 25 who have played the best this season and have the best form right now. His strength is on approach and, given his roots, also confidence when the wind blows. 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. As of Tuesday, five commits are currently exempt into THE PLAYERS, so the PRO also is an opportunity for Nate Lashley, Max McGreevy, Scott Piercy, Austin Smotherman and Nick Watney to sharpen their tools for the PGA TOURs flagship event. He finished T16. Ranks 4th in High Winds and 8th in SG: APP. It started to come together at TPC Scottsdale. Previous rank: 2 More ESPN+ content . Previous rank: 4 Scoring will be the name of the game this week. 14. He is scheduled to play in the Genesis Invitational. Bay Hill already is one of if not the hardest par 72 in a non-major in every season last years scoring average of 73.886 easily set the mark among its peers but consider that, in relatively docile conditions a year ago, the opening-round scoring average still was 72.292! McIlroy hasn't played in the U.S. since winning The CJ Cup at Summit. It's officially a designated event in 2023, but you don't need to conceive a visual of the King himself winking, grinning and giving a thumbs-up to approve what we already know, that this. Ranks 2nd in SG: P and 16th in the model. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. You neednt consider further than the household names among first-time winners such at Tony Finau (2016) and Viktor Hovland (2020) to understand the springboard effect that the Puerto Rico Open can have. Finau has (barely) cooled off from his sizzling stretch last season, in which he won in back-to-back starts and was ninth at the Tour Championship. Ranks 2nd in GIRs Gained and 4th in Proximity: 200+ Yards. What I value as much as anything with approaches this week is long iron play. Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will once again be looking to be World No. The North Dakota native is on a remarkable run. Since winning the Shriners Children's Open in October, he tied for fifth at the Tournament of Champions and for sixth at the American Express. The four par 3s, including the two that bracket The Bear Trap Nos. FREE Picks Contest For the Arnold Palmer Invitational: Win An Amazon Gift Card Instantly! Just a friendly reminder that these aren't necessarily the 25 most talented players in the world or the 25 greatest players on tour. He's coming. FREE Picks Contest For the Arnold Palmer Invitational: Win An Amazon Gift Card Instantly! It was during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am three weeks ago when the expectation surfaced that top 10s at Pebble wouldnt pay forward for entry into the WM Phoenix Open. * - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COMs Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday. 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 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. Day climbed from No. Collin Morikawa Bay Hill currently measures 7,419 yards for a par 72. Jason Sobel Updated: May 18, 2022, 11:21 AM EDT Download App Click arrow to expand 2022 PGA Championship odds via BetMGM Bet the PGA Championship risk-free up to $1,000. Much of Fitzpatrick's best work over the past few months has come in Europe, where he was second in the Italian Open and tied for fifth at the DP World Tour championship. 22. Previous rank: 10 That resembled last year when he coasted at Riviera after winning in Phoenix and then added a 2nd victory at Bay Hill. Scheffler will defend his title as The No. How much "louder" will LIV Golf get in its second 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. 10. He had six birdies in his first eight holes in the second round before picking up three bogeys on the second nine. 2. So, course management and accepting par as a great score at times will be key. Payne Stewart in 1987 was the only player to go 20-under when he won by three. 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. 1, a loaded LPGA field and more to watch in golf this week How Arnold Palmers Bay Hill Club & Lodge will present itself, what Mother Nature has planned and more can be found below. 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.. 1 Rory McIlroy leads a WM Phoenix Open field that features 22 of the world's top 25 golfers. He still has three top-10s, including a victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship. 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. Its clear the Englishman loves the firm conditions and high winds that are often present in Orlando. NOTE: ShotLink is not utilized for this tournament. Both of his top 25s on the PGA TOUR have occurred in his transplanted hometown event, and both are top-15 finishes. Ranks 7th in SG: OTT and 7th in SG: APP. Schauffele made too many mistakes down the stretch to end a three-year drought without a victory on tour. 16. 21+: TheLines.com and all content herein is intended for audiences 21 years and older. 12 Bryson DeChambeau (injury) is missing the top 15 in the OWGR. 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. 1 Jon Rahm. There were plenty of changes in this week's edition of the PGA Tour Power Rankings, including a new No. When it does, it could make a difference of 10-15 degrees cooler. Get Up to $1,000 Paid Back in Bonus Bets1 //logo version 1.0.3 - Jun 2022 BetMGM .cls-BMGM-base-1a-svg-logo-1 { fill: #000001; } .cls-BMGM-base-1a-svg-logo-2 { fill: #beaa79; } Visit BETMGM SportsbookUp To $1,000In Bonus BetsBETMGM Sportsbook Review$1,000 Paid Back in Bonus BetsFree Live Streaming - Watch Live GamesUse Bonus Code: PLAYBONUSPLAY NOW. Of the 23 Player Impact Program winners, the only not to commit is Tiger Woods. 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. Every eligible Top 50 player in the world is in attendance to battle it out for the $20 million purse. He finished 10th in the Genesis Invitational last season, after claiming his second PGA Tour win in the event in 2021. 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. Make no mistake, however, par still remains a terrific score on the course. Missed fairways will be inevitable, so playing out of the thick rough with short irons instead of long irons is a big advantage. When it does, it could make a difference of 10-15 degrees cooler. The defending Genesis Invitational champ is starting to find his form. Previous rank: 1 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. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy entered the year ranked No. TPC Southwind boasts 94 bunkers and 10 water hazards, and usually ranks as a top-third difficult course. The PGA Tour will head north to the east coast of Florida for the PGA Tours biggest event and the largest prize pool for a standard tournament all year. Tom Hoge He finished in a tie for third at 15-under. 2. Shane Lowry : Im going to make the prediction that Lowry ends his strange poor history of four missed cuts here this week. Other results in Orlando include T-49th in 2018, T-54th in 2019, T-36th in 2020, and a missed cut in 2021. 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. He has 10 top-10s in 14 starts there, including a victory in 2020. 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. 2 had what felt like a bad week for most of it at Riviera and still finished 12th. His opening 74 was the highest score by anyone inside the top 28. It ranks as one of the tougher courses on the PGA Tour annually and in the event of high winds and dry conditions like we saw in 2020, it can play as the toughest course of the season. His PGA TOUR Horse for the Course for daily fantasy golf based on course history. 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. : Payouts and Points, Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The question will be if the putter does enough to win. 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. Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns, Jordan Spieth and Hideki Matsuyama will be among the notables considered in Golfbet Insider. The through line is hitting greens in regulation no matter how that equation is written for the individual. Ranks 19th in the model. Almost all the worlds top stars will be in attendance as this is one of the PGA Tours newly designated events. They turned out to be foreshocks for four months of brilliant form that yielded a return to fully exempt status on the PGA TOUR. Its fun to watch the games best have to struggle to make par and be tested on a tough layout. Bradley was just 2nd at Torrey Pines in a great field, and he has a 2nd and 3rd at Bay Hill. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports. Sam Burns The field at Bay Hill is absolutely loaded once again for the PGA Tours new elevated events. Free to enter! The PGA Tour's Florida Swing kicks off this week in Palm Beach Gardens when the 2023 Honda Classic tees off at PGA National. Ultimately, his top-10 exemption wasnt necessary, anyway, as the entire. 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. 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. After tying for 25th in back-to-back starts at the Tournament of Champions and Farmers Insurance Open, he was much better in Phoenix, finishing solo fourth at 13 under. After pulling out of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (he was the defending champion) because of a back injury, Berger missed the cut at TPC Scottsdale. While hes been a menace at events like the Valspar Championship and Sanderson Farms Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational is one hed like to pick off next. Here is the list of favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook: If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. Finishes of 10th and 38th at Bay Hill with elite ball striking. Just like his new world ranking, the Spaniard cant seem to do anything wrong currently, and hell be looking for his 4th win of the year this week. The Spaniard finished in third place in Phoenix, 5 shots back, but was in contention once again. Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns, Jordan Spieth and Hideki Matsuyama will be among the notables considered in Golfbet Insider. Gary Woodland : Woodlands irons have been on fire, so theres definitely some intrigue here after he finished 9th at Riviera and gained 9.7 strokes on approach. Previous rank: 3 There are designated events, and then there is the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Tyrrell Hatton : With some solid form building and a trip back to Florida, Hatton has to be in good spirits going to Bay Hill. He finished fifth in the Genesis Invitational last season. Collin Morikawa : Morikawa grades out exceptionally in every category this week except putting, and that will be the obvious spot that determines his finish this week. Ranks 1st in SG: OTT and 1st in GIRs Gained. He was sixth on the DP World Tour last year in driving distance (322.07). That elevated status brings a purse of $20 million. Harold Varner III Hes never played the Arnold Palmer, but Cantlay has strong results in Florida and enjoys tough conditions. 1. 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. The Aussie and brother to LPGA star Minjee Lee is used to playing new venues all over the world. The first designated event of the PGA Tour season means a $20 million purse, and world No. Previous rank: Not ranked 1 once again. Cameron Young : The short game is still in shambles, but Young is showing signs of late with the elite ball striking that led him to Rookie of the Year in 2022. 7 in the world last week, JT said, "I tried to stop looking because, yeah, it pisses me off, too. But this trip to Florida will be an interesting challenge for him, as just two of his 22 Top 10s have come here. Ranks 9th in SG: Par 5 and 12th in High Winds. 18. Few players have performed better at the TPC Scottsdale than Matsuyama, who had victories there in 2016 and 2017. You may call them opposite events, but to the 120 in pursuit of a boatload of benefits, Puerto Rico is the island of opportunity. If you are looking to back our Arnold Palmer Invitational predictions, be sure to do so at DraftKings Sportsbook. His ball-striking is elite and ranks . Daytime highs could hit 90 degrees until the wind shifts. The 15th edition of the Puerto Rico Open is slated to be contested concurrently with the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard for the second straight year. Only eight of the top 50 from the Official World Golf Rankings are playing the Honda Classic. Lets get down to the top 10 players to get it done at PGA National: Min Woo Lee, 150th Open Championship, St. Andrews, Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports. Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bay Hill, *All stats are from a players last 24 rounds. 57 in the OWGR, moving him closer to the top 50 for an invitation to the Masters in April. He also led the Phoenix field in strokes gained: tee to green and scrambling. The Arnold Palmer Invitational field is absolutely loaded, led by world #1 Jon Rahm. Ranks 10th in the model and 11th in SG: APP. Rickie Fowler : You cant look past Fowlers recent iron play, as the former top 5 player has gained more than 15 strokes on approach in his last three starts. Still, the last two winners of Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau make it clear that elite drivers win around here. The course is infamous for the Bear Trap closing stretch of holes 16-18 where thousands of wayward shots have gone to a watery grave in past years. Ranks 1st in SG: Par 5, 2nd in SG: APP and 2nd in the model. That means a $10 bet returns $65 of profit if the red-hot Spaniard does in fact win the tournament. You can bet on the Arnold Palmer Invitational at DraftKings Sportsbook. Justin Thomas (+1200) With seven top-10 finishes this season, including at the Masters in April, the 14-time. His dreams of winning ended on Sunday when his tee shot on No. Weve seen high winds at Bay Hill in the past, and the course plays outrageously hard when thats the case. He tied for 11th at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for sixth in Phoenix. Ultimately, his top-10 exemption wasnt necessary, anyway, as the entire Korn Ferry Tour graduate reshuffle category looped in on merit, so even its reorder at the conclusion of the West Coast Swing had no impact. 1 in the world after tying for 10th at TPC Scottsdale, his fourth top-15 in as many PGA Tour starts in 2022. Were now onto a multi-week jaunt through Florida starting with the Honda Classic. By signing up here for a new account right now, all new users can lock in their chance at $150 in bonus bets. Hes also 18th in scrambling (67.86%) and seventh in successfully going for the green (64.81%). 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. "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. His current form is absolutely terrible, as hes been dealing with an injury and the irons have been awful. He tied for 32nd at the Genesis in 2021. Daniel Berger Daytime temperatures will eclipse 80 degrees and the threat for rain is relegated to a passing shower at worst. Min Woo Lee is making his Honda Classic debut this week on a sponsor exemption. All five dozen bunkers on the property also are equipped with new drainage and sand. Rahm has been especially hot as of late, which is why he tops the official world golf rankings. Will Zalatoris Cameron Smith "High praise from Michael Greller on @JordanSpieth's ridiculous shot on 17 @WMPhoenixOpen. The challenge for him will be a poor history so far in high winds. The Honda Classic leads off a month of competitions in the Sunshine State.