Arnold Palmer Invitational Tips: Each-way selections for the Bay Hill belter

Editor
19 March 2014

Kevin Na has both course form and recent form in the book

Gary Woodland is on a strong run of form

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With an out-of-form Tiger Woods trading at single figures at his beloved Bay Hill this week, the betting.betfair golf team are looking elsewhere for each-way value as they look to build on last week's 20/1 place...

"Bay Hill looks particularly suitable to Woodland, favouring long, straight hitters. Total Driving is usually a good guide for this layout, and Woodland ranks seventh among the field over the last three months in this line-up."

*Each-way terms: ¼ odds, 5 places

Joe Dyer: Back Chris Kirk @ 67.066/1

A combination of strong course and recent form allied to a good price is what I am generally looking for with my weekly plays so I was pleasantly surprised to see Chris Kirk available at 67.066/1 to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. A winner already this season - though in October 2013 admittedly - Kirk comes into this event on a decent run including a 12th at the Honda Classic three weeks ago, which showed an aptitude for windy Floridian golf. The 28-year-old finished 16th last year on only his second start so we know Bay Hill suits this long driver's game.

For a complete breakdown of the 2014 Arnold Palmer Invitational field's course and recent form by Mike Miller (@SmartGolfBets) click here.

Dan Geraghty: Back Matt Every @ 81.080/1

This is Matt Every's fifth straight appearance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he's missed only one cut in that time and comes into this year's tournament in arguably the form of his life with six top 25s in his last nine appearances. I kept a close eye on him last week, when Every was seemingly able to hit the par 5s in two from anywhere. The season's stats bare this out, he's ranked fourth on tour for par five performance, an attribute The Punter says will be all important this week.

Paul Krishnamurty: Back Gary Woodland @ 41.040/1

Widely touted ever since arriving on the PGA Tour, the improving Woodland is well up to and arguably overdue a serious bid for a big championship. His solid recent numbers are reminiscent of his impressive rookie season in 2011, when he followed up an early win with consistent form throughout the summer, most notably on debuts around tough courses in the biggest events. Bay Hill looks particularly suitable, favouring long, straight hitters. Total Driving is usually a good guide for this layout, and Woodland ranks seventh among the field over the last three months in this line-up.

Steve Rawlings: Back Kevin Na @ 41.040/1

I can't say I'm a huge Kevin Na fan. Like everyone else, I find his slow play irritating and I really don't trust him in-the-mix but he does look a stand out each-way pick this week. As highlighted in the preview, the last four Bay Hill winners have finished inside the top-five in one of the preceding Florida Swing events and so Na's runner-up finish at Copperhead on Sunday is a big plus and so is his course form. He finished fourth here last year and runner-up in 2010 so you'd have been paid out on the place part in two of the last three years and he's a fair price at 41.040/1 this time around.

Mike Norman: Back Rickie Fowler @ 41.040/1

It's been a strange season for Rickie Fowler so far but there's plenty of evidence to suggest he's getting back to the player he was a few years ago. Three missed cuts at the start of the year were followed by a brilliant third place finish at the WGC World Match Play, and at the last WGC event he got progressively better as the week went on (rounds of 76, 75, 74, and 71) at a very tough Blue Monster. The general feeling is that Fowler plays tough courses well, and he doesn't mind a bit of wind either. He should get one or both of those tests this week at Bay Hill, and the fact that he finished in a tie for third here last year in only his third visit to the venue (made the cut in his previous two visits also) suggests he is on the brink of another good performance.