An overview of this week’s golf tournaments around the world
PGA TOUR
ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL
Site: Orlando, Fla.
Course: Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Yardage: 7,454. Par: 72.
Purse: $9.3 million. Winner’s share: $1,674,000.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC).
Defending champion: Francesco Molinari.
FedEx Cup leader: Justin Thomas.
Last week: Sungjae Im won the Honda Classic.
Notes: Tiger Woods is skipping for the second straight year. He is an eight-time winner at Bay Hill but has played it just once (2018) since his last victory there in 2013, mainly because of back surgeries. … The field features five of the top 10 players in the world ranking, starting with Rory McIlroy (No. 1) and Brooks Koepka (No. 3). Koepka has a mathematical chance to return to No. 1 with a victory. … The leading three players from the top 10 at Bay Hill, who are not already eligible, will earn spots in the British Open at Royal St. George’s this year. … Tommy Fleetwood’s third-place finish in the Honda Classic moved him to No. 10 in the world, knocking Woods out of the top 10 for the first time since he won the Masters last year. … Sam Saunders, the grandson of Arnold Palmer, is playing on a sponsor exemption. … Steve Stricker is in the field, one week after he tied for fifth on the PGA Tour Champions. Stricker, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, has made one cut in his four PGA Tour starts this year. … International players have won the Arnold Palmer Invitational the last four years. The last American winner was Matt Every in 2015. … Bay Hill has not gone to a sudden-death playoff since Tim Herron won in 1999.
Next week: The Players Championship.
Online: www.pgatour.com
