The Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour kicks off on Thursday, March 2 and Rory McIlroy is among the favourites.
McIlroy finished in a tie for 13th at the event last year, alongside former pal Graeme McDowell. The defending champion is Scottie Scheffler who won with a score of five under 12 months ago.
The world number one ranking is also up for grabs with Jon Rahm having overtaken Rory McIlroy at the summit and No.2 Scheffler still has eyes on that target.
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McIlroy attracted a lot of attention over his comments on the conditions at the event last year at Bay Hill, where the grass in the rough was high, the grass on the greens was not and the wind was all over the place.
“I feel punch drunk, to be honest,” McIlroy said in 2022 after the final round. “The weekend, it’s like crazy golf. You just don’t get rewarded for good shots. Like I’m venting here and I’m frustrated and whatever.
"I think as well the frustration is it’s a carbon copy of what’s happened the last three years here. I started off really, really well with a 66 or 65. Friday afternoon conditions got a little tougher. Then over the weekend, it’s sort of been the same stuff.
“So three years in a row it’s sort of been start off, lead the golf tournament, then you just sort of regress and come back to the field each and every day. Yeah, it’s frustrating. It’s hard to keep your patience out there.”
Here's all you need to know about day one of the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year on day one:
Venue
The event takes place at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge in the southeastern United States, located in Bay Hill , Florida , a suburb southwest of Orlando . Temperatures will be 30ºC on average over the four days with a very low chance of rain.
TV Channel information
Sky Sports Golf will be showing wall-to-wall action of the event. Coverage begins at 12 noon on Thursday, March 2 and will run right through until 11pm.
Irish players Tee-times
Rory McIlroy will tee off at Bay Hill at 5.50pm alongside Englishman Tyrrell Hatton and American Max Homa.
Three Irish players are in action. Shane Lowry tees off at 5.45pm. Padraig Harrington tees off at 5.06pm. Waterford native Seamus Power tees off at 1.11pm local time.
Florida is five hours behind GMT.
Betting odds
McIlroy is second favourite in the betting at 9/1. In-form Spaniard and world No.1 Jon Rahm is clear favourite at 13/2 with American Scottie Scheffler third favourite at 10/1.
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