After an exciting conclusion to the 2016 Valspar Championship, some of the best golfers in the planet now shift their focus to the upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational. It’s bound to be one exciting tournament, with five of the world’s top 10 golfers competing in this week’s event.
Who will emerge victorious and grab the $1.134 million top prize? Read on below as a bunch of experts sound off on their picks for this world-class tournament. While you’re at it, you can check out our preview for the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational Experts Picks and Predictions
PGATour.com
Jonathan Wall, Charlie Kane and Mike McAllister of PGATour.com have made their picks and it is Henrik Stenson who they believe will win the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year. What makes Stenson such a worthy pick in their eyes is his excellent record here at Bay Hill. He has finished 2nd, T5, T8 and T15, respectively in his last four starts here at Arnie’s event. In fact, he’s a collective 36 under in his last four appearances here.
In addition to that, Stenson is in a rich vein of form right now. He has finished T11 or better in six of his last eight worldwide starts. With the form that he is in right now and his experience with this golf course, Stenson has an excellent chance of grabbing the championship this weekend.
CBS Sports
Kyle Porter of CBS Sports is firm in his belief that Rory McIlroy will win the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year. He has been playing some solid golf of late, grabbing top-6 finishes in three of his last five starts. McIlroy came so close to grabbing the victory in the WGC-Cadillac Championship earlier this month, losing to eventual champion Adam Scott by two shots.
It was a disappointing result for the Ulsterman who had a three-shot lead heading into the final round. McIlroy is expected to bounce back strongly this week, though, here at Bay Hill. He finished tied for 11th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational last season, shooting an 11-under-par total of 277.
That being said, it won’t be smooth sailing for McIlroy this coming weekend. According to Porter’s colleague Robby Kalland, it is Henrik Stenson who will take home the crown this weekend. The Swede loves playing in this event as evidenced by his top-5 finishes in his previous two starts here at Bay Hill. He’s also playing some solid golf of late, finishing tied for 11th at the Valspar Championship last week.
Key to Stenson’s resurgence has been his stellar play from tee to green. He is ninth in the PGA Tour in strokes gained in that particular department with a solid 1.427 average. That will come in handy when tackling the treacherous fairways of the 7,419-yard Bay Hill course.
Do you agree with the experts here that are heavily-favoring a win for Stenson? Why not create a betting account now and put your very own prediction for the Arnold Palmer Invitational to the test?
