Arnold Palmer Invitational Preview
This week sees the PGA Tour continue its swing through the Sunshine State with the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Held since 1966, the tournament took place at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Bay Hill, Florida. The par 72 course, located outside Orlando, has hosted the event since 1979.
The stakes have been raised for this year’s edition, as the purse sits at $20 million. The winner is taking home $3.6 million, an increase from the $2.16 million prize last year.
Scottie Scheffler enters this year’s edition as the defending champion. Scheffler’s triumph was his second career win in the PGA Tour and his second in a two-month span between February and April 2022. The Texan defended his crown at the WM Phoenix Open earlier this year but did not play in last week’s Honda Classic.
Chris Kirk is the current winner on the PGA Tour, having prevailed in a playoff against Eric Cole in the aforementioned Honda Classic. Kirk is in the field this week, looking to follow up on his fifth PGA Tour win, and seeking to improve on his tie for fifth last year.
Several former winners headline this year’s field. 2018 champion Rory McIlroy is in the field but has struggled so far this season on the PGA Tour. Jason Day, who won in 2016, has fared better than McIlroy with two top ten finishes this year at the WM Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational. 2020 winner Tyrell Hatton was a co-runner-up last year and the Englishman is looking for his second victory at Bay Hill.
Among those competing this week who have not previously won, Jon Rahm enters as the biggest name. The top-ranked player in the world and first in the FedEx Cup standings, Rahm has had a great 2023, with three wins on the PGA Tour. His most recent victory came at the Genesis Invitational, where he finished two ahead of the pack.
Another golfer looking to make noise this week is Max Homa. Like Rahm, Homa has started the new year well, winning the Farmers Insurance Open and finishing as the runner-up at the Genesis Invitational. Homa will be looking for redemption on the back nine, as he bogeyed the final two holes at last year’s tournament despite a hole-in-one earlier that round.
Will Zalatoris is competing this week as well. The young American finished fourth at the Genesis Invitational and has come close at several majors. Zalatoris sits at seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking and is looking to get hot ahead of major season.
Viktor Hovland was one shot behind Scheffler as well last year and is back for another shot at the red sweater. The Norweigan boasts two top ten finishes this season but has not won since December 2021. Still, Hovland’s consistency should keep him around for the weekend, as he made 18 cuts in 21 starts during the last full PGA Tour season.
Other big names competing at Bay Hill include Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry.
Will Duerksen is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email wdd5066@psu.edu.
