This week, the PGA Tour heads to one of its most popular venues and events. The 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard is the third PGA Tour Signature Event of the season. Specifically, it is held at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida. Play begins Thursday, March 5, and runs through Sunday, March 8. Consider that this legacy golf betting event (dating back to 1966, hosted by Palmer since 1979) has seen legends like Tiger Woods (multiple wins), Rory McIlroy (-18 in 2018), and Scottie Scheffler (wins in 2022 and 2024).
Bay Hill Club & Lodge – Par 72, 7,466 yards, is one of the PGA Tour’s toughest tracks. Correlate that it features demanding Bermuda greens, strategic bunkering, water hazards, and a brutal finishing stretch (holes 16–18 often decide the event). The layout rewards precision iron play, strong approach shots, scrambling ability, and solid driving under pressure. Additionally, wind and firm conditions can make the difficulty even greater.
The 72-player field is stacked with nearly all top-ranked players (top 50 OWGR heavily represented, plus qualifiers via Aon Next 10/Swing 5 from prior events like the Cognizant Classic). In sum, there is a full top-50 OWGR presence except for a couple (e.g., LIV-affiliated players like Patrick Reed or Tyrrell Hatton opting elsewhere).
Namely, notable entrants include World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (consistent contender here; multiple past strong showings), Rory McIlroy (2018 winner; loves the challenge), Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa (2025 runner-up), Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Jason Day, and more.
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, FL, is the venue for the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Tournament runs from Thursday, March 5, through Sunday, March 8, 2026, with television coverage on ESPN+, Golf Channel, Peacock, and NBC.
Accordingly, Bay Hill rewards strokes gained: approach, around-the-green, bogey avoidance, and putting on fast Bermuda surfaces. It punishes wild drives or poor iron play. Scheffler excels here (past wins in 2022/2024). But the gap to McIlroy feels wide given Rory’s power, creativity on tough layouts, and 2018 win at Bay Hill.
2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational SBG Odds to Win
| Golfer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +295 |
| Rory McIlroy | +940 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +1650 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2200 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +2500 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +2900 |
| Russell Henley (defending 2025 champion) | +900 |
| Collin Morikawa | +3000 |
| Si Woo Kim | +3100 |
| Robert MacIntyre | +3200 |
| All Other Players | +3300 or higgher |
2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational Top Players
Scottie Scheffler
Certainly, Scottie Scheffler is the clear sportsbook standout heading into the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational. As the World No. 1 and a two-time winner here (2022 and 2024), he’s the overwhelming favorite.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy enters the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational as the clear No. 2 golf betting odds favorite. He’s World No. 2, motivated for Florida, and analysts note the market gap to Scheffler feels oversized. Naturally, Wise Guys call him the “banker” or top value. Rory’s off to a hot start post his stellar 2025.
Collin Morikawa
As the 2025 runner-up (lost by 1 to Russell Henley after leading late with a heartbreaking chip-in eagle on 16 by Henley), he’s got unfinished business here. Late on, Morikawa snapped a long winless drought earlier this year and looks sharp heading into Florida.
Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood is a standout mid-tier contender. Fleetwood loves the Florida swing and has historically had multiple top-5s in Florida events. Specifically, his game aligns perfectly with the demands of the renovated Bay Hill.
2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational Best Bets
Bay Hill demands all-around excellence—it’s not a bomber’s paradise but punishes mistakes severely. Thus, players with prior success or momentum at Bay Hill often thrive.
Scheffler brings elite ball-striking and consistency make him the clear favorite on a course that suits his game. McIlroy has the power and creativity shine on tough layouts. Indeed, he’s overdue for a big 2026 win. Henley brings precise irons and short game, and can repeat if he handles pressure.
However, Collin Morikawa offers the enticing combination of ability and price. Morikawa’s strong iron play suits Bay Hill perfectly (runner-up in 2025), and recent form and course fit make him a standout each-way bet. The bigger names come with bigger price tags that eat into value. Morikawa is a Sharp’s type of bet.
Main Pick: Collin Morikawa.
Player Prop Picks: Tommy Fleetwood Top10/20.