The PGA Tour shifts to Bay Hill Club and Lodge for 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational betting. It was a star studded field last week at the WGC-Workday, and Collin Morikawa proved to be very profitable as the winner. Morikawa’s odds were as high as 45:1 on the Monday before the tournament.
A lot of the big names are sitting out this week to rest up for the Players, but Rory McIlroy leads a decent field as the +650 favorite. Only four players finished under par in last year’s event, which was won by Tyrell Hatton at -4. Is a similar tough weekend of golf awaiting us in 2021? Here are some best bets for the weekend.
Viktor Hovland
All the gossip last week in Bradenton was Hovland’s quadruple bogey on his very last hole in Friday’s round. Armchair golfers around the world were feeling Hovland’s pain, but he still finished that day at 69 and ended up being 2nd in the whole tournament at -15. One hole truly did cost him.
Hovland is a trendy pick in 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational betting, and for good reason. Hovland gained 12 strokes tee to green vs. the field last weekend, and ranks 1st in the field over the last month for Bay Hill’s top stat indicators. Hovland has a top 5 in 4 of the last 5 tourneys he’s played, and pays out well for another one.
Pick: Viktor Hovland Top 5 Finish +500
Patrick Reed
Reed was in contention in Bradenton last week, ultimately shooting a 72 on Sunday that pushed him to a -11 and 9th place finish. It was also his first event since winning the Farmer’s Insurance Open at the end of January. Not a bad way to knock out the cobwebs.
Reed has been great in the first round the last three tournaments he’s played, shooting a 68, 64, and 68. His struggles come over the weekend – or actually even Friday, but for a guy who has played this event five times it’s a good bet that he comes out of the gate strong once again.
Pick: Patrick Reed 1st Round Top 10 +275
Tyrrell Hatton
Most PGA bettors know that picking back-to-back winners isn’t ideal. Hatton has two top 5 finishes in 4 starts at the Arnie though, and did work here last season as one of four players to finish under par en route to his victory. Hatton finished 22nd at the Workday, but it was also his first PGA tourney of the calendar year.
Pick: Top British and Irish Player Tyrrell Hatton +400
(He’s really only got to beat McIlroy here, which looks good unless Casey, Fitzpatrick, or Fleetwood have a big weekend).
Sungjae Im
There’s great value on Sungjae Im as the top Asian player in 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational betting. Im has back-to-back 3rd place finishes in Bay Hill, and his lone tour win came at the Honda Classic which is also held in South Florida. His main competition is Hideki Matsuyama who hadn’t finished better than 42nd in three tourneys prior to last week’s Workday (15th).
Pick: Sungjae Im top Asian player +170
Francisco Molinari
Molinari is a course horse, making all 7 cuts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a 14th place average finish. The Italian won this tourney in 2019 with a -12, and has been idle on the PGA for a couple weeks after his 8th place finish at the Genesis. Molinari has three top 10s on the year, and ranks 1st in this field over the season for Bay Hill’s top stat indicators.
Pick: Molinari top 5 finish +500
These are your five go-to golfers for the weekend.
