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Arnold Palmer Invitational: Groups to Watch Thursday, Friday

By Tim Letcher

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 23: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Tyrrell Hatton of England talk on the 8th hole during Day Three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 23, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 23: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Tyrrell Hatton of England talk on the 8th hole during Day Three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 23, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
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The PGA Tour stops at Bay Hill this week for the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational. This event always draws a number of the world’s best players and this year is no different. There are a number of fun groups for the first two days. The top five groups are discussed below.

Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Patrick Reed (Thursday, 12:46 ET; Friday, 8:06 ET) – This may be the hottest group in the first two rounds. Homa earned his second PGA Tour win just two weeks ago at Riviera. Horschel tied for second last week at the WGC-Workday Championship. Reed won at Torrey Pines earlier this season and tied for ninth last week.

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Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Viktor Hovland (Thursday, 12:57 ET; Friday, 8:17 ET) – Day has not had a great season so far in 2021, but he won here in 2016. Fowler is still trying to find the right combination to get his game going. Hovland tied for second last week and has finished T2, T5, T2 in his last three starts. He also won at Mayakoba earlier this season.

Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari (Thursday, 8:06 ET; Friday, 12:46 ET) – Hatton won here in blustery conditions last year. McIlroy got himself in the mix last week before finishing in a tie for sixth place. Molinari was the winner here in 2019 and seems to be finding his game again after a drought.

Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth (Thursday, 8:17 ET; Friday, 12:57 ET) – DeChambeau has not played well in his last two events, missing the cut at the Genesis and finishing T22 last week at The Concession. Rose finished second at this event in 2013 but has not played well this season. Spieth has played very well of late, finishing T4, T3, T15 in his last three events.

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Harris English, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Branden Grace (Thursday, 12:35 ET; Friday, 7:55 ET) – English started 2021 with a win in Hawaii, but has gone MC, MC, 66 in his last three starts. Fitzpatrick has finished T5, T11 in his last two starts. Grace won for the first time in five years last week, taking the title in Puerto Rico.

These groups will be the ones to watch as action gets underway on Thursday in Florida.

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