PGA Tour Brunch | "Let's Play Two"
Preview | Arnold Palmer Invitational | 1st Look | Puerto Rico Open
By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk
ORLANDO - “Let’s Play Two.”
We’ve got a twin bill, a doubleheader, a two for one of a weekend of PGA Tour golf with the A+ field at the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando for a big time purse and the up & comers playing a “JV” tournament at the Puerto Rico Open.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard is the 10th event of the young PGA Tour season and the fourth of eight Signature Events during the TOUR year.
The API Field Features:
33 players who participated in last week’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, including champion Joe Highsmith and the following players who also finished inside the top 10: Jacob Bridgeman (T2), J.J. Spaun (T2), Max McGreevy (T4), Ben Griffin (T4), Russell Henley (T6), Michael Kim (T6)
45 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, including all of the top five: No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Xander Schauffele, No. 4 Ludvig Åberg and No. 5 Collin Morikawa
The three past champions (four wins): Jason Day (2016), Rory McIlroy (2018), Scottie Scheffler (2022, 2024)
Seven past FedEx Cup champions (nine wins): Billy Horschel (2014), Rory McIlroy (2016/2019/2022), Justin Thomas (2017), Justin Rose (2018), Patrick Cantlay (2021), Viktor Hovland (2023), Scottie Scheffler (2024).
Sponsor exemption for this week: Rafael Campos, Mackenzie Hughes, Min Woo Lee, Justin Rose.
This week, PGA Tour Brunch will focus 99% of the coverage on the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but will add the leaderboard and a couple links to keep readers posted on the Puerto Rico Open, too.
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) on Thursday.
Weather: Orlando’s Thursday forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with high of 76 degrees. Winds at 14 mph and a 15% 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 6:30am (ET) Thursday and Friday.
Arnold Palmer Invitational | Field, Tee Times
The Field: (link)
Tee Times: (link) - 7:40am-1:50pm (ET)
Arnold Palmer Invitational | Tournament Odds
Source: CBS Sportsline
Scottie Scheffler +320
Rory McIlroy +750
Ludvig Aberg +1600
Xander Schauffele +1600
Collin Morikawa +2200
Hideki Matsuyama +2500
Justin Thomas +2800
Patrick Cantlay +3000
Tommy Fleetwood +3500
Sungjae Im +4500
Will Zalatoris +5000
Sam Burns +5500
Keegan Bradley +5500
Matt Fitzpatrick +5500
Viktor Hovland +5500
Maverick McNealy +5500
Wyndham Clark +6000
Robert MacIntyre +6000
Tony Finau +6000
Russell Henley +6500
Shane Lowry +6500
Daniel Berger +6500
Sepp Straka +7000
Corey Conners +7000
Taylor Pendrith +7000
Tom Kim +7500
Michael Kim +8000
Jason Day +8000
Si Woo Kim +8000
Ben Griffin +8000
Akshay Bhatia +8000
Jake Knapp +8000
Denny Mccarthy +9000
Adam Scott +9000
Min Woo Lee +9000
Davis Thompson +9000
Billy Horschel +10000
Aaron Rai +11000
Max Greyserman +11000
J.J. Spaun +11000
Samuel Stevens +11000
Patrick Rodgers +11000
Cameron Young +11000
Sahith Theegala +11000
Thomas Detry +11000
Lucas Glover +12000
Brian Harman +12000
Alex Smalley +12000|
J.T. Poston +12000
Aldrich Potgieter +12000
Byeong Hun An +12000
Taylor Moore +12000
Nick Taylor +15000
Stephan Jaeger +15000
Isaiah Salinda +15000
TL’s Wedge for an Edge: The picks for this week with JUST the Arnold Palmer Invitational in mind: Rory McIlroy (Capt), Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry. The Bench: Daniel Berger and Patrick Cantlay.
For the Tour One and Done? - Schauffele
Odds for Puerto Rico Open: (link)
What They’re Saying
Power Rankings for Bay Hill (PGATourCom)
TV Coverage Will Include More “Walk and Talks” (ESPNCom/AP)
Power Rankings at Puerto Rico Open (PGATourCom)
How to Watch the Arnold Palmer on Thursday (Golf Week)
CBS Sports HQ/Golf (CBSSports)
Sports Gambling, Daily Fantasy and Industry News
Best Bets, Strategies at Arnold Palmer Inv. - (Action Net)
Expert Picks for Bay Hill - (PGATourCom)
Sleeper Picks for Bay Hill - (PGATourCom)
Mickelson/Couples Spar on Social Media - (Golf Week)
Another PGA Tour Card on the Line for Amateur - (Golf Week)
On This Day in Golf History
March 5, 2015 - J.B. Holmes fired an opening round (62) on The Blue Moster at the Doral Country Club to begin the World Golf Championship. Holmes’ record-tying round was played when the overall scoring average was 73.39, almost 11 1/2 strokes away. Dustin Johnson would end up winning the tournament (-9), a stroke better than Holmes. Holmes’ (62) equalled the 1991 round at Doral, carded by Greg Norman. - (Courtesy of Randy Walker), Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt
Everything You Need to Know about the A.P.I.
Next Up
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