Pro Golf Now
Fansided

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Power ranking the top 10 at Bay Hill

By Mike Randleman

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 18: A general view of the seventh hole during the final round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented By MasterCard at Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 18, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 18: A general view of the seventh hole during the final round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented By MasterCard at Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 18, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 11
Next
ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 22: Golf legend Arnold Palmer (L) shakes hands with Phil Mickelson during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 22, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 22: Golf legend Arnold Palmer (L) shakes hands with Phil Mickelson during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 22, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

Before Tiger Woods started cleaning up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Phil Mickelson snuck in a win in 1997. Lefty is back to Bay Hill for the first time since 2013. Given how he plays so much on the West Coast and the PLAYERS Championship and the former WGC event in Florida that he attended, this is usually an understandable week off for him.

Plus, there is speculation that Mickelson may skip the PLAYERS due to his difficulties there in recent years.

Mickelson was also a runner-up at Bay Hill in 2001 and finished T3 in 2002.

The 48-year-old has picked up swing speed this season (120.92 miles per hour, 16th on Tour) and is turning back the clock. His fast start includes a win at Pebble Beach and a near miss at the Desert Classic where he was T2.

He cooled down for a T37 at the Genesis Open and a T39 at the WGC-Mexico, but he was grinding out his fourth and fifth starts in a five-week span. No matter how ageless he seems, that’s a lot of wear and tear, especially considering Pebble was a Monday finish and the Genesis was a rainy slog.

He’s still woefully inaccurate off the tee (216th on Tour in fairways hit at 50.49 percent), but his distance (306.4 yards, 26th) makes up for it. Phil’s vaulted from 154th to 49th in strokes gained off the tee.

Mickelson is top 25 on Tour in proximity from the fairway or the rough and eighth from 200+ yards.

Home/Golf Power Rankings