The PGA TOUR heads to Bay Hill Club and Lodge (par 72, 7,466 yards, Bermuda greens) in Orlando, Florida, for the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week. This event has been played at Bay Hill since 1979 and as a Signature Event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational will feature all the PGA TOUR’s best players competing for a purse of $20 million. After the first two rounds, there will be a cut with the top-50 and ties and any player within 10 shots of the lead advancing.
Below, I have featured a make cut parlay to consider for the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Patrick Rogers + J.J Spaun + Billy Horschel + Cameron Young + Sahith Theegala to make the cut (+227)
Rodgers’ awesome start to the season continued last week with a T18 at the Cognizant Classic, which marks his third straight top-25 finish. Rodgers has under par 11 of these past 12 rounds, and he has made 5-of-7 cuts this season. Now, Rodgers heads to Bay Hill, where he has made 7-of-9 cuts with four top-25 finishes, including a T25 just last season.
Spaun has made 3-of-4 cuts at Bay Hill and returns to the Florida venue playing the best golf of his career. Spaun is fresh off a runner-up finish at the Cognizant Classic last week, which is his seventh top-35 finish in a row. Plus, this is the 22nd consecutive event that Spaun has gained strokes on approach at. The veteran ranks ninth in SG APP this season, and his elite ball striking should help him safely make the cut at Bay Hill, which is a course that requires elite iron play. Over the last five years, four of the winners at this par 72 have finished the event top-12 in SG APP.
Horschel is a Florida native that has made 9-of-11 cuts at Bay Hill, including a runner-up three years ago. Horschel always gears up for competing in his home state, which was on display at the Cognizant Classic last week, when Horschel carded a T25 finish. The former FedEx Cup champion has finished inside the top-25 in three of his past five starts, and Horschel should advance through the cut this week.
Young is coming off back-to-back missed cuts, but a trip to Bay Hill is exactly what the doctor ordered for him to get back on track. Young only missed the cut by one stroke at the Cognizant Classic last week and at Bay Hill, he has never missed a cut in three tries with finishes of T13, T10 and T36, in that order. Among this week’s field, Young ranks 10th in strokes gained per round at Bay Hill.
Lastly, Theegala has only missed one cut in his last 17 starts, and he has thrived at Bay Hill the last two years, finishing T14th and T6th. Theegala has only shot over par in one of his last eight rounds at the par 72, which is an impressive accomplishment with Bay Hill being one of the most challenging non-major courses on the annual PGA TOUR schedule. Coming off a season-best T17 at the Genesis Invitational – which is also a Signature Event – Theegala should absolutely make the cut in his return to Bay Hill this week.
