Previews

Expect drama at Bay Hill

Author: Lynda Collins
Date: 25/03/2010
Golf betting

The Masters must be in sight as the PGA Tour certainly kicks up a gear with this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Bay Hill, known after the course where the event is played in Orlando, is the jewel in the crown of the tour's 'Florida Swing' before the first Major of the season begins in earnest on April 11.

Tiger Woods will again by a high-profile absentee as he prepares for his much-awaited comeback at the Augusta National.

However, the absence of the world number one and the winner in each of the last two seasons is just a minor distraction in a week which is welcomed by players and fans alike.

Phil Mickelson is the sportsbook favourite to win this week despite his patchy form at the start of 2010.

The world number three has managed only one top ten finish from five appearances this season and has not won at Bay Hill since 1997.

Will Phil Mickelson win for the first time in 2010 at Bay Hill? - Latest Golf Betting

Steve Striker and Ernie Els are also highly fancied in the online betting markets, but neither has a great record here.

Els arrives fresh from a first victory in two years in Miami two weeks ago, but will find several bright young things queuing up to perform well on a course which is regarded as one of the best for creating a viewing spectacle on the entire calendar.

Sean O'Hair, Nick Watney and Camilo Villegas have already performed well at Bay Hill in recent years and perhaps offer better value.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington also looks to be close to recapturing the form that swept him to three Majors in quick succession with a third place at the recent WGC-CA Championship at Doral.

The course itself has been tweaked during the past 12 months to create more of a challenge to the cream of the world's players.

New bunkering has been added and the approaches to the greens have been altered to stiffen the challenge.

However, the closing run of three holes remains one of the toughest and most dramatic on the tour schedule.

The 16th is one of the longest par fours of the year while the 17th is a peach of a short hole where the green is surrounded on three sides by water.

Then there's the par four final hole with its large but narrow, kidney-shaped green hugging a lake which will be flanked by thousands of expectant golf fans.

Expect plenty of balls to find a watery grave as the pressure increases throughout the four days before the legendary Palmer himself, at his home course, presents the worthy winner with a rather impressive sword-shaped trophy.

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