The fourth signature event of the PGA Tour season takes place this week at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Taking to Bay Hill Club & Lodge once again, the PGA Tour will welcome only 69 players to the course that golf legend, Arnold Palmer, built.
With the event being a player invitational there will be a 36-hole cut to the top 50 players, in addition to those within 10 strokes of the lead. One player who is likely to not sweat the cut at the halfway point is tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler.
Arnold Palmer Invitational Odds
Odds as of March 5
The world No. 1 has been terrific around Bay Hill throughout his career with three top 15s in three attempts. A winner here in 2022, Scheffler nearly defended his title last year when Kurt Kitayama surprised everyone and emerged from a leaderboard that included not only Scheffler but also Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth.
Each of these players find themselves below +2000 to begin the week and are joined by Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg in that range on the oddsboard.
2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational Expert Picks:
Scottie Scheffler To Win (+650): The world No. 1 ranks first in total strokes gained, first in strokes gained tee-to-green, first in strokes gained approach, first in strokes gained off the tee and third in strokes gained around the green since the start of 2024. He also ranks first in total strokes gained at Bay Hill among those in this field who have played at least 10 tournament rounds.
Scheffler has gotten himself in the mix plenty of times already this season commanding leads over the weekend at tournaments like The Sentry, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the WM Phoenix Open only to fall short due to the putter. While he ranks 66th in strokes gained putting over this same frame, Scheffler should feel a sense of relief transitioning from the bumpy poaannua of California to the smooth Bermuda of Florida.
This has been the time of year he puts his best foot forward the last two seasons and this time around should be no different.
Matt Fitzpatrick To Win (+3500): The Englishman ranks sixth in this field among those who have played at least 10 rounds at Bay Hill in total strokes gained.
During his tenure at this golf course, Fitzpatrick has done everything but win with five straight top-15 finishes to his name including a runner-up result to Francesco Molinari in 2019. While he has failed to contend in the early stages of 2024, Fitzpatrick is showing signs of the major championship caliber player that he is.
He arrives in Orlando fresh off a quality result at the Cognizant Classic where he gained strokes on the field in every aspect of the game. He has a tendency of poking his head out from hibernation before feasting and this week has the makeup of another surprise Fitzpatrick victory.
Adam Scott To Win (+4500): The case could be made that Adam Scott is playing some of the best golf in the world at the moment.
Dating back to November, the veteran has finished inside the top 20 in seven straight tournaments with five of those efforts also doubling as top-10 efforts. The reason for Scott’s resurgence is his ball striking as he has returned to being one of the best iron players in the world as noted by his numbers from TPC Scottsdale and Pebble Beach. The former Masters champion has also added plenty of pop with the big stick as he ranks 11th in this field in driving distance and has coupled this with a nice blend of accuracy.
He has a couple podium finishes at Bay Hill throughout his career and has found some solid footing the last two seasons even without his iron play. If his approach play continues on this trend, it should be met with another high finish and even maybe a win.
Corey Conners To Win (+6000): Conners’ ball striking is undeniable. Since the start of 2024, the Canadian ranks 10th in strokes gained tee-to-green, sixth in strokes gained off the tee and 11th in strokes gained approach. He also checks in 11th in terms of driving accuracy and has the keys to find success around Bay Hill yet again.
Conners got off to a bumpy start with his relationship with Bay Hill but has since found smooth waters with finishes of solo third, T-11 and T-21 the last three seasons. Conners will need to find a cooperative putter to win, but that’s exactly what he has done in two of his last three appearances.
Tom Hoge To Win (+8000): The 34-year-old has found his iron play to kick off the 2024 season. Hoge has very quietly been on a tear with top-10 finishes at both the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.
Hoge added top 20s at The American Express and the WM Phoenix Open and has that look of a player who could surprise in a signature event. Hoge ranks sixth in strokes gained approach across the first two months of the season and is slowly trending with his putter as well. His history at Bay Hill leaves some to be desired as he has missed the cut in two of his last three tries, but his play has some promise with nice gains on these greens and a T-15 in 2020.