2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational: Top 10 power rankings at Bay Hill

A fiery competitor like Patrick Reed probably looks at his five starts at Bay Hill without a top-five and shakes his head. I see four made cuts in a row and a pair of top-15s laying the foundation for him to finally capitalize in 2021.

Reed debuted at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2013 with a missed cut and was 1-over in T-42nd in 2014.

The Texan took three years away from the event, presumably devoting all that time figuring out how to tame Bay Hill. Whatever he did must’ve worked as his top result came in 2018 when Reed fired 68-70-71-71 to take T-7th.

He followed with T-50th and T-15th the next two years.

The 30 year old is already a winner in 2021 at the Farmers Insurance Open. He’s finished 21st or better in nine of his last eleven worldwide events after finishing T-9th last week at the WGC-Workday Championship.

If the wind flares up and everyone’s missing fairways and greens, that’s advantage Reed.

He’s 61st on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green (.187) and second in SG putting (1.217).

“…this is a golf course that if you hit one poor golf shot you’re going to pay for it,” Reed was transcribed by ASAP Sports in 2018. “And I think that’s what’s an amazing test about this place is you have to hit quality golf shots here. Your good golf shots get really rewarded and your bad golf shots go the opposite direction. So you got to be mentally tough and mentally patient out here.”

Reed has won before in Florida at the 2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral.