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2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational: Top 10 power rankings at Bay Hill

By Mike Randleman

Mar 5, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; A spot for Arnold Palmer is marked on the practice range and his bag of clubs is standing by as a tribute to him during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; A spot for Arnold Palmer is marked on the practice range and his bag of clubs is standing by as a tribute to him during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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The PGA Tour’s Florida Swing marches on with each week building in significance up to next week’s Players Championship and the Masters in April.

For now, we’ve got an elevated status event with the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando.

More than $2 million will be going the winner’s way come Sunday evening. There’s a field of 120 this week here at Bay Hill vying to make the PGA Tour standard 36-hole cut of top 65 and ties.

This tournament began in 1966 as the Florida Citrus Open Invitational, going as various names until settling on the Arnold Palmer Invitational since 2007 in honor of the tournament and course’s late, great overseer.

It’s been at Bay Hill since 1979.

Bay Hill currently measures 7,419 yards for a par 72. Bermuda grass is in play as is the case throughout much of the Sunshine State.

The greens can run fast if conditions allow. Wind is often a factor at this event and seven water hazards eat up a lot of wayward shots.

It looks like it’ll be warm, dry and a bit breezy this week, so it could get crispy out there.

The Dick Wilson design is a course that does not allow players to get too creative strategically. Rather, it’s one of those tracks that players will say is “all out in front of you.” That means it’s all about executing.

Just because you know what to do doesn’t make it an easy task.

Payne Stewart in 1987 was the only player to go 20-under when he won by three. Normally, the winning score is in the low to mid-teens with anything in double digits a great week.

All four par-4s are about 200 yards or longer and the course is one of the longest on the schedule. This is a week where long iron players can separate as these skills are needed on par-3s, par-5s, and on several par-4s where less than driver is recommended.

More stars are skipping this year’s API than normal. It’s a tough spot on the schedule with everyone playing next week’s Players Championship.

Four of the top 10 and 10 of the top 25 from the Official World Golf Rankings are in the field.

Who will get the honor of donning the red cardigan on Sunday? I’ve got 10 guys who stand to have a good shot:

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