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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) /
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ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 20: Jason Day of Australia poses with the trophy following the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 20, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 20: Jason Day of Australia poses with the trophy following the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 20, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /

Jason Day has been a top-25 machine at the Arnold Palmer Invitational since the turn of the decade. He’s 6-for-6 in cuts made highlighted by a win in 2016. All six cuts made were T45 or better and four of which were in the top 25.

Day fired one of the tournament’s better numbers to win by one at 17-under (66-65-70-70) over Kevin Chappell. He was the last player to be greeted on the 72nd hole by Palmer before his passing.

Day was also a former resident near Bay Hill and has some course familiarity away from tournament play.

A reason he fares well at the API is his ability to smash the ball.

He’s one of the Tour’s longer hitters throughout the bag and can dominate on the par-5s when firing. He’s 51st on Tour this season and was 17th last season, but he’s actually improved as he averaged 4.56 last season and 4.51 now.

Day was 10-under on the par-5s in 2016.

“You have to come to a golf course like this and just crush the par-5s,” Day said after his win. “That’s more where all the scoring is. If you can take — if you can get on the fairways, give yourself an opportunity to get to the green or around the green, let the short game take over and make birdies.”

Day, 31, is trending toward his first win since May. He’s opted for a few weeks off since recording a T4 at Pebble Beach. That was his second straight top-five (T5,  Farmers Insurance Open) and eighth straight top-25 going back to the Playoffs.

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