Orlando, FL — Staying in the Sunshine State, the PGA Tour heads north from Palm Beach to Orlando for the 61st edition of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge, the second stop on its four-event Florida Swing.
As the season’s third Signature event, and final tune up before next week’s PLAYERS Championship, the Arnold Palmer will feature a stout field, headlined by a slew of top-ranked tour players, including recent Bay Hill winners Scottie Scheffler (2022 and 2024) and Rory McIlroy (2018).
Other marquee names include Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Aberg, Justin Rose, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa, among others.
As we do each week, let’s dive into the history, field, stats and other factoids as we prepare for what should be an exciting week of PGA Tour golf in Orlando.
The Skinny
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Dates: Mar 5-8, 2026
PGA Tour Debut: 1966
PGA TOUR Week: 8th (of 33)
Course: Bay Hill
Where: Orlando, Fla.
Distance: Par 72/7466 yards
Architect: Dick Wilson, Joe Lee (1961)
Field: 72 players
Format: Stroke, 72-holes
Cut After: 36 holes/
Cut Policy: low 50 (+ties) and anyone w/in 10 strokes
Purse: $20,000,000
Winning Share: $4,000,000
2025 Champion: Russell Henley
How to Follow the Arnold Palmer Invitational
TELEVISION: Thu-Fri: 2-6 p.m. (GOLF); Sat-Sun: 12:30-2:30 p.m. (GOLF), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC)
PGA TOUR LIVE: Thu-Fri: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (ESPN+)
RADIO: Thu-Fri: 12-6 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM)
All times Eastern
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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. Hebert took home a check for $21,000.
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 that time (1979), the tournament has had a number of different title and presenting sponsors, including Nestle, Hertz Office Depot and Cooper Tires. But the longest of those sponsors has been Mastercard, which has held the presenting slot since 2004, first as the Bay Hill Invitational (2004-2006), and then as the Arnold Palmer Invitational (2007-present).
Early tournament winners, alongside Hebert, included legends such as Julius Boros (1967), Palmer himself (1971), Lee Trevino (1975), and Hale Irwin (1976).
Modern-day winners (post 1990) have included the likes of Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, two-time winner Scottie Scheffler, and eight-time champ Tiger Woods.
The API is one of three invitationals attached to three PGA Tour icons: Arnold Palmer (API), Jack Nicklaus (the Memorial) and Tiger Woods (Genesis).
History: Tournament Titles
- Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard (2007-Present)
- Bay Hill Invitational Presented by Mastercard (2004-2006)
- Bay Hill Invitational Presented by Cooper Tires (1999-2003)
- Bay Hill Invitational Presented by Office Depot (1996-98)
- Nestle Invitational (1989-95)
- Hertz Bay Hill Classic (1985-88)
- Bay Hill Classic (1980-84)
- Bay Hill Citrus Classic (1979)
- Florida Citrus Open (1972-78)
- Florida Citrus Invitational (1970-71)
- Florida Citrus Open Invitational (1966-69)
History: Recent Winner
2025: Russell Henley (-11)
2024: Scottie Scheffler (-15)
2023: Kurt Kitayama (-9)
2022: Scottie Scheffler (-5)
2021: Bryson DeChambeau (-11)
2020: Tyrrell Hatton (-4)
2019: Francesco Molinari (-12)
2018: Rory McIlroy (-18)
2017: Marc Leishman (-11)
2016: Jason Day (-17)
History: Records
SCORING
264 (-20) Payne Stewart, 1987
-23 (265) Buddy Allin, 1973
MARGIN OF VICTORY
11 – Tiger Woods, 2003
WINS:
8 – Tiger Woods (2000-03, 2008-09, 2012-13)
The API Course: Bay Hill
Bay Hill Club & Lodge, located in Orlando, Florida, serves as the iconic host for the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. The course, originally designed by Dick Wilson in 1961 and famously refined and owned by Arnold Palmer himself, is a demanding par-72 stretching to 7,466 yards. The layout features mostly flat terrain but is packed with challenges: water hazards on many holes, thick Bermuda greens (overseeded with rye), penal rough, and a premium on precise ball-striking and long-iron play.
It’s consistently one of the toughest non-major venues on Tour, rewarding elite tee-to-green performers while punishing mistakes — often playing longer than the yardage suggests due to firm conditions and strategic demands.
Signature holes define the drama:
- Hole 6 (par-5, 555 yards): A classic risk-reward par-5 with a sharp dogleg left around a massive lake, tempting big hitters to go for it in two but demanding accuracy.
- Hole 18 (par-4, 458 yards): The iconic finisher features a demanding approach over water to a well-guarded green, setting the stage for countless memorable moments and dramatic finishes.
The closing stretch, especially the tough par-3 17th and the watery 18th, often decides the tournament, much like in past years where eagles (like on the par-5 16th) or bold plays have sealed victories. With a loaded field including top players such as defending champion Russell Henley and two-time winner Scottie Scheffler returning to a venue that suits power and precision, Bay Hill promises another week of high-stakes golf under the Florida sun.
It’s not just a tournament — it’s a celebration of Arnold Palmer’s legacy at his beloved “home” course.
GCSSA Facts
Course Name: Bay Hill Club and Lodge
Nickname: “Arnie’s Place”
Director of Grounds: Chris Flynn
Superintendent: Alexandera Hills
Asst Super: John Owens, Clayton Julian
Equip Mgr: Pete Clover
Course Dogs: Zeke (11-year-old Brittany spaniel), Lucy (2-year-old Maltese)
Architect: Dick Wilson (1961)
Reno: Arnold Palmer (2009)
Par: 36-36-72
Yardage: 7,466
Greens: TifEagle bermudagrass .110
Collars: Celebration bermudagrass .225″
Approaches: Perennial ryegrass overseed .350″
Tees: Perennial ryegrass overseed .350″
Fairways: Perennial ryegrass overseed .350″
Rough: Perennial ryegrass overseed 3″
Avg Green Size: 7,500 sf
Total Property Acres: 250
Sand Bunkers: 84
Water Hazards: 8
Avg Fairway Width: 30 yards
Data provided by GSCAA Fact Sheet
The API Field
The Arnold Palmer Invitational features most of the tour’s top-ranked players, including No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 and 2024 champion. Scheffler is the heavy favorite at 3-1.
Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, and Collin Morikawa are some of the other marquee favorites.
Additional familiar top-ranked contenders include Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose, Patrick Cantlay, Kurt Kitayama, Russell Henley, Shane Lowry, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, among others.
Former API winners in the field include Henley (2025), Scheffler (2022, 2024), Kitayama (2023), McIlroy (2018), and Day (2016).
Top-10 Betting Favorites
Rank-Player-Odds
1. Scottie Scheffler (3-1)
2. Rory McIlroy (10-1)
3. Tommy Fleetwood (20-1)
4. Collin Morikawa (22-1)
4. Matt Fitzpatrick (22-1)
6. Xander Schauffele (25-1)
7. Hideki Matsuyama (30-1)
8. Harris English (35-1)
8. Jake Knapp (35-1)
8. Ludvig Aberg (35-1)
8. Russell Henley (35-1)
8. Si Woo Kim (35-1)
Full Field: Odds To Win
Bay Hill Club & Lodge | Orlando, FL | Mar 5-8, 2026
Credits: PGA Tour Media, Getty Images
Joel Cook contributed to this preview.
