By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk
The Cut: Fifty professionals and one amateur at 4-over (148) made the cut from a field of 71 professionals and one amateur (low 50 players and ties and any additional players within 10 strokes of the 36-hole lead).
ORLANDO - Bay Hill is a tough golf course to master and it’s even tougher on cold, blustery days. Shane Lowry has been able to bring out a two stroke lead after 36 holes. It’s his fifth career 36-hole lead/co-lead in individual stroke-play events. Lowry is 1-for-4 in converting to victory (2019 Open Championship).
Lowry is the third player to hold the 36-hole lead/co-lead in consecutive years at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard since 1983 (Tiger Woods/2002-2003/Won-Won, Davis Love III/1998-1999/T17-3rd).
Lowry carded consecutive rounds in the 60s (69-67) for the first time in 18 career rounds at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with Friday’s conditions better than Thursday’s cold and gusty weather.
First-round leader Wyndham Clark (2 nd/-6), who led by two to start the Friday’s round, is two shots back after a 1-under (71). He finished runner-up at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational, his best finish in four starts at Bay Hill.
The last player to finish runner-up and win the same tournament the following year: Robert MacIntyre (2023, 2024 Genesis Scottish Open). His runner-up finish at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational was his first of consecutive runner-up finishes in 2024, both of which he lost to Scottie Scheffler. The other? THE PLAYERS Championship.
After opening with a shaky 5-over (77), World No. 3 Xander Schauffele (T46/+4) posted a one-under (71) to make the cut on the number, extending his TOUR-best streak of made cuts to 58.
Arnold Palmer Leaderboard | After 36 Holes
1 Shane Lowry 69 67 136 (-8)
2 Wyndham Clark 67 71 138 (-6)
T3 Corey Conners 69 70 139 (-5)
T3 Collin Morikawa 71 68 139 (-5)
T5 Russell Henley 72 68 140 (-4)
T5 Rory McIlroy 70 70 140 (-4)
T5 Jason Day 76 64 140 (-4)
API Full Leaderboard: (link)
RIO GRANDE, (Puerto Rico) - Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson is excelling in his first career PGA TOUR start. He claimed the outright 36-hole lead following rounds of 64 and 65 and set the tournament record for lowest 36-hole score of (129). The previous low of 130, was accomplished four times, including Davis Riley this week.
Neergaard-Peterson has totaled 13 birdies and one eagle, and he’s the only player in the field bogey-free through two rounds.
Sangmoon Bae withdrew (neck) during the second round.
Puerto Rico Open | Leaderboard (partial After 18 holes)
1 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 64 65 129 (-15)
2 Davis Riley 64 66 130 (-14)
3 Austin Cook 66 65 131 (-13)
T4 William Mouw 65 67 132 (-12)
T4 Noah Goodwin 66 66 132 (-12)
T4 Karl Vilips 65 67 132 (-12)
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 9:20am (ET) to 1:50pm (ET) today.
Weather: The Orlando-area forecast for Saturday calls for sunny skies and lower winds (5-6 mph). Temperatures reaching 80 degrees and a zero percent 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 9:00am (ET) Sunday.
Media Coverage of the PGA Tour | Saturday
Saturday, March 8, 2025 - All Times Eastern (Puerto Rico + 1 hour ahead)
8 a.m.-6 p.m. - ESPN+ Streaming
12:30-2:30 p.m. - Golf Channel
12:30-6 p.m. - NBC Sports app streaming
1-6 p.m. - SiriusXM PGA Tour radio
2:30p.m. - 5 p.m. - Puerto Rico Open (Golf Channel)
2:30-6 p.m. - NBC
PGA Tour | Tee Times and Leaderboard
Tee Times at API: (link) - 9:20am-1:50pm (ET)
Tournament Leaderboard: (link)
Puerto Rico Leaderboard: (link)
What They’re Saying
Lowry Builds Two-Shot Lead at Bay Hill (ESPNCom)
Who MTC at API? (Golf Week)
How to Watch the Arnold Palmer Invitational Saturday (Golf Week)
CBS Sports HQ/Golf (CBSSports)
Puerto Rico: Neergaard-Peterson Takes 1-shot Lead (ESPNCom)
On This Day in Golf History
March 8, 2015 - Dustin Johnson shot a final round three-under par (69) to win the Cadillac Championship at Doral by one shot over J.B. Holmes. The victory for DJ came one month after he returned to PGA Tour after taking a six month absence from the tour for personal issues and recovery time. - (Courtesy of Randy Walker), Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt
Second 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.