PGA Tour Brunch | Arnold Palmer
Second Round Coverage of the API | Update on Puerto Rico
By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk
ORLANDO - Under partly sunny skies but a brisk 67 degree day with the wind blowing at 14 mph with 25 mph gusts, the Bay Hill golf course wreaked some havoc on players during the opening round of the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Wyndham Clark shot 5-under (67), which marked his second-lowest round ever at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (66/R2/2024). He posted his sixth first-round lead/co-lead in a stroke play event and second of the season (2025 WM Phoenix Open/finished T16).
Clark has never converted a first-round lead/co-lead to victory.
Over the years, 10 first-round leaders/co-leaders have gone on to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational with the most recent: Jason Day/2016).
No first-round leader/co-leaders have won during the 2025 season.
Shane Lowry (T2) went eagle-par-bogey to finish at 3-under (69), two shots off the lead. He held the solo-lead after the first round of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational but went on to finish third behind winner Scottie Scheffler and runner-up Wyndham Clark, who enjoyed his best finish in six starts at Bay Hill.
Keegan Bradley (T2) has four Top-10s in 13 previous starts at Bay Hill: T3/2013, 2nd/2014, T10/2021, T10/2023.
World No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler (T11) posted a 1-under (71) and sits four shots off the lead.
The 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational champion, Rory McIlroy, (T6), who won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in his ‘25 season debut, is three back at 2-under (70). McIlroy moved to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking this week, passing Xander Schauffele, who held the No. 2 position since May 2024
Xander Schauffele (T52), who is making his first start since The Sentry in January following a rib injury, recorded a 5-over (77), his highest score in 13 rounds at Bay Hill.
API LEADERBOARD | After 18 Holes
1 Wyndham Clark 67 (-5)
T2 Keegan Bradley 69 (-3)
T2 Corey Conners 69 (-3)
T2 Christiaan Bezuidenhout 69 (-3)
T2 Shane Lowry 69 (-3)
API Full Leaderboard: (link)
Suspension summary: Round one was suspended from 12:27 to 1:44 p.m. local time due to rain. Then, due to darkness, round one was suspended for the day at 6:32 p.m. with 18 players still needing to complete their rounds. Round one will resume Friday at 7 a.m., and round two will begin as originally scheduled at 6:45 a.m. (local).
RIO GRANDE, (Puerto Rico) - The Puerto Rico Open - Kevin Roy returned from an hour long rain delay and holed a bunker shot for his 10th of 11 birdies Thursday en route to a 10-under 62 and a one-shot lead in the Puerto Rico Open. It was a career-low PGA Tour round for the 34-year-old Roy, who made nine cuts in 31 starts as a tour rookie in 2022-23, then earned his way back via the Korn Ferry Tour last year.
Puerto Rico Open | Leaderboard (partial After 18 holes)
1 Kevin Roy 62 (-10)
2 Chris Gotterup 63 (-9)
T3 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 64 (-8)
T3 Davis Riley 64 (-8)
5 Karl Vilips 65 (-7)
Full Tournament Leaderboard: (link)
Arnold Palmer Invitational | Tournament Facts
COURSE: Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida
YARDS/PAR: 7,466 yards/Par 72
ARCHITECTS: Dick Wilson/Joe Lee
PRIZE Money - Purse: $20,000,000 with Winner: $4,000,000
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Scottie Scheffler
PAST RESULTS: (link)
OVERVIEW: (link)
FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 700
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @APInv and @PuertoRicoOpen
How to Watch: Please visit: Golf Week)
Arnold Palmer Invitational | The Basics
The Tee Times at Bay Hill will run from 7:40am (ET) to 1:50pm (ET) today.
Weather: Friday’s Orlando-area forecast calls for highs of 84 degrees but continued windy conditions (14 mph with gusts to 25). There’s a 19% chance of rain.
Tournament Web Site: (link)
FedEx Cup Info: (link)
Puerto Rico’s Tee Times run from 5:50am to 12:50pm (ET) - (1 hour time difference)
Puerto Rico Open Overview: (link)
PGA Tour Brunch will post at 8:00am (ET) Saturday.
Media Coverage of the PGA Tour | Thursday
Friday, March 7, 2025 - All Times Eastern (Puerto Rico + 1 hour ahead)
7:30am-6pm, ESPN+ Streaming
10:00am-1:00pm - Puerto Rico Open on Golf Channel
12 noon-6pm, SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio
2:00pm-6:00pm, Golf Channel
2:00pm-6:00pm, NBC Sports app
Arnold Palmer Invitational | Field, Tee Times and Leaderboard
The Field: (link)
Tee Times: (link) - 7:40am-1:50pm (ET)
Tournament Leaderboard: (link)
Puerto Rico Leaderboard: (link)
What They’re Saying
Clark Up by Two Strokes at Bay Hill (ESPNCom)
Schaufelle Struggles (PGATourCom)
How to Watch the Arnold Palmer Invitational Friday (Golf Week)
CBS Sports HQ/Golf (CBSSports)
Puerto Rico: Roy Shoots (62) at PR Open (ESPNCom)
On This Day in Golf History
March 7, 1982 - Tom Kite holed an 8-iron chip from the fringe to defeat Jack Nicklaus and Denis Watson on the first hole of a sudden death playoff to with the Bay Hill Invitational. The win was Kite’s fourth career victory and earned him $54,000. - (Courtesy of Randy Walker), Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt
First Round Highlights from Bay Hill
Next Up
PGA TOUR Brunch is brought to you by Digital Sports Desk. Subscriptions to PGA Tour Brunch are the perfect gift for your friends or family members who love pro golf. This e-newsletter is not affiliated with the PGA Tour organization.