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.