Arnold Palmer Invitational

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played each March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort owned since 1974 by Arnold Palmer in Bay Hill, a suburb southwest of Orlando, Florida.

Arnold Palmer Invitational

Tournament information
Location	Bay Hill, Florida
Established	1966
Course(s)	Bay Hill Club and Lodge
Par	72
Length	7,466 yards (6,827 m)
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$20,000,000
Month played	March
Tournament record score
Aggregate	264 Payne Stewart (1987)
To par	−23 Buddy Allin (1973)
Current champion
Scottie Scheffler
Location map
Bay Hill Location in the United States Show map of the United States Bay Hill Location in Florida Show map of Florida

The event was founded in 1979 as a successor to the Florida Citrus Open Invitational, which debuted in 1966 and was played at Rio Pinar Country Club, east of Orlando, through 1978. Arnold Palmer won the Florida Citrus Open in 1971.

Since 1979, the tournament title has had several different names, most of them including "Bay Hill," but has played under the Palmer name since 2007. On March 21, 2012, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and MasterCard Worldwide announced an extension to MasterCard's "Presented by" sponsorship until the 2016 tournament.^[1][2]

In June 2014, the PGA Tour approved a resolution to grant the winner a three-year exemption, one more than regular Tour events and on par with winners of the World Golf Championships, The Tour Championship, and the Memorial Tournament.^[3]

The winner receives a red cardigan sweater in memory of Arnold Palmer, a tradition that began with the 2017 tournament after Palmer's death in 2016.^[4]

In 2019, the event was added to the Open Qualifying Series, giving up to three non-exempt players entry into The Open Championship.^[5]

Invitational status

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA Tour. Consequently, it has a reduced field of only 120 players (as compared to most full-field open tournaments with fields of 144 or 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are the Genesis Open, RBC Heritage, the Fort Worth Invitational, and the Memorial Tournament. Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 120 and 132 players) and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments are not required to fill their fields using the PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying).

Field

The field consists of 120 players invited using the following criteria:^[6]

1. Arnold Palmer Invitational winners before 2000 and in the last five years
2. The Players Championship and major championship winners in the last five years
3. The Tour Championship, World Golf Championships, and Memorial Tournament winners in the past three years
4. Tournament winners in the past year
5. Playing member of last-named U.S. Ryder Cup team; current PGA Tour members who were playing members on last named European Ryder Cup team, U.S. Presidents Cup team, and International Presidents Cup team
6. Prior year U.S. Amateur winner (if still an amateur)
7. Top 50 Official World Golf Ranking (as of Friday prior)
8. PGA Tour life members
9. 18 sponsors exemptions– two from Web.com Tour finals, eight members not otherwise exempt, and eight unrestricted
10. Up to two foreign players designated by the commissioner
11. Top 70 from prior year's FedEx Cup points list
12. Members in the top 125 non-member category whose prior year non-WGC points equal or exceed the 70th position on the prior year FedEx Cup points list
13. Top 70 from current year's FedEx Cup points list (as of Friday prior)
14. PGA Section (North Florida) champion/player of the year
15. Remaining positions filled from the current year's FedEx Cup points list

Arnold Palmer had a lifetime invitation.

Tournament highlights

 

Tyrrell Hatton with the trophy after winning in 2020.

• 1966: Lionel Hebert wins the inaugural version of the tournament. He wins by two shots over Jack Nicklaus, Charles Coody, and Dick Lytle.^[7]
• 1968: Dan Sikes breaks out of a 5-way logjam to win by one shot over Tom Weiskopf. At the end of 54 holes, Sikes had been tied for the lead with Jack Nicklaus, Bruce Devlin, Miller Barber, and Bob Charles. Officials said this was the first time there had ever been a five-way tie for the lead after 54 holes at a PGA event.^[8]
• 1971: Arnold Palmer wins the event eight years before he becomes its host. He beats Julius Boros by one shot.^[9]
• 1973: Vietnam War veteran Buddy Allin shoots a tournament record 23 under par to breeze to an eight-shot victory over Charles Coody.^[10]
• 1974: Jerry Heard becomes the tournament's first two-time winner. He beats Homero Blancas and Jim Jamieson by two shots.^[11]
• 1976: Early on a Monday morning, Hale Irwin defeats Kermit Zarley on the sixth hole of a sudden death playoff after play was suspended due to darkness on Sunday.^[12] While speaking to the press on Sunday evening, Irwin blamed NBC Sports for there not being enough time to finish the playoff.^[13]
• 1979: Bob Byman wins the tournament's first edition to be played at Bay Hill. He defeats John Schroeder on the second hole of a sudden death playoff.^[14]
• 1980: Dave Eichelberger wins by three shots over Leonard Thompson.^[15] The temperatures were so cold that Eichelberger wore pantyhose during the final round.^[16]
• 1982: Tom Kite chips in for birdie on the first hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Jack Nicklaus and Denis Watson.^[17]
• 1984: Gary Koch shoots a final round 63 before defeating George Burns on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. Koch is the only champion in the tournament's history to win both at Rio Pinar and Bay Hill.^[18]
• 1985: Coming off back surgery less than six months previously, Fuzzy Zoeller wins at Bay Hill. He finishes two shots ahead of Tom Watson.^[19]
• 1987: Payne Stewart, who owned a home just off Bay Hill's 12th tee, notches his third career PGA Tour title. He beats David Frost by three shots.^[20]
• 1989: Tom Kite wins for a second time at Bay Hill by defeating Davis Love III on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. Before the playoff, Kite and Love made a double bogey on the tournament's 72nd hole.^[21]
• 1990: Robert Gamez holes a 7-iron on the 72nd hole for an eagle two allowing him to win by one shot over Greg Norman.^[22]
• 1992: Fred Couples wins by nine shots over Gene Sauers. With his win, Couples becomes the #1 ranked player in the world.^[23]
• 1995: Loren Roberts becomes the first returning champion to defend his title successfully. He beats Brad Faxon by two shots.^[24]
• 1996: Paul Goydos wins for the first time on the PGA Tour. He beats Jeff Maggert by one shot and Tom Purtzer by two.^[25] During the tournament's second round, Purtzer incurred a two-shot penalty by playing the wrong ball.
• 1998: During the tournament's final round, John Daly hit six balls in the water on the sixth hole. He finishes the hole with a final score of 18.^[26]
• 2000: Tiger Woods wins at Bay Hill for the first time. He beats Davis Love III by four shots.^[27]
• 2003: Tiger Woods becomes the first golfer since Gene Sarazen at the 1930 Miami Open to win the same tournament in four consecutive years. He wins by 11 shots over Kirk Triplett, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, and Brad Faxon.^[28]
• 2005: Kenny Perry wins by two shots over Vijay Singh and Graeme McDowell. Perry and Singh were tied for the lead until Singh made a double bogey at the 72nd hole.^[29]
• 2008: Tiger Woods sinks a 25-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole to defeat Bart Bryant by one shot.^[30] It's Wood's fifth Bay Hill triumph in addition to his winning the fifth consecutive tournament he had played in.
• 2009: Tiger Woods wins at Bay Hill for the 2nd straight year and sixth time overall. He birdies the 72nd hole to defeat Sean O'Hair by one shot.^[31]
• 2012: Tiger Woods wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the seventh time, ending a winless streak on the PGA Tour dating back 27 events to September 13, 2009.^[32]
• 2013: Tiger Woods wins for a record-tying eighth time at the Arnold Palmer Invitational while holing three eagles during the week, the first time a player has accomplished the feat since 2001; he ascends to the number 1 ranking for the first time since October 2010.^[33]
• 2014: With world number one Woods out of the tournament, the focus was on world number two Adam Scott. Scott led the first three rounds, but struggled in the fourth round, finishing third behind Keegan Bradley and first-time PGA Tour winner Matt Every.
• 2015: Matt Every holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to beat Henrik Stenson by one shot and become the third golfer to defend his title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. In the third round, Daniel Berger recorded a double eagle at the par-5 6th hole, the first since the tournament moved to Bay Hill in 1979. Zach Johnson repeated the feat in the final round on the par-5 16th.^[34][35]

Course layout

Main article: Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Yards	461	231	434	590	390	555	199	460	480	3,800	400	438	574	370	215	467	511	221	458	3,654	7,454
Par	4	3	4	5	4	5	3	4	4	36	4	4	5	4	3	4	5	3	4	36	72

Source:^[36]

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Purse ($)	Winner's share ($)
Arnold Palmer Invitational
2024	Scottie Scheffler (2)	273	−15	5 strokes	Wyndham Clark	20,000,000	4,000,000
2023	Kurt Kitayama	279	−9	1 stroke	Harris English   Rory McIlroy	20,000,000	3,600,000
2022	Scottie Scheffler	283	−5	1 stroke	Tyrrell Hatton   Billy Horschel   Viktor Hovland	12,000,000	2,160,000
2021	Bryson DeChambeau	277	−11	1 stroke	Lee Westwood	9,300,000	1,674,000
2020	Tyrrell Hatton	284	−4	1 stroke	Marc Leishman	9,300,000	1,674,000
2019	Francesco Molinari	276	−12	2 strokes	Matt Fitzpatrick	9,100,000	1,638,000
2018	Rory McIlroy	270	−18	3 strokes	Bryson DeChambeau	8,900,000	1,602,000
2017	Marc Leishman	277	−11	1 stroke	Charley Hoffman   Kevin Kisner	8,700,000	1,566,000
2016	Jason Day	271	−17	1 stroke	Kevin Chappell	6,300,000	1,134,000
2015	Matt Every (2)	269	−19	1 stroke	Henrik Stenson	6,300,000	1,134,000
2014	Matt Every	275	−13	1 stroke	Keegan Bradley	6,200,000	1,116,000
2013	Tiger Woods (8)	275	−13	2 strokes	Justin Rose	6,200,000	1,116,000
2012	Tiger Woods (7)	275	−13	5 strokes	Graeme McDowell	6,000,000	1,080,000
2011	Martin Laird	280	−8	1 stroke	Steve Marino	6,000,000	1,080,000
2010	Ernie Els (2)	277	−11	2 strokes	Edoardo Molinari   Kevin Na	6,000,000	1,080,000
2009	Tiger Woods (6)	275	−5	1 stroke	Sean O'Hair	6,000,000	1,080,000
2008	Tiger Woods (5)	270	−10	1 stroke	Bart Bryant	5,800,000	1,044,000
2007	Vijay Singh	272	−8	2 strokes	Rocco Mediate	5,500,000	990,000
Bay Hill Invitational
2006	Rod Pampling	274	−14	1 stroke	Greg Owen	5,500,000	990,000
2005	Kenny Perry	276	−12	2 strokes	Graeme McDowell   Vijay Singh	5,000,000	900,000
2004	Chad Campbell	270	−18	6 strokes	Stuart Appleby	5,000,000	900,000
2003	Tiger Woods (4)	269	−19	11 strokes	Stewart Cink   Brad Faxon   Kenny Perry   Kirk Triplett	4,500,000	810,000
2002	Tiger Woods (3)	275	−13	4 strokes	Michael Campbell	4,000,000	720,000
2001	Tiger Woods (2)	273	−15	1 stroke	Phil Mickelson	3,500,000	630,000
2000	Tiger Woods	270	−18	4 strokes	Davis Love III	3,000,000	540,000
1999	Tim Herron	274	−14	Playoff	Tom Lehman	2,500,000	450,000
1998	Ernie Els	274	−14	4 strokes	Bob Estes   Jeff Maggert	2,000,000	360,000
1997	Phil Mickelson	272	−16	3 strokes	Stuart Appleby	1,500,000	270,000
1996	Paul Goydos	275	−13	1 stroke	Jeff Maggert	1,200,000	216,000
Nestle Invitational
1995	Loren Roberts (2)	272	−16	2 strokes	Brad Faxon	1,200,000	216,000
1994	Loren Roberts	275	−13	1 stroke	Nick Price   Vijay Singh   Fuzzy Zoeller	1,200,000	216,000
1993	Ben Crenshaw	280	−8	2 strokes	Davis Love III   Rocco Mediate   Vijay Singh	1,000,000	180,000
1992	Fred Couples	269	−19	9 strokes	Gene Sauers	1,000,000	180,000
1991	Andrew Magee	203^[a]	−13	2 strokes	Tom Sieckmann	1,000,000	180,000
1990	Robert Gamez	274	−14	1 stroke	Greg Norman	900,000	162,000
1989	Tom Kite (2)	278	−6	Playoff	Davis Love III	800,000	144,000
Hertz Bay Hill Classic
1988	Paul Azinger	271	−13	5 strokes	Tom Kite	750,000	135,000
1987	Payne Stewart	264	−20	3 strokes	David Frost	600,000	108,000
1986	Dan Forsman	202^[a]	−11	1 stroke	Raymond Floyd   Mike Hulbert	500,000	90,000
1985	Fuzzy Zoeller	275	−9	2 strokes	Tom Watson	500,000	90,000
Bay Hill Classic
1984	Gary Koch (2)	272	−12	Playoff	George Burns	400,000	72,000
1983	Mike Nicolette	283	−1	Playoff	Greg Norman	350,000	63,000
1982	Tom Kite	278	−6	Playoff	Jack Nicklaus   Denis Watson	300,000	54,000
1981	Andy Bean	266	−18	7 strokes	Tom Watson	300,000	54,000
1980	Dave Eichelberger	279	−5	3 strokes	Leonard Thompson	300,000	54,000
Bay Hill Citrus Classic
1979	Bob Byman	278	−6	Playoff	John Schroeder	250,000	45,000
Florida Citrus Open
1978	Mac McLendon	271	−17	2 strokes	David Graham	200,000	40,000
1977	Gary Koch	274	−14	2 strokes	Dale Hayes   Joe Inman	200,000	40,000
1976	Hale Irwin	270	−18	Playoff	Kermit Zarley	200,000	40,000
1975	Lee Trevino	276	−12	1 stroke	Hale Irwin	200,000	40,000
1974	Jerry Heard (2)	273	−15	3 strokes	Homero Blancas   Jim Jamieson	150,000	30,000
1973	Buddy Allin	265	−23	8 strokes	Charles Coody	150,000	30,000
1972	Jerry Heard	276	−12	2 strokes	Bobby Mitchell	150,000	30,000
Florida Citrus Invitational
1971	Arnold Palmer	270	−18	1 stroke	Julius Boros	150,000	30,000
1970	Bob Lunn	271	−17	1 stroke	Arnold Palmer   Bob Stanton	150,000	30,000
Florida Citrus Open Invitational
1969	Ken Still	278	−10	1 stroke	Miller Barber	115,000	23,000
1968	Dan Sikes	274	−14	1 stroke	Tom Weiskopf	115,000	23,000
1967	Julius Boros	274	−10	1 stroke	George Knudson   Arnold Palmer	115,000	23,000
1966	Lionel Hebert	279	−5	2 strokes	Charles Coody   Dick Lytle   Jack Nicklaus	110,000	21,000

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources:^[37][38]

Multiple winners

Eight men have won this tournament more than once through 2024.

• 8 wins
  • Tiger Woods: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013
• 2 wins
  • Jerry Heard: 1972, 1974
  • Gary Koch: 1977, 1984
  • Tom Kite: 1982, 1989
  • Loren Roberts: 1994, 1995
  • Ernie Els: 1998, 2010
  • Matt Every: 2014, 2015
  • Scottie Scheffler: 2022, 2024

Notes

1. Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

References

1. "MasterCard Extends Presenting Sponsorship of Arnold Palmer Invitational". MasterCard.com (Press release). March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
2. . ArnoldPalmerInvitational.com. March 21, 2012. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
3. "Boost to Arnie and Jack tourneys". ESPN. Associated Press. June 3, 2014.
4. Auclair, T.J. "Red cardigan sweater for Arnold Palmer Invitational winner revealed". PGA of America. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
5. . theopen.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
6. (PDF). October 5, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2016.
7. Hebert Discards Remedy, Wins Florida Citrus Open
8. Dan Sikes wins Citrus Open
9. Palmer Cops Citrus Open
10. Allin Citrus Champ
11. Jerry Heard regains winning touch, takes Citrus Open on 273 total
12. Citrus Open playoff won by Hale Irwin
13. Irwin Raps TV For Late Start
14. Byman, a Rookie, Wins Golf Playoff
15. Eichelberger wins chilly Bay Hill
16. Golfers required panty hose
17. Kite wins Bay Hill Golf in three-man playoff
18. Gary Koch wins Bay Hill playoff
19. Fuzzy Zoeller wins Bay Hill Classic
20. Stewart wins Bay Hill by 3
21. White, Gordon S. Jr. (March 13, 1989). "Kite Catches Love And Wins Playoff". The New York Times. from the original on 2019-08-23.
22. Anderson, Dave (March 26, 1990). "Spectacular Eagle Wins for Gamez". The New York Times. from the original on 2020-10-14.
23. Sizzling Couples coasts by 9 shots in Nestle laugher
24. Dorman, Larry (March 20, 1995). "Roberts and Bay Hill Links Seem Made for Each Other (Published 1995)". The New York Times. from the original on 2020-10-14.
25. Goydos fires 67 to capture Bay Hill
26. Brown, Clifton (March 23, 1998). "Six In Lake Give Daly an 18 (Published 1998)". The New York Times. from the original on 2023-06-06.
27. Woods Triumphs Again, Leaving Love in Awe
28. Ailing Woods wins 4th straight Bay Hill by 11 strokes
29. Perry Wins Bay Hill After Singh Suffers Rocky Finish
30. Tiger birdies 18 for title
31. Golf-Woods overhauls O'Hair for comeback win at Bay Hill
32. Donegan, Lawrence (March 26, 2012). "Tiger Woods ends PGA Tour drought with Arnold Palmer Invitational win". The Guardian. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
33. Schmitz, Brian (March 26, 2013). "Tiger Woods is back at No. 1 after winning Arnold Palmer Invitational". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
34. "Matt Every wins again at Bay Hill". ESPN.com. 22 March 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
35. "Daniel Berger makes 2 on par 5". ESPN.com. 21 March 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
36. "Course: Bay Hill Club". PGA Tour. 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
37. Arnold Palmer Invitational - Winners - at www.pgatour.com
38. Arnold Palmer Invitational - Winners 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine - at www.golfobserver.com

External links

• Official website
• Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site
• Bay Hill Club and Lodge
• Rio Pinar Country Club