Patience can be a virtue and, for Shane Lowry, a sponsor’s invitation into the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill – having been forced to watch from afar in previous PGA Tour signature events this season – has finally provided the Offaly man with an opportunity to get among the greenbacks and precious FedEx Cup points.
The timing is perfect, too, after a tied-fourth finish in the Cognizant Classic that provided some momentum heading into a busy time on the schedule in the run-up to next month’s Masters.
“[It was] nice to be back in the mix . . . some big weeks coming up so hopefully it’s a sign of things to come,” posted Lowry on his social media platforms after his performance in Palm Beach where Austin Eckroat secured a breakthrough tour win.
Lowry’s finish, though, brought some welcome upward trajectory in different rankings: he moved to 74th in the FedEx Cup standings, and from 57th to 54th in the updated official world rankings in edging his way back towards the top-50.
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With a purse of €18.5 million ($20 million) on offer at Bay Hill, in a field limited to 69 players, Lowry – who is also playing in next week’s Players Championship at Sawgrass – has been given one of six sponsor’s exemptions, having failed to get into either the Genesis Invitational or the AT&T Pebble Beach pro-am earlier this year.
Certainly, Lowry will be looking to make the most of his invite especially given his past record at Bay Hill, which has been one mostly of missed cuts. Indeed, his 67th-place finish a year ago was preceded by missed cuts on four previous visits (2021, 2019, 2018 and 2015).
Lowry is one of three Irish players in the field, but the only one reliant on a sponsor’s exemption. Rory McIlroy won at Bay Hill in 2018 and was runner-up to Kurt Kitayama last year, while Séamus Power – who secured his eligibility for all of the signature events this season for a top-50 finish on last year’s FedEx Cup standings – will be looking to improve on his performance last year, where he finished 72nd.
Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, is rumoured to be ready for a putter change – from a blade to mallet – for the tournament, in his bid to return to the winner’s circle. He hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since the Players last year, virtually a full 12 months ago. Scheffler was seen using a TaylorMade Spider Tour X mallet putter, the same as McIlroy, in the practice rounds at Bay Hill.
Kitayama got to add a red cardigan (awarded to the winner of the API) to his wardrobe after his breakthrough success on the PGA Tour a year ago and, although he has yet to add a second title to his CV, there has been greater consistency in the American’s play which has seen him make every cut since last June’s Travelers Championship. His best finish so far this year was tied-eighth at the Phoenix Open.
Since his breakthrough win last year, Kitayama has switched coach – to Chris Como – with the aim of gaining more consistency.
“The biggest goal [in] changing coaches was to not have such an up-and-down year. That’s why, like, even though those finishes I made the cut haven’t been great, but at least making the cut and having some good rounds in there the first couple [of] rounds, has been a really big positive. So, yeah, just trying to find some more consistency this year.
“I think when my swing got off I wasn’t really sure what I was doing, what I could do to get it back into form. When it was on, it was on, and I didn’t have to really think about it. So, now it seems like when it gets off it’s not as far off, and I’m starting to understand my swing a little more, a little better . . . [to] eliminate the big misses.”
Bay Hill, for sure, is one of those courses which penalises those so-called big misses. Not just for Kitayama, but for anyone not on song. Indeed, three of the last four winning totals have been single digits under par. The exception? That was Bryson DeChambeau in 2021.
Arnold Palmer Invitational lowdown
Purse: €18.5 million (€3.75 million to the winner)
Where: Orlando, Florida
The course: Known as “Arnie’s Place” for its long-time association with Arnold Palmer who bought the resort and brought this own stamp to the layout, Bay Hill – 7,466 yards, par 72 – was designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee and has a number of substantial water hazards in play. The final two holes typically provide for exciting finishes to a tournament with a rich history; it’s been held at the venue every year since 1979. The par-three 17th measures 221 yards from an elevated tee to a green which has water lurking on three sides and a large bunker; the par-four 18th is a 458 yards hole that features a slightly blind tee shot to the fairway and an approach to a long, narrow green that again has water in play down the right.
The field: Now installed as one of the PGA Tour’s so-called signature events with increased prize money and a limited field, nine of the world’s top 10 (LIV’s Jon Rahm is the odd man out) provide some X-factor. World number two Rory McIlroy gets yet another chance to leapfrog Scottie Scheffler into the top spot on the rankings. Tony Finau is the only eligible player to have opted not to play this week. American Kurt Kitayama is the defending champion while Austin Eckroat, winner of the Cognizant Classic, will aim to win in back-to-back weeks.
Quote-Unquote: “There’s water on several holes and when the wind picks up a little bit, it gets intimidating out there” – Olympic champion Xander Schauffele on the challenge posed by Bay Hill.
Irish in the field: Séamus Power has a nice friendly pairing for the opening round alongside Tommy Fleetwood (5.40 Irish time); Rory McIlroy is paired with Collin Morikawa (6.20 Irish time), while Shane Lowry is paired with Ludvig Åberg (6.30).
Betting: Scottie Scheffler has gone 4th-1st-15th in his last three appearances at Arnie’s Place and is the market leader at 13-2 with McIlroy, winner in 2018 and runner-up a year ago, rated a 9-1 chance on a course where he traditionally contends. Patrick Cantlay (fourth in the Genesis on his last outing, where he was ill in the final round) has been playing well without closing deals and is worth a look on this occasion at 18-1 while Matt Fitzpatrick is also worth considering at 28s. Jason Day (33-1) and Erik Van Rooyen (66-1) are each worth each-way looks.
On TV: On Sky Sports Golf (early coverage from 12.30) and Sky Sports Main Event (from 7.0).
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