Fantasy Central

Fantasy Island: Arnold Palmer Invitational

By Golf Channel Digital
Mar 22, 2011 7:20 PM ET

GolfChannel.com experts offer up their picks for the the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Each week a panel of experts will offer up their picks from three groups of players based on Golf Channel's new fantasy game, Fantasy Challenge. We will also keep track of their scores and standings. The panel consists of: senior writers Rex Hoggard and Randall Mell; contributors John Hawkins and Charlie Rymer; editorial director Jay Coffin; "Morning Drive" hosts Gary Williams and Erik Kuselias; contributor Win McMurry; writer for NBCSports.com's ProGolf Talk, Ryan Ballengee; and RotoWorld.com's Rob Bolton.

You can battle the experts and play along as well. Just click here to get into the game.

Arnold Palmer Invitational

*Ranking among the 16 GolfChannel.com experts

Rex Hoggard

Rex Hoggard

Score (Rank*):

3,640,689 (2)

Group A:
Hunter Mahan

Group B:
Brendon de Jonge

Group C:
Gary Woodland

Feels like a toss-up between “H” and Dustin Johnson this week, but Ernie Els lifted the blue blazer last year with ballstriking, and timely putting, and few are hitting the ball as well as Mahan right now.

He’s on the short list of possible “Best Players without a Tour title” and there are few better places to score one’s first “W” than Bay Hill.

We have cleaned up on the shooting guard-turned-Tour-winner this season. It’s probably a stretch to think he can contend this week, but he’s been cashing checks all season and that’s not going to change.

Randall Mell

Randall Mell

Score (Rank):

1,590,341 (15)

Group A:
Dustin Johnson

Group B:
Rickie Fowler

Group C:
Chris Couch

The putter heats up as Johnson finds the missing ingredient in his failure to close out at Doral two weeks ago.

The King likes Fowler’s style, and Fowler will show plenty of it in a big week at Bay Hill, with Fowler enjoying two top-10s in his last three starts.

The warm weather’s good for all the big man’s aches and pains as Couch makes another run in his home state.

Charlie Rymer

Charlie Rymer

Score (Rank):

2,254,260 (9)

Group A:
Graeme McDowell

Group B:
Justin Rose

Group C:
Gary Woodland

It's time for GMac to stop padding his stats and add to the trophy room. Ball striking will be in demand this week and he'll be up to the task.

Rose was close to winning last week and this week he may just finish the deal.

I'm a big believer in momentum and Woodland has plenty after picking up his first career win at Transitions.

John Hawkins

Score (Rank):

2,170,204 (11)

Group A:
Bubba Watson

Group B:
Martin Laird

Group C:
Brendon de Jonge

Long is good at the King's house.

Dude spends a lot of time on leaderboards.

Cashes a lot of big checks for a guy ranked 100th in the world.

Jay Coffin

Score (Rank):

2,372,440 (8)

Group A:
Tiger Woods

Group B:
Edoardo Molinari

Group C:
Kevin Na

It's not so much that I like Tiger this week, but I'm not enamored with the others in this group. If he wins I can pick up points on the field.

His second-place tie here last year is what propelled the Italian to a huge, successful season, including a trip to the Ryder Cup with his brother.

Take a closer look, he's finished T-2 and T-11 at Bay Hill the last two years, respectively. I'll take those numbers each week from a Group C player.

Gary Williams

Gary Williams

Score (Rank):

1,958,332 (13)

Group A:
Dustin Johnson

Group B:
Martin Laird

Group C:
Gary Woodland

Three top-10s in seven events in 2011 and while he has not performed well at Bay Hill in two starts, if he is playing well – as he is now – the course does not matter.

Four top-25 finishes in his last five starts and two top-10s in two starts on the Florida Swing in the last two weeks. He’s due for a win.

He won last week, has four top-10s in seven starts in 2011, and is playing great golf.

Erik Kuselias

Erik Kuselias

Score (Rank):
3,561,855 (4)

Group A:
Tiger Woods

Group B:
Justin Rose

Group C:
Gary Woodland

Six-time champion at Bay Hill, recorded his first top-10 of 2011 at Doral, swing could be rounding into form, need I say more?

Although he has only one top-10 at Bay Hill, he is having a solid 2011 as 21 of his 24 rounds are at par or better. When he lost the 54-hole lead at Travelers in 2010, he won the very next week.

Making his first appearance at Bay Hill and his win at Innisbrook last week combined with three other top-10s in 2011 makes him one of the hottest players on the PGA Tour.

Win McMurry

Win McMurry

Score (Rank):
5,224,855 (1)

Group A:
Tiger Woods

Group B:
Steve Marino

Group C:
Kevin Streelman

He has a great record at Bay Hill and it's a home game for him this week. Is this the start of the comeback?

He tied for 11th here last year and hasn't missed a cut in all four starts.

He tied for seventh at Bay Hill in 2010 and his last performance yielded a 15th-place tie at Doral.

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee

Score (Rank):

451,083 (16)

Group A:
Dustin Johnson

Group B:
Martin Laird

Group C:
Gary Woodland

He has been trending up of late and, despite not winning at Doral, has been making a lot of birdies in 2011. He can eat Bay Hill alive.

Have to love the Scot this week. Another top-10 in Tampa for Laird, who is third on Tour in scoring average on Moving Day.

Woodland is a bit of a bargain this week in the C group. He's had a tremendous year, is coming off a win in Tampa, and is young enough to bounce back in Orlando quickly.

Rob Bolton

Rob Bolton

Score (Rank):

2,178,888 (10)

Group A:
Dustin Johnson

Group B:
Justin Rose

Group C:
Kevin Na

Hoping my opposition bites on Tiger Woods’ course history this week while I invest in the fella that finished solo second at Doral.

Tough call taking a pass on Martin Laird here, but as he proved after last year’s Sunday fade at the Travelers, JR can rebound immediately. (He won the AT&T National the next week.)

Took a look at Gary Woodland, but Na is the chalk. Co-runner-up here last year; T11 in 2009. Two top-5s in 2011.

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