The PGA Tour continues its Florida Swing this week with the Arnold Palmer Invitational, played at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla. This will mark the third playing of the API since Arnie’s death in September of 2016.
This tournament has been the site of countless historic finishes over the years, many of them involving Tiger Woods, who has won the event eight times, most recently in 2013. Unfortunately, Woods had to pull out of this year’s API due to a neck issue, one that he hopes subsides in time for the Players Championship, which will be played next week in its new spot on the schedule in March.
But even without Woods, the field at Bay Hill is a strong one this year, and if recent history is any indication, it should yield an exciting tournament. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who shot a final-round 64 to come from behind and win a year ago, is back and looking to finally capitalize on an excellent run of form. The Northern Irishman has finished inside the top 5 in each of his last four starts, something he had previously never done before in his career. He’ll play alongside Marc Leishman and Ryder Cup foe Patrick Reed in one of this week’s featured groups.
Teeing off right behind them is the grouping of Phil Mickelson (playing in his first API since 2013), Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. If you recall, Koepka called out some of his fellow competitors for slow play last month, and DeChambeau just so happened to be in the news for a particularly long pre-shot routine during his win in Dubai.
RELATED: Arnold Palmer once mistakenly paid his Masters caddie for a win more than he earned himself
TV Schedule
The Golf Channel will carry live coverage on Thursday and Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, as well as Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. NBC will take over on the weekend at 2:30 p.m.
Leader board
Follow all the action from Orlando on the Golf Digest PGA Tour leader board.
Thursday Tee Times (all times ET)
No. 1 Tee
6:45 a.m. — Tim Herron, Abraham Ancer, Ryan Blaum
6:57 a.m. — Richy Werenski, Sam Ryder, Corey Conners
7:08 a.m. — Aaron Baddeley, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Bronson Burgoon
7:20 a.m. — Daniel Berger, Davis Love III, Chesson Hadley
7:31 a.m. — Francesco Molinari, Brice Garnett, Ted Potter, Jr.
7:43 a.m. — J.B. Holmes, Kevin Na, Stewart Cink
7:54 a.m. — Michael Kim, Brendan Steele, Hideki Matsuyama
8:06 a.m. — Martin Trainer, Scott Piercy, Si Woo Kim
8:17 a.m. — Danny Lee, Robert Streb, Lucas Glover
8:29 a.m. — Vaughn Taylor, Graeme McDowell, Shane Lowry
8:40 a.m. — Carlos Ortiz, Nate Lashley, Rod Perry
11:35 a.m. — Charl Schwartzel, Patrick Rodgers, Ollie Schniederjans
11:47 a.m. — Charley Hoffman, Sung Kang, Eddie Pepperell
11:58 a.m. — Hunter Mahan, Michael Thompson, Scott Langley
12:10 p.m. — Bubba Watson, Pat Perez, Brian Harman
12:21 p.m. — Adam Long, Cameron Champ, Aaron Wise
12:33 p.m. — Marc Leishman, Patrick Reed, Rory McIlroy
12:44 p.m. — Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka
12:56 p.m. — Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen, Byeong Hun An
1:07 p.m. — Jason Kokrak, Luke List, Talor Gooch
1:19 p.m. — Adam Schenk, Anders Albertson, Sam Horsfield
No. 10 Tee
6:45 a.m. — Ryan Moore, Anirban Lahiri, HaoTong Li
6:57 a.m. — Martin Laird, J.J. Spaun, Matthew Fitzpatrick
7:08 a.m. — Kevin Streelman, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Sam Saunders
7:20 a.m. — Andrew Landry, Jason Dufner, Martin Kaymer
7:31 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, Jhonattan Vegas, Jimmy Walker
7:43 a.m. — Justin Rose, Brandt Snedeker, Henrik Stenson
7:54 a.m. — Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Ian Poulter
8:06 a.m. — Keith Mitchell, Kevin Kisner, Steve Stricker
8:17 a.m. — Matt Every, Harris English, J.T. Poston
8:29 a.m. — Dominic Bozzelli, Roger Sloan, Justin Suh
11:35 a.m. — Bill Haas, Joel Dahmen, Thorbjorn Olesen
11:47 a.m. — Brian Gay, Harold Varner III, Sungjae Im
11:58 a.m. — C.T. Pan, Beau Hossler, Joaquin Niemann
12:10 p.m. — Adam Hadwin, Hudson Swafford, Vijay Singh
12:21 p.m. — Charles Howell III, Danny Willett, Tommy Fleetwood
12:33 p.m. — Ryan Armour, D.A. Points, Zach Johnson
12:44 p.m. — Billy Horschel, Austin Cook, Kyle Stanley
12:56 p.m. — Scott Stallings, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Wallace
1:07 p.m. — Chris Kirk, Robert Gamez, Bud Cauley
1:19 p.m. — Sam Burns, Viktor Hovland, Braden Thornberry
RELATED: Tiger Woods withdraws from Arnold Palmer Invitational with a neck injury