– Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will be the main protagonists this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in their umpteenth battle for the world Number One. McIlroy can dethrone the American if he wins the tournament and Scheffler finishes second tied with three players or worse. In other words, by winning, Rory would have many chances to regain the top spot.
– It’s hard to imagine a better scenario for a new battle between the two roosters. Both Scheffler and McIlroy have had great performances at Bay Hill. To date, it is a course that fits like a glove to their way of understanding golf. The numbers leave no room for doubt: Scheffler has played three times (15th, 1st and 4th), while McIlroy has played nine times and his record is one victory, six top 10s and his worst position has been a 27th. Two giants at Bay Hill.
– We have had nine tournaments on the PGA Tour in 2024 and on eight occasions players who are beyond the top 50 worldwide have won. We’ll see what happens at the Arnold Palmer. It won’t be easy to continue this trend considering that of the 69 players competing in the tournament 44 are in the top 50. In addition, there are nine top 10s in the world.
– One of those looking for that first victory this year is Xander Schauffele. He is the player with the most consecutive cuts in the PGA Tour. Specifically, there are 40, since the 2022 Masters. However, although he values consistency, Schauffele is looking for other things. “Nobody has to remind me that I’m a good player, I know I’m very good and I’m proud of my consistency, but there’s a difference between being a very good player and a great player. The difference is victories. I want to win more,” he says. To do this, among other things, he has been under the guidance of coach Chris Como since December, although always under the supervision of his father.
– The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of the most fun tournaments of the year, among other circumstances and stories, because it is always played very hard. It’s the closest thing to a US Open on the regular PGA Tour calendar. Pars taste like birdies and there are bogeys that get celebrated. The players also assure that this year the rough is even a bit longer. Be careful. However, the party could be spoiled if the rain that is currently forecast appears. It is marked on the radar for this Wednesday, something on Saturday afternoon and for Sunday. If confirmed, the greens would no longer be as hard as King Palmer liked and we might see a more accessible course. Hopefully, the water won’t spoil the show.
– This week at Bay Hill a spot for the next Open Championship is up for grabs. It will be for the best-ranked player who is not already exempt. There are 36 players already qualified in the field, so it will be contested among 33, less than half. A good opportunity.
– Remember that this is one of the Signature Events that has a cut. As Arnold Palmer would have wanted. It will be made with the first 50 and tied after the second round.
