The 61st Arnold Palmer Invitational
This is the 61st playing of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and 48th time the event has been played at Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Bay Hill is a stock 72, 7,466 yards. It’s a classic course that rewards great ball striking, and, of course, clutch putting as all the great courses require. The defending champion is Russell Henley. Scottie Scheffler won in 2022 and 2024 and Kurt Kitayama won in 2023. One of the 4 faces of the Mount Rushmore of golf, Arnie, Jack, Hogan and Bobby Jones (Arguable, but I like it. Character matters), Arnie was an all time American classic. He made golf the spectacle and lucrative sport that it is today. He started it, with help from Jack and then Eldrick, and this tournament exemplifies the character Arnie had as a person and player. It’s an impressive and difficult track.
Here are the odds for the tournament.
Scheffler, 3/1, Rory, 10/1, Tommy Fleetwood, 19/1, Xander Schauffele, 22/1, Matt Fitz, 23/1, Collin Morikawa, the winner at the first signature event, the AT&T Pebble Beach, 27/1, Si Woo Kim, 29/1, Cam Young, 31/1, Hideki, 35/1, Henley, 35/1, Jake Knapp, 38/1, Ludvig Aberg, 39/1, Bob McIntyre, 41/1, Patrick Cantlay, 41/1, Harris English, 42/1, Kitayama, 42/1, Min Woo Lee, 43/1, Vik Hovland, 44/1, Chris Gotterup, Sony Open and Waste Management Open winner, 46/1, Shane Lowry, collapse last week at PGA National at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches won by Nico Echavarria, 47/1, Rickie Fowler, 49/1, Justin Rose, won the Farmers at Torrey Pines, 49/1, Ben Griffin, 52/1, Adam Scott, 53/1, Sam Burns, 54/1, Sepp Straka, 55/1, Maverick McNealy, 59/1, Keegan Bradley, 64/1, Jacob Bridgeman, winner at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in Pacific Palisades, CA, the second of the 8 Signature events, 68/1, Justin Thomas, back after back surgery last fall, 69/1, Jordan Spieth, 69/1.
This is the third Signature Event on tour, and hosts a field of 72 players with a 36 hole cut as standard for player sponsored events, with the Genesis (Tiger), and the Memorial (Jack) being the other two. The top 50 and ties and players within 10 strokes of the lead get to play on the weekend. The winner gets a $4 million check. Second place pays $2.2 Million, third pays $1.4 Million, fourth pays $1 million, and fifth pays $800K., The other four Signature events besides Pebble Beach(the RBC Heritage-Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, the Miami Championship-Trump National-Doral, the Truist Championship-Quail Hollow, and the Travelers Championship- TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, CT)pay $3.6 million to first place, but also don’t have a cut. The greens at Bay Hill are Bermuda and will be stimping at 13 1/2 and the rough will get up to 4 inches.
Weather
Thursday, 85, mostly sunny. Wind, ESE 12.
Friday, 86, Partly cloudy, slight chance of a shower/ t storm. Wind, ESE 12.
Saturday, 85, Sunny, stray t storm, stock for Florida. Wind, ESE 11.
Sunday, 87, mostly sunny. Wind SE 8.
TV
Thursday- 1-5 P.M. CT/ 2-6 P.M .ET Golf Channel
Friday, 1-5 P.M. CT, 2-6 ET, GC
Saturday, 11:30 A.M.- 1:30 P.M. CT/ 12:30-2:30 P.M ET, GC, 1:30-5 P.M. CT, 2:30-6 P.M. ET, NBC/Peacock
Sunday, 11:30 A.M.-1:30 P.M. CT/12:30-2:30 P.M. ET, GC, 1:30-5 P.M. CT, 2:30-6 ET, NBC/Peacock.
Winner
I’ll take the 26 year old from Inman, South Carolina by way of Clemson. He finished tied for 15th at Bay Hill last year, and, in 2026, has tied for fourth at the Sony, tied for 8th at the AT&T Pebble, and won the Genesis. He’s 4th in Strokes Gained: Total, this season, 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach, and First in Strokes Gained: Putting. Give me this young stallion to capture the 61st Arnie.
Jacob Bridgeman
Sleeper
I’ll go with the 31 year old from Costa Mesa, CA. by way of UCLA. He finished tied 6th at the Genesis and is trending well.
Jake Knapp
