Our 3 Favorites Ahead of Arnold Palmer Invitational

The PGA Tour continues with the next big event to come, the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The most recent win sits in the hands of the impressive Scottie Scheffler, yet in the recent weeks competition has jumped up a few levels. The field will be extremely competitive, as some of the biggest names this season will compete for first place and the expected $4 million dollar payout. 

Notable Favorites In The Invitational

This will be the fourth signature event of this season’s PGA Tour, with a field limited to 72 top players. The first who will have a strong chance at repeating his success, will be Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler is coming off a most recent victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, shooting 15-under on the historic course. In his four total appearances in these competitions he has secured two wins and an average finish of fifth place. If Scheffler wants to repeat he will need to come up big in the birdie department, a skill he has learned to incorporate into his game at will. 

Another athlete who has the taste of victory still close, is Ludvig Aberg. Aberg is coming off a signature victory at the Genesis Invitational. While only appearing at this tournament twice in his career, it was a mediocre finish coming in for an average finish of 25th place. One area where Aberg can boost his performance, comes in his ability off the tee. According to reports, he has averaged 306.9 yards off the tee in his last five tournaments. While also ranking in the 82nd percentile for greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. According to reports, in 2024 35 % of approach shots at this tournament came from a similar distance. With multiple impressive showings put together, this is another prime chance for Aberg to set the standard. 

With seven career wins and one top-10 finish this season, Keegan Bradley is one gearing up to put together his best performance yet. Bradley finished 36th in this tournament during 2024, putting together a 2-over on the course. With his latest odds posted at +5500 to win, he will be coming into this one as a sleeper by all means. Yet, Bradley has three top 20 finishes in his last five tournament outings. If he can have a strong start to the first round in his approach game, things may fall in his favor early on at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Who Will Take Home The Big Payout? 

With Scheffler having two tournament wins in 2024 and 2022, many have already written him off as a highly expected winner. 72 athletes will get the chance to take home $4 million dollars, true life changing money for many in the field. According to reports, after two rounds the 50 plus ties and all those within 10 strokes will move on. The winner will not only collect a big payout, but 700 FedEx-Cup points. While also securing a PGA Tour exemption for this event through 2028, they will also gain ones for The Players through the 2027 season.