Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Arnold Palmer Invitational

Arnold Palmer Invitational Preview

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

ORLANDO – The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard is the eighth event of the 2026 PGA TOUR Season and the third of eight Signature Events. Like all Signature Events, the limited-field event offers increased FedExCup points (700) and a heightened purse ($20 million), however, additional elements set the three player-hosted events apart (The Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday):

  • Only Signature Events to feature a cut: 36-hole cut, low 50 players and ties and any additional players within 10 strokes of the 36-hole lead
  • Twenty percent prize allocation to winner ($4 million), up from 18 percent
  • One tournament host exemption, not restricted to PGA TOUR members: The Genesis Invitational (Sahith Theegala, Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption/finished T22), Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (Daniel Bennett, Arnold Palmer Cup Exemption), the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (TBD/Jack Nicklaus Award)

The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard is the first of four PGA TOUR events (the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, RBC Canadian Open, Genesis Scottish Open) that is part of The Open Qualifying Series (OQS).

One spot will be available this week into the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. The top player, not otherwise exempt, that makes the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard will earn an exemption. In the event of a tie for a qualifying place, the player with the higher ranking in the OWGR at the beginning of the week will earn the spot.

There has not been a playoff at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard since 1999; in the 26 events since then, 14 have been decided by one stroke.

The 2025 FedEx Cup champion, Tommy Fleetwood, will make his 10th start at this event, with three top-10 finishes (T10/2017, T3/2019, T10/2021); most recently finished T11 in 2025.

Arnold Palmer Invitational | Tournament Facts

COURSE: Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida

YARDS/PAR: 7,466 yards/Par 72

ARCHITECTS: Dick Wilson/Joe Lee

PRIZE Money – Purse: $20,000,000 with Winner: $4,000,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Russell Henley

PAST RESULTS: (link)

OVERVIEW: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 700

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @APInv and @PuertoRicoOpen

Scheffler, Lowry Lead at Bay Hill

by

ORLANDO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Scottie Scheffler of the USA and Shane Lowry of Ireland survived a breezy afternoon to each shoot 2-under-par 70 and claim a share of the lead Saturday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational played at Bay Hill CC..

Embed from Getty Images

Wyndham Clark fired a 1-under 71 to sit third, with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (72), Will Zalatoris (71) and Russell Henley (72) in a three-way tie for fourth.

Scheffler, who won this event in 2022, struggled on the front, going out in 38, but birdied five of his first seven holes on the back nine to surge toward the front.

Zalatoris briefly held a five-shot lead with his four birdies from Nos. 3-8 on the front, but stumbled with a bogey at No. 14 and double-bogeys at Nos. 15 and 18.

Harris English, who enters Sunday in seventh place, and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy tied for the day’s low round, shooting 68.

McIlroy, in a tie for eighth at 5-under, moved quickly up the board with a blazing, bogey-free 30 on the back nine that included six birdies.

-Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Scheffler Wins at Bay Hill

by

ORLANDO – Scottie Scheffler won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one stroke, earning his second PGA Tour title 21 days after his first victory (Phoenix). Scheffler’s last three starts on Tour: Won/WM Phoenix Open, T-7/The Genesis Invitational, Won/Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

Scheffler’s 72-hole total of only 5-under is the highest by a winner on Tour since the 2020 BMW Championship (Jon Rahm, -4). With his second win of the season, Scheffler moves to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings for the first time in his career.

Third-round co-leader Billy Horschel (T-2) at (-4) earned his eighth career runner-up on Tour and first since the 2021 World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession (Viktor Hovland also T-2). Horschel fell to 2-for-4 with the 54-hole lead/co-lead on the circuit.

Second-round leader Viktor Hovland (T-2) at 9-4) earned his third career runner-up on Tour and first since the 2021 World Golf Championships-Workday Championship (Horschel also T-2). Hovland fell to 1-for-3 with the 36-hole lead/co-lead in individual stroke-play PGA Tour events.

First-round leader Rory McIlroy (+1) finished T-13, snapping a streak of five consecutive Top-10s at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

API | Final Leaderboard

Scottie Scheffler 70-73-68-72—283 (-5)

Tyrrell Hatton 69-68-78-69—284 (-4)

Viktor Hovland 69-66-75-74—284 (-4)

Billy Horschel 67-71-71-75—284 (-4)

Gary Woodland 70-72-70-73—285 (-3)

Chris Kirk 69-76-68-72—285 (-3)

Final Leaderboard: (link)

Horschel, Gooch Lead at Bay Hill

by

ORLANDO – The 2014 FedEx Cup Champion Billy Horschel and 2021 RSM Classic champion Talor Gooch share the third-round lead after posting 71, 72, respectively. When they hold the 54-hole lead/co-lead, Horschel is 2-for-3 in converting, while Gooch is 1-for-1.

Embed from Getty Images

For the second consecutive week on Tour, the third-round scoring average was more than two strokes over par.

Second-round leader Viktor Hovland is in 3rd place (-6) and fell one stroke behind the co-leaders following his 3-over 75. Hovland, at 24 years, 5 months, 16 days today, can become the fifth-youngest winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Gary Woodland is in 5th place (-4) and is searching for his fifth PGA Tour victory and first since the 2019 U.S. Open.

Max Homa recorded his first ace on Tour draining the ball with a pitching wedge from 163 yards at the par-3 14th hole.

Rory Sabbatini withdrew during round three with a leg injury.

Leaderboard After 54 Holes at API:

Billy Horschel 67-71-71—209 (-7)

Talor Gooch 69-68-72—209 (-7)

Viktor Hovland 69-66-75—210 (-6)

Scottie Scheffler 70-73-68—211 (-5)

Gary Woodland 70-72-70—212 (-4)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Hovland Leads at Bay Hill

by

ORLANDO – Viktor Hovland holds a two-stroke lead, his third career 36-hole lead/co-lead in an individual stroke-play event on the PGA Tour. He is 1-for-2 to date converting the 36-hole lead to a win.

First-round leader Rory McIlroy fell to T-2 following even-par (72) effort in R-2.

Three of the four past Arnold Palmer Invitational champions in the field are T-6 or better, including Tyrrell Hatton (T-2/2020), Rory McIlroy (T-2/2018), Martin Laird (T-6/2011), and Marc Leishman (T-20/2017)

World No. 1 Jinx? Jon Rahm (T-13/-2) trails by seven at midway point. The last World No. 1 to win the event was Tiger Woods (2009) and the last World No. 1 to win on the PGA Tour was Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters Tournament).

Yesterday’s 3-over cutline marks the highest 36-hole cut this season.

Leaderboard After 36 Holes at API:

Viktor Hovland 69-66—135 (-9)

Tyrrell Hatton 69-68—137 (-7)

Talor Gooch 69-68—137 (-7)

Rory McIlroy 65-72—137 (-7)

Billy Horschel 67-71—138 (-6)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Tour Tees-Off at Bay Hill and Puerto Rico

by

ORLANDO – The Arnold Palmer Invitational, presented by Mastercard, is one of three PGA Tour events with elevated status, along with The Genesis Invitational and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. Those three events offer a larger purse ($12 million; up from $9.3 million in 2021), an increased allotment of FedEx Cup points (550 to the winner) and a three-year PGA Tour exemption for the winner.

The 2022 field features 10 of the Top 25 in the Official World Golf Ranking, led by World No. 1 Jon Rahm who will make his Arnold Palmer debut. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau withdrew Monday from the tournament due to injury.

Jason Day also withdrew.

In 2021 the collective Palmer field hit only 56.84% of greens in regulation at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, making it the fifth-toughest to play as measured by Green in Regulation percentage overall on TOUR last season. It was second toughest among non-majors.

RIO GRANDE – While the “A” team is playing Bay Hill, the Puerto Rico Open will be taking place in the Islands. Since the tournament’s 2008 inception, the Puerto Rico Open has helped elevate the careers of future PGA Tour stars, including Daniel Berger (T-2/2019) and past sponsor exemptions Jordan Spieth (T-2/2013) and Brooks Koepka (T-19/2014). Bryson DeChambeau lost in a playoff at the 2017 Puerto Rico Open but went on to win his first PGA Tour title later that season, while Tony Finau (2016) and Viktor Hovland (2020) each won their first Tour titles at the Puerto Rico Open. Branden Grace, who won the 2021 Puerto Rico Open, is in the field at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.

The tournament is held at the Rio Grande Grand Reserve Country Club, almost a full hour away from San Juan.