– Last Updated on November 20, 2022 10:09 pm
2016 PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Preview and Picks
Ready for 2016 PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational betting predictions? The final leg of the Florida swing – the 2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational comes our way from Bay Hill Club & Lodge, a stunning 7,419 yards, par 72 track that will host four of the top 10 players in the world.
2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Date: March 17 – 20, 2016
Location: Bay Hill Club and Lodge Orlando, Florida
Total Purse: $6,200,000 / Winner Share 18% of total purse – $1,080,000
Defending Champion: Matt Every
Updated Sportsbook Bonuses For Today
Bay Hill was surprisingly the third easiest par 72 the pros played last year – players were able to hit fairways, greens and scrambling stats were unbelievably high.
Translation – the winner this week will have to go low.
Will anyone be able to slow Adam Scott down? Will Matt Every win his third straight Arnold Palmer Invitational? Let’s take a look.
2016 PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational Favorites:
Rory McIlroy +550
Rory’s ability to close is being questioned for sure but a T3 finish at Doral in which he led the field in all-around, scrambling and par 4 scoring tells me that he is definitely close.
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He now has three top 10s in 2016 and was T11 on this track last year. Rory will win again sooner rather than later – Bay Hill’s set-up could play right into his hands.
Adam Scott +800
The hottest player on the planet tries to make it three straight wins. After wins at the Honda Classic and the WGC-Cadillac Championship and a runner-up finish the week before that at the Northern Trust Open it seems that Scott is destined to be in the mix each and every week.
His stats are perfect for Bay Hill – tops on TOUR in strokes gained: tee-to-green and par-5 scoring. Add in the fact that he shares the course record 62 on this track when he finished third in 2014 and Scott absolutely has to be on the radar.
Henrik Stenson +1200
Has finished inside the top 15 each of the last four times he’s played Bay Hill including a solo second last year. He enters off a T11 at Copperhead – a tournament in which he ranked T4 in GIR and T1 in par-5 scoring.
He lives nearby and is destined for a good finish in what is essentially a home game.
2016 PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational Contenders:
Jason Day +1400
Hasn’t quite caught fire yet but does have top 25 finishes in three of his four starts in 2016. He hasn’t been great at Bay Hill either – a T17 last year was his best career finish in Arnold’s event.
He is third in strokes gained: putting on TOUR and has been OK overall – there are definitely better options in the field though.
Justin Rose +1600
Is another player that has yet to get going in 2016 but has quietly finished top 20 in three of his last four starts. He was solo second here in 2013 and he tied for third in 2011 but somehow missed the cut in his most recent appearance in 2014.
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He is a consistently solid player from tee-to-green and is overdue for a big week.
Kevin Na +3300
Bay Hill brings the best out in Na for sure – he has top 15 in each of his last three appearances, including a tie for sixth last year and a tie for fourth in 2012.
He finished top 25 last week – an OK result before a shot at arguably his favorite course in the world.
Ryan Moore +3300
Has five top 11 finishes in seven starts in 2016 and arrives off a nice solo third at Copperhead. His stats seem to support a good finish here – he’s T2 in par 3 scoring on TOUR and T9 in par 4 scoring.
Moore seems to thrive at Bay Hill – he finished T12 here in 2011 and T4 in 2012. Moore is definitely trending upward and is decent value this week.
2016 PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational Sleepers (+5000 or higher):
Brandt Snedeker +5000
Sned at +5000? It’s true that he makes his first start since a rib injury forced him from the WGC-Cadillac but at Bay Hill he has five top-25 finishes in the last eight years, including T-8 and T-13 finishes each of the last two years.
Snedeker is a Stud and perhaps the best value on the board.
Zach Johnson +5000
Here’s another guy that is tremendous value. He has five finishes of T-11 or better at Bay Hill since 2004 including a T9 last year. His recent form hasn’t been tremendous but his pedigree and his knowledge of the track makes him worth mention.
Matt Every +9000
Anybody that has won an event two straight years as Every has absolutely has to be in the conversation. Forget that Every has suffered through injury and illness and has just one top 20 since last year’s edition – Matt simply owns this track!
2016 PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks:
The pick this week is Henrik Stenson at +1200. He, like many in the field loves Bay Hill – 13 of his last 14 rounds here have been under par. The big Swede can crush the ball and is as accurate as any in the field.
My guess is that his putter wakes up and he rides a wave of confidence from last week to the win.
My sleeper is Brandt Snedeker at +5000. I just can’t resist him at this price.
Do you like our predictions for this week’s PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational? Comments welcome below.
Golf handicapper DAVE B weighs in each week with his top selections. Including top picks and sleepers!
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