There has been a large number of dialog over the previous few days over who will have to be in the PGA Tour’s designated occasions in 2024 and past. Honestly, it does not appear find it irresistible’s going to subject as a result of Jon Rahm is simply going to win all of them.
Rahm, who has received 5 of his final 9 begins and is vying for his 3rd increased victory (in 4 tries) this season, shot a 65 on Thursday in Round 1 of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which was once his 18th spherical in the 60s in 21 general rounds up to now in 2023.
It has been a really unusual run for international’s No. 1, and he has a possibility to make it much more particular over the following 3 days at Bay Hill. Let’s dive deep on his first 18 holes and take a glance at how the remainder of the event is shaping up.
The chief
1. Jon Rahm (-7)
Rahm by hook or by crook misplaced strokes off the tee — arguably his most powerful statistical class and nonetheless received seven general on the most efficient box of the yr. It has turn out to be so ridiculous at this level that it is virtually unimaginable to know which route to cross when making an attempt to contextualize what Rahm is doing.
How about we do it like this?
Rahm has performed 21 rounds at the PGA Tour up to now this yr. He’s been within the most sensible seven at the leaderboard after 19 (!) of them. Oh and there is additionally this.
No subject the way you cube it, Rahm is having an all-time season, and it does not seem that this is going to be slowing down any time quickly. The query for him — most likely the largest query of this early golfing yr — is whether or not he can deal with this dominance up to (and thru) the Masters. A large number of golfing lovers would possibly not essentially care about Rahm profitable the largest occasions of the yr — even if it is a huge deal — if it does not translate into a big championship come April, May, June or July.
Other contenders
3. Kurt Kitayama (-6)
T3. Chris Kirk, Cameron Young (-5)
T5. Adam Schenk, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Aaron Rai, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley (-4)
With all due appreciate to Kitayama, the avid gamers past him — particularly those two again — constitute some interesting storylines. Scheffler goes for his 2d consecutive Arnold Palmer Invitational in addition to his 2d immediately name protection after profitable Phoenix final month. Spieth is making an attempt to in finding one thing forward of April. Fowler is making an attempt to really identify that he is again as a most sensible participant. Young goes for his first win ever. Oh and Schauffele and Cantlay are taking a look to climb into that high 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings from simply out of doors of it.
Whew.
If now not for what Rahm has accomplished, we might be speaking extra about how insane Scheffler has been up to now this season. Phoenix and Bay Hill victories two years in a row can be immense, however Scheffler insisted he is simply making an attempt to cling on.
“This is a golf course that is, I would say it’s very challenging to bring a lot of confidence to because like there’s no really easy holes,” Scheffler stated. “It’s roughly a abnormal golfing direction when it comes to that.
“I appreciate the fact that this golf course is very challenging and I feel like it’s a place where I can just try and hang in there. That’s what I did last year. I didn’t play amazing for four days. One of the guys I played a practice round with this week asked me what I did so well last year, and I just told ’em I survived. That’s really what it felt like. This place is brutal and it’s only going to get harder as the week goes on. This is Thursday morning. It’s typically the easiest conditions. So we’ll see what happens as the week goes on.”
Don’t let Spieth determine his putter
Spieth (68) was once one in every of simply two avid gamers in the highest 22 who misplaced strokes to the sector at the vegetables. That’s now not just right, however it is a part of a mini-trend so far in what has been the worst striking season of Spieth’s profession at the PGA Tour. There’s a number of time to right kind that, however Spieth has misplaced strokes striking in each and every of his final 3 tournaments and is worse than the Tour reasonable general. The turn aspect of this is that if he begins to fall in love with some traces at Augusta, it would get foolish for the remainder of the sector.
2023 Genesis Invitational up to date odds and choices
Odds by means of Caesars Sportsbook
- Jon Rahm: 7/5
- Scottie Scheffler: 15/2
- Xander Schauffele: 12-1
- Patrick Cantlay: 12-1
- Cameron Young: 16-1
- Rickie Fowler: 24-1
What a abnormal board. When the No. 2 participant in the arena who could also be the protecting champion of this golfing event shoots 68 in the primary spherical and sits T5, you surely be expecting one thing shorter than +750. That displays simply how dominant Rahm has been in the early a part of the yr. I’m going deeper, past all of this and selecting Spieth at 30-1. I’m now not utterly certain why he is longer than Fowler, however see above for my thougths on him turning his striking round main to a possible victory both this weekend or someday quickly.
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