PGA Tour Brunch | Arnold Palmer Inv.
PGA Tour Brunch | Moving Day at the Arnold Palmer | +Puerto Rico
The Cut: Fifty-one professionals and one amateur at 2-over (146) 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
First over par 36-hole cut on TOUR since the 2025 Open Championship (1-over)
By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk
ORLANDO - Daniel Berger (1st/-13) followed his opening-round (63) with a 4-under (68) and holds a five-stroke lead over Akshay Bhatia going into weekend play.
Berger’s five stroke lead at the halfway mark ties the largest 36-hole lead on TOUR since Robert MacIntyre at the 2025 BMW Championship (5 strokes). It also marks the second-largest 36-hole lead in tournament history (7/Adam Scott/2014).
Berger holds his fourth career 36-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR and his first since 2022 (Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches/4th). He is 1-for-3 converting 36-hole lead/co-lead to victory on TOUR (2016 FedEx St. Jude Classic).
Making his second start at the event, Akshay Bhatia (2nd/-8) carded a second round (66), the low round of the day. He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (7.930), his most gained thru 36-holes in his TOUR career (previous: +5.33/2025 PGA Championship).
World No. 5 and FedEx Cup No. 4 Collin Morikawa (T3/-7) owns two Top-10 finishes in five prior starts at the event (T9/2020, 2nd/2025). He seeks to become the first player since Robert MacIntyre (2023, 2024 Genesis Scottish Open) to finish runner-up and win the same tournament the next year.
36-hole standings from notable players in the field:
Defending champion Russell Henley (T7/-5)
Twenty-nine time PGA TOUR winner Rory McIlroy (T9/-4)
World No. 1 and 20-time PGA TOUR winner Scottie Scheffler (T15/-3)
Arnold Palmer Cup Exemption and University of Texas sophomore Daniel Bennett (T20/-2)
Please note: This week, PGA Tour Brunch will focus 99% of the coverage on the Arnold Palmer Invitational Signature event, but will add the leaderboard and a couple links to keep readers posted on the Puerto Rico Open.
Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard | After 36 Holes
1 Daniel Berger 63 68 131 (-13)
2 Akshay Bhatia 70 66 136 (-8)
T3 Ludvig Åberg 66 71 137 (-7)
T3 Sahith Theegala 70 67 137 (-7)
T3 Collin Morikawa 66 71 137 (-7)
Full Leaderboard After 36 Holes: (link)
Puerto Rico Open | After 36 Holes
1 Chandler Blanchet 64 67 131 (-13)
2 Gordon Sargent 65 70 135 (-9)
T3 Ricky Castillo 68 68 136 (-8)
T3 Jesper Svensson 67 69 136 (-8)
T3 Blades Brown 69 67 136 (-8)
T3 Jeremy Paul 69 67 136 (-8)
Full Leaderboard After 36 Holes: (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: Russell Henley
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 1:40pm (ET) today.
Weather: Today’s forecast in Orlando, Fla. calls for mostly sunny skies with temperatures rsing from 71 to 84-degrees by 2:00pm. Winds at 8-10 mph and only a 1% chance of rain at 11:00am but a 15% chance by 2:00pm.
Tournament Web Site: (link)
FedEx Cup Info: (link)
Puerto Rico’s Tee Times run from 7:00am 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 | Friday
Coverage on Saturday, March 7, 2025 - All Times Eastern (Puerto Rico + 1 hour)
9:45am-6pm - Arnold Palmer - ESPN+ Streaming
10:00am-1:00pm - Puerto Rico Open on Golf Channel
12:30pm-2:30pm - Arnold Palmer on Golf Channel
1:00pm-6:00pm - SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio
2:30pm-6:00pm - Arnold Palmer on Peacock Network and NBC Sports app
How to Watch: (link)
Puerto Rico: (link)
What They’re Saying
Berger Tames US Open-like Bay Hill at Arnold Palmer (ESPN))
Fleetwood, Speith Make the Cut (PGATourCom)
How to Watch Moving Day at Bay Hill today (PGATourCom)
CBS Sports HQ/Golf (CBSSports)
On This Day in Golf History
March 7, 1982 - Tom Kite holed an 8-iron chip from the fringe to defeat Jack Nicklausand 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
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