On the back of last week’s +6600 winner, Nico Echavarria, our professional golf analyst Craig Edwards (@EdwardsTips_) provides his expert preview of this week’s PGA Tour Signature Event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational (March 5-8), and shares his top betting picks, with odds from the best online sportsbooks.
Once again, we return to the limited 80-player Signature events on the PGA Tour, and this Arnold Palmer Invitational has a cut after 36 holes.
Bay Hill Club & Lodge, venue for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, is recognized as one of the most challenging non-major courses on the PGA Tour.
The course exemplifies Florida-style design, featuring dense Bermuda rough, firm, exceptionally fast greens, and numerous water hazards. Water impacts play on nine holes, and there are 84 bunkers carefully positioned to test competitors.
Greens are larger than average TifEagle Bermuda-grass surfaces, frequently measuring over 13 on the Stimpmeter.
Success at Bay Hill demands both distance and precision, as demonstrated by Tiger Woods, who secured victory at this event a record eight times.
Ryan Fox looks ready for a strong showing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The well-traveled New Zealander, who captured two PGA Tour titles last year (one at Myrtle Beach and another at the Canadian Open), impressed with his sharp iron play at the Phoenix Open. He followed that up with a 24th-place finish at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and an impressive 7th on his debut at the Genesis Invitational.
Fox’s advantage this week is his early experience on the PGA Tour in 2023, where he secured a notable 14th-place finish. At thirty-nine, the Auckland native has proven himself as a winner worldwide, including his victory at the DP World Tour’s premier event, the BMW PGA Championship in 2023.
This tournament gives Ryan Fox an excellent chance to claim his third PGA Tour win, and Bovada has great odds for both an outright win and a top 10 finish.
Golf Pick: Ryan Fox Outright Win (+10000)
Golf Pick: Ryan Fox Top 10 (+800)
Kurt Kitayama, like Ryan Fox, is a rare commodity in this “Scheffler era” on the PGA Tour, as he is a multiple proven closer of events.
Much like Fox, Kitayama has built his skills through a globe-trotting apprenticeship on the DP World Tour, gaining valuable experience and becoming adept at handling pressure. After finally earning a PGA Tour card back home, he quickly validated his abilities by winning this tournament in 2023, the same event Fox participated in.
Last year, the thirty-three-year-old Californian claimed his second PGA Tour victory at the 3M Open, and in his most recent outing at the Genesis Invitational, he delivered an impressive runner-up performance after coming from behind.
Since Kitayama was not near the lead for most of the tournament, he conserved much of his nervous energy, leaving him well-prepared for another week at an event that suits him.
For those interested in wagering, BetOnline is an excellent choice for backing Kurt Kitayama. They offer a wide range of prop markets, including a top 20 finish option, which helps balance out the higher risk associated with betting on an outright win.
Golf Pick: Kurt Kitayama Top 20 (+200)
Golf Pick: Kurt Kitayama Outright Win (+5000)
A quick recap of this week’s selections for the Arnold Palmer Invitational:
Securing the best odds is essential in golf wagering. Since odds can differ among sportsbooks, it is advisable to establish accounts with multiple trusted books. This approach allows for effective comparison shopping for prices on outright bets and placement propositions, often the difference between an okay week and a profitable one.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.