PGA Tour Tips: Scheffler Leads The Way In Arnold Palmer Invitational Odds

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is the third of eight ‘Signature Events’ on the 2026 PGA Tour calendar, which sees a select field of 72 players competing for increased prize money and FedExCup points

Tournament Details

Tournament Details

Tournament: Arnold Palmer Invitational,

Date : Mar 5-8

Course: Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida

Par: 72

Yardage: 7,466

Defending Champion: Russell Henley

Purse: $20million

Betting Odds

2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational Winner Odds

Leading Contenders

Stars Out In Force At Bay Hill

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy lead an all-star cast at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as 19 of the world’s top 20 descend on Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando. The PGA Tour’s third ‘Signature Event’ of the year has an increased prize pot of $20million, of which $4m will go to the winner from an elite 72-player line-up.

McIlroy is 8/1 second-favourite behind Scheffler with BOYLE Sports to win his first PGA Tour event since his historic Masters triumph last April. The Northern Irishman has had a solid start to the year in the US, tying for 14th at Pebble Beach before finishing runner-up at the Genesis Invitational last time out.

The world number two also boasts a decent record at the Arnold Palmer Invitational down the years, winning in 2018 and recording a T2 finish in 2023. However, he faces a tough test to come out on top this weekend, with the only absent member of the world’s elite being 18th-ranked Patrick Reed.

Scottie Scheffler

Scheffler The Man To Beat

Scheffler is the 3/1 outright favourite to pick up his second PGA title of the year - and 21st of his career - after walking off with The American Express crown in January, while reigning FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood is 14/1, and Xander Schauffele is 18/1.

Scheffler has started his three tournaments since his season-opening victory relatively poorly by his lofty standards - carding opening rounds of 73, 72 and 74 - but recovered to finish T3, T4 and T12 and, refreshed by a week off like many of his main rivals, looks set to be the man to beat at Bay Hill.

The world number one, too, has enjoyed plenty of success at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, winning in 2022 and 2024, either side of a fourth-placed finish.

Chasing Pack

Russell Aiming To Emulate Woods

Scheffler was never really in contention last season, however, finishing seven shots adrift as fellow American Russell Henley scooped the top prize following a dramatic late turnaround.

Collin Morikawa had been on course for victory 12 months ago as he led by three shots with five holes to play, but Russell managed to overhaul his compatriot to snatch the biggest title of his career. Russell is 20/1 to become the first man since Tiger Woods in 2013 to defend his title at Bay Hill, the same odds as England's Matt Fitzpatrick, while Morikawa is 22/1 and could also be one to watch this week.

The world number five won the opening Signature Event of the season at Pebble Beach last month to end a 28-month winless run, while he was seventh at the Genesis Invitational in his most recent outing. That has left Morikawa fourth in the FedExCup standings, behind surprise leader Jacob Bridgeman, Chris Gotterup and Scheffler.

Outsiders

Best Of The Rest

The in-form Bridgeman is another to keep an eye out for at Bay Hill. The 26-year-old pipped McIlroy to the Genesis Invitational title and has finished in the top 25 in all five of his tournaments this year - including three top-10 finishes - and he can be backed at 40/1 to win again this week.

Gotterup, meanwhile, is 28/1 to claim a third title of the season following his victories in Hawaii and Arizona. European Ryder Cup star Shane Lowry is quickly back into the fold as he looks to banish the memories of Sunday's Cognizant Classic disappointment. The Irishman admitted he “threw away” the title after finding water off the tee on the 16th and 17th holes to surrender a three-shot lead as Colombia’s Nico Echavarria snatched an unexpected victory.

Lowry has finished third and seventh here in the last two years and is 33/1 to come out on top at Bay Hill, while Kim Si-woo, who is looking to rediscover the blistering form that saw him start the year with four successive top-11 finishes, is 22/1.

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