The PGA TOUR continues its Florida swing this week with the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Bay Hill Club & Lodge will be the host course and is a bear of a par 72, measuring 7,466 yards with Bermuda grass greens. This is always an exciting event, but this year it will feel pretty close to a full-fledged major, as the PGA TOUR designated it one of its 17 elevated events, meaning it will feature a $20 million purse. With that being the case, the field this week is absolutely loaded, as 27 of the top 30 and 44 of the top 50 players in the world will be in attendance.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1M Pitch + Putt [$250K to 1st]
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Rory McIlroy ($10,600)
McIlroy has not played great over his past two starts and still has not finished worse than T32, which just personifies his greatness and the standard we hold him to. Even despite this poor stretch, McIlroy ranks seventh in SG: Tee-to-Green and eighth in SG: Ball-Striking over his past eight rounds in this field. It’s been his putter that’s let him down, as he lost 3.17 and 4.79 strokes on the greens, respectively, at the Waste Management and Genesis.
Putting as we know can be extremely fickle, and now McIlroy is coming back to a course that he’s historically torn up. The Northern Irishman has played Bay Hill each of the past eight years and has a win, three top fives and three additional top-13 finishes. He also ranks No. 1 in the field in SG: Total per round at this course, among golfers with more than two starts.
Now is the the time to buy back in on McIlroy, as the putting will not stay this bad for much longer, while his irons remain red hot.
Tyrrell Hatton ($8,300)
Much like McIlroy, Hatton loves Bay Hill. The Englishman won this event back in 2020 and posted a runner-up finish last year. He’s also yet to miss a cut here in six starts. Normally you would see his price higher at this event due to his history, but with the field as loaded as it is this week, he checks in as a massive bargain at just $8,300. Hatton was relatively average at Riviera but did close by gaining 2.4 strokes on approach in his final round.
Hatton is always a good play in these elite fields due to his price getting pushed down. and this week is no different. Until he gives us a reason to not play him at the API, he should absolutely be in consideration for your cash game and single-entry rosters alike.
Tommy Fleetwood ($7,500)
It’s been a weird couple of years for Fleetwood. He’s clearly regressed from the player he once was, but still shows flashes from time to time. His $7,300 price tag at Genesis did not feel right considering the weight his name holds, and he rewarded those brave enough to roster him with a T20. The theme of this article has been golfers that love playing Bay Hill, and it will come as no surprise that Fleetwood falls into that bucket as well.
In six career starts, Fleetwood has made the cut five times and posted two top-10s and a T3. He clearly knows how to get around Bay Hill and has always been a grinder at these loaded-field events. Fleetwood does not need to do a whole lot more than make the cut for us at his $7,500 price tag this week, and we should be able to count on that at the minimum.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1M Pitch + Putt [$250K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is Lan1228) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.