The Florida swing continues this week with the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge (par 72, 7,466 yards, Bermuda greens) in Orlando, which has been the host of this event since 1979. The Arnold Palmer Invitational is the third of eight Signature Events this season. There will be 72 golfers competing for a $20 million purse and following the second round, there will be a top-50 and ties cut, and any player within 10 shots of the lead will also advance. At last year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, Russell Henley (-11) won by one shot.
Bay Hill is a challenging, long Florida venue that presents narrow fairways, large greens, thick rough, 84 bunkers and water in play on nine holes. While Bay Hill is a longer par 72, both short and long hitters have won at this venue and we can freely attack any length of player this week. Avoiding the hazards and having a strong performance with both your irons and putter is most important at Bay Hill. Of the last five winners here, three have finished the event top-12 in SG APP and three have finished the event top-10 in SGP. While the putting surfaces are large at Bay Hill, these greens are fast and firm, and targeting efficient short game players has been a wise move at this track, as each of the past two winners at Bay Hill have led their fields in SG ARG. Lastly, strong par five players need to be a priority with Bay Hill being a traditional par 72 with four par fives. Over the last five years, three of the winners at Bay Hill have finished the tournament top-three in par five efficiency.
Below, I have featured three of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which all cost less than $7.5K.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1M Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]
Top DraftKings PGA TOUR DFS Bargain Plays for the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Jordan Spieth ($7,400) – While likely to be popular, Spieth is good chalk to embrace this week. The three-time major champion has always had a soft spot for Bay Hill. Spieth has finished T-4, T-4 and T-30 in his three starts at the venue, and he ranks third among this field in strokes gained per round at Bay Hill, trailing only Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who are the two favorites this week.
Spieth has shot under par in eight of his 12 rounds at the difficult Bay Hill, and he is on the heels of his best finish in months, with a T-12 at the Genesis Invitational two weeks ago. Spieth gained strokes on approach and with his putter at Riviera CC, and he closed the event with a 5-under 66. Spieth brings top-15 upside this week and is a steal at only $7,400. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Spieth’s +5600 odds to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational are the best among all players priced under $7.5K.
Ryan Fox ($6,700) – Fox has made 10 straight cuts worldwide with six top-30 finishes during this cut streak, most notably with a T-7 at the Genesis Invitational in his last start. Fox shot under par in all four of his rounds at Riviera CC – including two 67s – and he gained strokes with both his irons and his putter. Fox has only shot over par once in his last 12 rounds and he now heads to Bay Hill, where the professional out of New Zealand finished T-14 in his only start at the track in 2023.
Fox carded a 5-under 67 in the final round that week and the underrated talent brings excellent upside for a player this cheap.
Sungjae Im ($6,500) – Im will be making his first start since last October due to a wrist injury, so rostering him comes with risk, but at this low of a cost, Im is a worthwhile gamble for GPPs. Before the injury, the two-time PGA TOUR winner had produced four top-30 finishes in his last six starts worldwide and at Bay Hill, Im has been outstanding. The 27-year-old is a perfect 7-for-7 at the course with no finishes worse than T-21, including a pair of T-3 finishes.
Among this field, Im ranks sixth in strokes gained per round at Bay Hill. Im making his return at this track was likely by design given his familiarity of Bay Hill and if he is fully healthy, a top-20 finish is totally on the table.
