ORLANDO, FL. –The State of Florida has one of the largest year-round golfing populations in the country. That golf-passionate demo increases dramatically during the winter season and it’s one of the primary reasons the PGA Tour’s four-stop ‘Florida Swing’ is scheduled during this time.
The second of those four events is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, March 7-10. The longtime stop will once again be contested in Orlando, a city known for its world-renowned attractions and endless entertainment. So, move over Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World, it’s time to share spotlight with the “Arnold Palmer” at one of the most popular golfing venues on the PGA Tour circuit.
A Signature Event on the Tour, the Arnold Palmer Invitational features a 69-player field with a 36-hole cut (the top 50 and ties plus any players within 10 shots of the lead). It will offer a $20 million purse with a winner’s share of $4 million.
API History
The tournament that is now the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard started in 1966 as the Florida Citrus Open Invitational. The inaugural event was won by Lionel Hebert, who posted a 5-under par 279 and edged Charles Coody, Dick Lytle and a 26-year-old Jack Nicklaus by two strokes.
While the Arnold Palmer name has only titled the tournament since 2007, the event has been held at Bay Hill Club and Lodge, also known as “Arnie’s Place,” since 1979.
Since Palmer’s death in 2017, the winner receives a red cardigan sweater in memory of the 7-time major winner.
The API is one of three invitationals attached to three PGA Tour icons: Arnold Palmer (API), Jack Nicklaus (the Memorial) and Tiger Woods (Genesis).
The Course
Bay Hill Club & Lodge edges along the shores of the Butler Chain of Lakes, sprawling across 270 acres of softly undulating landscape that provides more elevation changes than what can be found on most Florida golf courses but not enough to be considered hilly. The straightforward course does not have any hidden hazards or surprises. Water hazards come into play several times throughout and strategic mounding and bunkering also provide challenges.
The first 18 holes at Bay Hill (Champion and Challenger nines) were designed by Dick Wilson in 1961 and were built by Bob Simmons. Considered one of Wilson’s best works, the course illustrates his typical approach of slightly elevating the putting surfaces to improve visibility and drainage. Simmons designed and built the additional nine holes (Charger nine) after Wilson’s death.
API: Round 1
Sometimes Jupiter can align with Mars, as was the case here on Thursday, when the playing conditions were as close to perfect as possible. First-round leader Shane Lowry (-6) called the conditions “benign.”
Lowry’s best finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational came last year when he shot an 8-over 80 in the third round en route to a solo 67th-place finish. With a T4 finish at PGA National, he nearly qualified via the Aon Swing 5 but ultimately received a sponsor’s exemption.
Lowry’s opening-round 6-under 66 wasn’t quite what he expected when he made the turn at 1-under 35. He headed to the back nine, which was playing much easier than the opening nine. He birdied the par-4 10th with a 4-foot putt, birdied the tough par-4 11th with a 35-footer to get to 3-under on the day. Then, at the par-5 12th, he hit his second shot from 277 yards to 18 feet and proceeded to sink the putt for an eagle-3, followed by a 20-foot birdie putt on the 13th to vault into the lead at 6-under par.
The Irishman gave one back with a bogey on No. 14 but regained the top spot when he stuck his tee shot inside of eight feet on 17 and converted the birdie putt.
“It’s funny. When you’re out there playing, and you get on a run like that, it does feel pretty easy,” said Lowry of his historic four-hole stretch.
One back, at 5 under, was Justin Lower, who also entered this week on a hot streak, having earned his way into the limited-field Signature Event via the Aon Swing 5 (T3 at Mexico Open).
His round started slowly Thursday, but he took full advantage of both the weather and more favorable conditions on the back-nine, carding five birdies to grab a share of the second position.
“I putted well, and I hit some shots really close, which is always nice,” said Lower. “That’s kind of hard to do around here, but the greens were a little more receptive than I thought they would be.”
Round 1: Top 5
Pos-Player-To Par (Score)
1. Shane Lowry -6 (66)
2. Justin Lower -5 (67)
2. Hideki Matsuyama -5 (67)
4. Russell Henley -4 (68)
4. Lee Hodges -4 (68)
4. Sam Burns -4 (68)
4. Sahith Theegala -4 (68)
API: Round 2
Friday saw three new names added to what was becoming a top-heavy leaderboard featuring six players tied for the lead at 7-under par.
Shane Lowry (71), Hideki Matsuyama (70), and Russell Henley (69) were still there from Thursday’s top 5. But recent major winners Scottie Scheffler (67), Wyndham Clark (66), and Brian Harman (68) joined the lead pack.
The three new additions to the top spot took different approaches to secure a share of the pole position.
Scheffler’s round was highlighted by a late-round heater, featuring five birdies on his final seven holes.
“I get excited to see my name at the top of the leaderboard,” Scheffler said. “There’s a lot of names up at the top right now. It’s pretty stacked going into the weekend. I’m proud of how I finished today to kind of give myself a good chance.”
Harman, meanwhile, played a steady round for much of the day, other than a dropped shot on the final hole.
“(This course) has whipped me pretty good, but it’s a place where, if you take on some spots off the tee, you can have some short clubs in,” said Harman. “That’s just been my plan this week, try to take on what I can, and try to use what little advantage I have.”
Finally, Clark took a different approach by offsetting a trio of bogeys with nine birdies, highlighted by six pack on the back nine, leading to a 31.
“Honestly, I bet you if I shot even par you would be in the top five and have a chance to win,” Clark said. “Tomorrow is supposed to have some wind and be hot, so it’s going to get firmer and faster, which it’s already doing.”
Friday’s round wasn’t without its moments: Tommy Fleetwood did his best impersonation of Kevin Costner’s character Roy McAvoy in the “Tin Cup” when he took 10 shots on the par-5, 6th hole, eventually carding a quintuple bogey. Even with a 10 on the hole, Fleetwood didn’t come close to John Daly‘s record for the worst score on the hole. Back in 1998, Daly carded an 18.
The cut line came in at 4-over 148, sending 11 players home for the weekend. The notables who did not get a weekend tee time included the aforementioned Fleetwood, along with major winners Matt Fitzpatrick, Adam Scott, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Rose. API’s defending champion Kurt Kitayama also missed the cut as did European Ryder Cupper Nicolai Hojgaard.
Round 2: Top 5
Pos-Player-To Par (Rd 2)
1. Wyndham Clark -7 (-6)
1. Brian Harman -7 (-4)
1. Russell Henley -4 (-3)
1. Shane Lowry -7 (-1)
1. Hideki Matsuyama -7 (-2)
1. Scottie Scheffler -7 (-5)
API: Round 3
There will be a showdown of recent major champions on Sunday with 2022 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler (70) and 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry (70) sharing the lead on 9-under par.
After finishing his back nine with five birdies, Scheffler said. “I think I’m just doing a good job of trying to stay in a good head space on the greens.
“On the back nine I did a really good job of just trying to stay as much in it as I could and hit some good putts, and sometimes you really just got to get lucky.”
Although Scheffler and Lowry will be Sunday’s final twosome, the leaderboard is stacked heading into the final 18 at Bay Hill.
Reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark (71) was a shot back on 8 under, one clear of Hideki Matsuyama (72), Will Zalatoris (71) and Russell Henley (71), who were T4 on 7 under.
Clark signed for one of the more unique scorecards of the day: bookending double bogeys on Nos. 1 and 9, followed by a scorching three-hole stretch of birdie-birdie-eagle on Nos. 10-12.
With a Signature Event win at Pebble Beach already on his resume this year, he’s one from the chasing pack who could spell trouble for the leaders.
Will Zalatoris’ third round appeared to have a split personality. Through 14 holes, he was 5 under on the day, 11 under for the tournament, and atop the leaderboard with a bogey-free scorecard. The Texan inexplicably went into a tailspin down the stretch, finishing his final five holes with a bogey and two doubles to post 71 and fall back to 7 under.
Rory McIlroy, who started the day tied for 30th, surged within striking distance with a 4-under 68, highlighted by a scoring blitz on the back nine, leading to a record low round of 30. Additionally, with a 365-yard tee shot, the Northern Irishman became the first player in the ShotLink era (since 2003) to drive the green on the par-4 10th hole. (He two-putted from 64 feet, 11 inches to make birdie.)
“I thought if I got it in one of the two front traps that would be a good leave to hit something up to the green, but, yeah, I wasn’t trying to hit it on the green,” McIlroy said. “But it was nice to walk up and see it on there.”
Round 3: Top 5
Pos-Player-To Par (Rd 3)
1. Scottie Scheffler -9 (-2)
1. Shane Lowry -9 (-2)
3. Wyndham Clark -8 (-1)
4. Russell Henley -7 (-1)
4. Hideki Matsuyama -7 (E)
4. Will Zalatoris -7 (-1)
API: Final Round
The final round got off without a hitch this morning despite players dealing with a lost hour of sleep last evening. The early groupings found the course wet from the overnight rain along with cooler temperatures. The biggest difference, though, was the 10-15 mph winds which were blowing in the exact opposite direction from the opening three rounds. All in all, we appeared set for another brutal finale at Bay Hill.
Yet, what we got was on Sunday at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational was nothing short of a good old fashion whooping. This one was never even close right from the start. With a new putter in hand, Scottie Scheffler took no prisoners as he brought his opponents to their knees.
At just 27, the Texan added yet another masterpiece to his remarkable resume, posting a final-round 6-under 66 to secure his second Arnold Palmer Invitational title, becoming just the eighth player to win the tournament multiple times.
“I think it has a lot to do with keeping the mind as quiet as possible,” Scheffler explained. “Part of the problem is just trying too hard.
“It’s frustrating to not have the best out of myself, just because I know that I can putt really well. It’s not like I’ve been a bad putter my whole career. I’ve just gone through a stretch where it’s been tough.”
Final: Top 5
Pos-Player-To Par (Rd 4)
1. Scottie Scheffler -15 (-6)
2. Wyndham Clark -10 (-2)
3. Shane Lowry -9 (E)
4. Russell Henley -7 (E)
4. Will Zalatoris -7 (E)
API: Wrap Up
The winner of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational was Scottie Scheffler with a 15-under-par score of 273 (70, 67, 70, 66).
Along with the red cardigan sweater, Scheffler received the API Championship trophy, a check for $4M, and 700 FedEx Cup points.
A rookie in 2020, it took Scheffler some 26 months to win his first PGA Tour title at the 2022 Phoenix Open. Since then, however, he’s won six more times, becoming the winningest player on Tour over this 26-month stretch. His current career earnings are now $49,004,729.
Asked how “special” it was to win Arnold Palmer’s tournament again, Scheffler said, “It’s really special. Mr. Palmer meant a lot to me, meant a lot to us as professional golfers and the game of golf, and so it’s very special to be able to sit here and wear his red sweater again.
“I’m very proud to be the champion of his tournament.”
Wyndham Clark made a lengthy birdie putt on 18 to secure solo second at 10-under 278 (71, 66, 71, 70). He received a check for $2.2M and 400 FedEx Cup Points.
Finishing alone in third place was Shane Lowry at 9-under 279 (66 71 70 72). He earned $1.4M and 350 FedEx Cup Points.
