Now that the action at PGA National Resort (The Champion) following the conclusion of the 2023 The Honda Classic, the 2022-23 PGA TOUR season now marches on to the next one: the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. With that said, let’s now take a look at some of the favorites, sleepers, and long shots to win this week at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
Rahm definitely is a favorite because he’s just been near automatic this season. He already has three wins in only six starts this season. He has also cracked the top 10 in all of those six starts. Simply astounding. In addition, he finished 17th in his only start at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, which was just last year.
The Northern Irishman has a win this season, having topped the field in last October’s THE CJ CUP in South Carolina. Since then, he has appeared in only two PGA TOUR events, finishing T32 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T29 at the 2023 The Genesis Invitational. But forget all about that and check this out: McIlroy is 8/8 with a win and five top 10s in his career at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
Scheffler followed up his win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open with a T12 at The Genesis Invitational. He is now 7/7 this season with four top 10s and six top 25. And by the way, he won last year’s edition of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Here’s what we said about Conners in our 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational sleepers piece.
“Conners has yet to crack a top 10 this season, but he has made the cut in all but one of his PGA TOUR starts, thus far. And that lone cut happened way back in September at the Fortinet Championship. He has also gotten better at playing at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Missed the cut in both of his first two starts there, but finished third in 2021 and then 11th in 2023.”
Here’s what we said about Power in our 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational sleepers piece.
“The 35-year-old Power had a T14 in his most recent PGA TOUR start which was at The Genesis Invitational. He has been consistently making it to the weekend this season, as evidenced by the fact that he is 9/10 this season with seven top 25s and three top 10s. His lone win thus far was at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in October which was followed by a T3 at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba and then a T5 at The RSM Classic.”
Bramlett is 10/12 this season with a pair of top 10s. He has also cracked the top 15 in two of his last three starts, including a T7 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Ranked 170th in the world, Lipsky is just 6/12 this season but has snapped a streak of three missed starts with a T62 at The Genesis Invitational. He was 26th last year at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Writer’s Prediction
Scottie Scheffler wins the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
