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Arnold Palmer Invitational: What to know for the Tour's week at Bay Hill

Keyur Khamar / PGA TOUR / Getty

The PGA Tour is in Orlando, Florida, this week for a staple on its calendar - the Arnold Palmer Invitational from Bay Hill.

The event honoring the late golf legend will feature 123 players in one of the Tour's three tournaments with elevated status. That means the winner earns a three-year exemption on the PGA Tour instead of the traditional two, as well as a juicy $1.674-million first-place prize.

When: March 4-7
Where: Orlando, Florida

How to watch

Date Channel Time (ET)
Thurs. Mar. 4 Golf Channel 2-6 p.m.
Fri. Mar. 5 Golf Channel 2-6 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 6 Golf Channel 12:30-2:30 p.m.
NBC 2:30-6 p.m.
Sun. Mar. 7 Golf Channel 12:30-2:30 p.m.
NBC 2:30-6 p.m.

Recent results

Tyrrell Hatton won at Bay Hill with a score of 4-under. Conditions were brutally tough in 2020, which made Hatton's winning total relative to par the lowest on the PGA Tour last season.

Francesco Molinari defeated Matthew Fitzpatrick in 2019 and Rory McIlroy edged out Bryson DeChambeau the year prior.

There have been five straight international winners at Bay Hill, while only two Americans have won the Arnold Palmer Invitational since 2005 - Tiger Woods and Matt Every.

Previous winners

2020: Tyrrell Hatton (-4) over Marc Leishman
2019: Francesco Molinari (-12) over Matthew Fitzpatrick
2018: Rory McIlroy (-18) over Bryson DeChambeau
2017: Marc Leishman (-11) over Charley Hoffman, Kevin Kisner
2016: Jason Day (-17) over Kevin Chappell
2015: Matt Every (-19) over Henrik Stenson
2014: Matt Every (-13) over Keegan Bradley
2013: Tiger Woods (-13) over Justin Rose

The field

McIlroy and DeChambeau headline the field in Orlando. Due to a congested Florida swing schedule (The Players is next week), many of the other top-ranked golfers have elected to skip the event.

Hatton returns to defend his title alongside fellow Englishmen Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, and Paul Casey.

Viktor Hovland, Patrick Reed, Sungjae Im, Jason Day, and Jordan Spieth, who is making his Bay Hill debut, are among the other notables.

Featured groups (all times ET)

Group: Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Francesco Molinari
Thursday - 8:06 a.m.
Friday - 12:46 p.m.

Group: Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth
Thursday - 8:17 a.m.
Friday - 12:57 p.m.

Group: Patrick Reed, Billy Horschel, Max Homa
Thursday - 12:46 p.m.
Friday - 8:06 a.m.

Group: Viktor Hovland, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day
Thursday - 12:57 p.m.
Friday - 8:17 a.m.

The full list of groups and tee times can be found here.

The course

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Bay Hill is a 7,466-yard, par-72 venue that has hosted the Arnold Palmer Invitational since its first edition in 1979.

The traditional Florida course can play extremely difficult if wind speeds pick up. Plus, it typically plays firm and fast, and with water lurking on nine holes, there are big numbers to be made. The cut each year tends to be around 2- to 3-over par.

The 555-yard, par-5 sixth hole will get a lot of attention this week, as DeChambeau has hinted at potentially trying to drive the green. The hole gets its length because it bends around a large pond, but the distance between the tee and green directly across the pond is roughly 380 yards.

Betting corner

Bryson DeChambeau +1000
Rory McIlroy +1100
Viktor Hovland +1200
Patrick Reed +1800
Tyrrell Hatton +1900
Louis Oosthuizen +2200
Matthew Fitzpatrick +2200
Paul Casey +2200
Sungjae Im +2500
Billy Horschel +3000
Hideki Matsuyama +3000
Jason Day +3200
Jordan Spieth +3300
Jason Kokrak +3500
Francesco Molinari +3800
Sam Burns +4200
Tommy Fleetwood +4200
Will Zalatoris +4200

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

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