The PGA Tour’s Florida Swing ignites today as the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard 2025 begins at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, running from March 7-9, 2025. This prestigious Signature Event, the fourth of the 2025 season, brings together 72 of golf’s elite players to compete on one of the Tour’s toughest tracks for a $20 million purse—including $4 million for the champion—and 700 FedExCup points. Under the Orlando sun, legacies will be tested, and a new chapter in this storied tournament’s history will unfold.
The 2025 field showcases a powerhouse lineup, with 47 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking set to tee off, per early projections. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who conquered Bay Hill in 2024 with a 15-under finish, returns to defend his title against a stacked roster. Major winners like Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Jon Rahm headline the field, joined by rising stars Ludvig Åberg and Min Woo Lee. Sponsor exemptions include 11-time PGA Tour winner Justin Rose and Auburn sophomore Jackson Koivun, recipient of the Palmer Cup Award, making his Bay Hill debut. Joe Highsmith and J.J. Spaun, fresh off strong Cognizant Classic showings, also earned late entries via the Aon Next 10.
“We’re honored to host the world’s best at Arnie’s place,” said Tournament Director John Bush. “Bay Hill’s challenge, paired with this exceptional field, ensures three days of unforgettable golf in tribute to Mr. Palmer’s legacy.”
The tournament employs a 36-hole cut, advancing the top 50 players and ties, plus those within 10 strokes of the lead, a format mirroring other Signature Events like The Genesis Invitational. The winner secures a three-year PGA Tour exemption through 2028 and berths into THE PLAYERS Championship through 2027.
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, a par-72 layout stretching 7,466 yards, remains a formidable test. Last year’s scoring average of 72.331 marked its eighth straight over-par finish, a testament to its demanding fairways, punishing rough, and lightning-fast greens. The par-5 6th and 16th—both yielding rare double eagles in 2015—offer scoring chances, but the iconic par-3 17th and the daunting 18th, with its water-guarded green, often decide fates. With winds forecast to gust up to 20 mph today, per local Orlando weather trends, players will need precision and grit from the opening tee shot.
Since its inception in 1979 as the successor to the Florida Citrus Open, the Arnold Palmer Invitational has been a proving ground for greatness. Tiger Woods holds the record with eight victories (2000-2003, 2008-2009, 2012-2013), while Palmer himself won in 1971 at Rio Pinar. Elevated to Signature Event status in recent years, it now boasts a denser, elite field, cementing its place among golf’s premier stops. Mastercard’s presenting sponsorship, extended in 2012 and beyond, underscores its stature as “Orlando’s Signature Event.”