- Arnold Palmer Invitational
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Arnold Palmer Invitational Tournament information Location Bay Hill, Florida Established 1966 Course(s) Bay Hill Club and Lodge Par 72 Length 7,381 yards Tour(s) PGA Tour Format Stroke play Prize fund $6,000,000 Month played March Tournament record score Aggregate 264 Payne Stewart (1987) To par -23 Buddy Allin (1973) Current champion Martin Laird The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a PGA Tour golf tournament. It is played each March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort in Bay Hill, Florida a suburb of Orlando which has been owned by Arnold Palmer since 1974 and where he has his winter home. The event was founded in 1979 as a successor to the Florida Citrus Open Invitational, which was played at Rio Pinar Golf Club on the East side of Orlando. It has had a number of different names since then, most of them including "Bay Hill". The tournament was played for the first time under the Palmer name in 2007.
As a restricted field event on the PGA Tour, only the first 70 players on the previous year's money-list are guaranteed invitations.[1]
Tiger Woods won what was then known as the Bay Hill Invitational four years in a row from 2000 to 2003. This is one of only four occasions that a golfer has won the same event four times in a row on the Tour. In 2004 he was one shot off the lead after opening with a 67, but followed up with back to back 74s on the Friday and Saturday, and ended the final round on Sunday in a tie for 46th place. Woods then won the 2008 and 2009 tournaments, both times with birdie putts on the final hole.
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Invitational status
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA Tour, and consequently it has a reduced field of only 120 players (as opposed to most full-field open tournaments with a field of 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are The Heritage, the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, the Memorial Tournament, and the AT&T National. Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 120 and 132 players), and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments are not required to fill their fields using the PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying).
Winners
Year Player Country Score To Par 1st Prize ($) Purse ($) Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard 2011 Martin Laird 
Scotland280 -8 1,080,000 6,000,000 2010 Ernie Els 
South Africa277 -11 1,080,000 6,000,000 2009 Tiger Woods 
United States275 -5 1,080,000 6,000,000 2008 Tiger Woods United States270 -10 1,044,000 5,800,000 2007 Vijay Singh 
Fiji272 -8 990,000 5,500,000 Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard 2006 Rod Pampling 
Australia274 -14 990,000 5,500,000 2005 Kenny Perry United States276 -12 900,000 5,000,000 2004 Chad Campbell United States270 -18 900,000 5,000,000 Bay Hill Invitational presented by Cooper Tires 2003 Tiger Woods United States269 -19 810,000 4,500,000 2002 Tiger Woods United States275 -13 720,000 4,000,000 Bay Hill Invitational 2001 Tiger Woods United States273 -15 630,000 3,500,000 2000 Tiger Woods United States270 -18 540,000 3,000,000 1999 Tim Herron United States274 -14 450,000 2,500,000 1998 Ernie Els South Africa274 -14 360,000 2,000,000 1997 Phil Mickelson United States272 -16 270,000 1,500,000 1996 Paul Goydos United States275 -13 216,000 1,200,000 Nestle Invitational 1995 Loren Roberts United States272 -16 216,000 1,200,000 1994 Loren Roberts United States275 -13 216,000 1,200,000 1993 Ben Crenshaw United States280 -8 180,000 1,000,000 1992 Fred Couples United States269 -19 180,000 1,000,000 1991 Andrew Magee United States203* -13 180,000 1,000,000 1990 Robert Gamez United States274 -14 162,000 900,000 1989 Tom Kite United States278 -6 144,000 800,000 Hertz Bay Hill Classic 1988 Paul Azinger United States271 -13 135,000 750,000 1987 Payne Stewart United States264 -20 108,000 600,000 1986 Dan Forsman United States202* -11 90,000 500,000 1985 Fuzzy Zoeller United States275 -9 90,000 500,000 Bay Hill Classic 1984 Gary Koch United States272 -12 72,000 400,000 1983 Mike Nicolette United States283 -1 63,000 350,000 1982 Tom Kite United States278 -6 54,000 300,000 1981 Andy Bean United States266 -18 54,000 300,000 1980 Dave Eichelberger United States279 -5 54,000 300,000 Bay Hill Citrus Classic 1979 Bob Byman United States278 -6 45,000 250,000 Florida Citrus Open 1978 Mac McLendon United States271 -17 40,000 200,000 1977 Gary Koch United States274 -14 40,000 200,000 1976 Hale Irwin United States270 -18 40,000 200,000 1975 Lee Trevino United States276 -12 40,000 200,000 1974 Jerry Heard United States273 -15 30,000 150,000 1973 Buddy Allin United States265 -23 30,000 150,000 1972 Jerry Heard United States276 -12 30,000 150,000 Florida Citrus Invitational 1971 Arnold Palmer United States270 -18 30,000 150,000 1970 Bob Lunn United States271 -17 30,000 150,000 Florida Citrus Open Invitational 1969 Ken Still United States278 -10 23,000 115,000 1968 Dan Sikes United States274 -14 23,000 115,000 1967 Julius Boros United States274 -10 23,000 115,000 1966 Lionel Hebert United States279 -5 21,000 110,000 * rain-shortened to 54 holes
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources[2][3]Multiple winners
Six men have won this tournament more than once through 2011.
- 6 wins
- Tiger Woods: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009
- 2 wins
- Jerry Heard: 1972, 1974
- Gary Koch: 1977, 1984
- Tom Kite: 1982, 1989
- Loren Roberts: 1994, 1995
- Ernie Els: 1998, 2010
Tournament highlights
- 1966: Lionel Hebert wins the inaugural version of the tournament. He wins by two shots over Jack Nicklaus, Charles Coody, and Dick Lytle.[4]
- 1968: Dan Sikes breaks out of a 5-way logjam to win by one shot over Tom Weiskopf. At the end of 54 holes, Sikes had been tied for the lead with Jack Nicklaus, Bruce Devlin, Miller Barber, and Bob Charles. Officials said this was the first time there had ever been a five-way tie for the lead after 54 holes at a PGA event.[5]
- 1971: Arnold Palmer wins the event eight years before he becomes its host. He beats Julius Boros by one shot.[6]
- 1973: Vietnam War veteran Buddy Allin shoots a tournament record 23 under par to breeze to an eight shot victory over Charles Coody.[7]
- 1974: Jerry Heard becomes the tournament's first two-time winner. He beats Homero Blancas and Jim Jamieson by two shots.[8]
- 1976: Early on a Monday morning, Hale Irwin defeats Kermit Zarley on the sixth hole of a sudden death playoff after play was suspended due to darkness on Sunday.[9] While speaking to the press on Sunday evening, Irwin blamed NBC Sports for their not being enough time to finish the playoff.[10]
- 1979: Bob Byman wins the first edition of the tournament to be played at Bay Hill. He defeats John Schroeder on the second hole of a sudden death playoff.[11]
- 1980: Dave Eichelberger wins by three shots over Leonard Thompson.[12] The temperatures were so cold that Eichelberger wore panty hose during the final round.[13]
- 1982: Tom Kite chips in for birdie on the first hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Jack Nicklaus and Denis Watson.[14]
- 1984: Gary Koch shoots a final round 63 before defeating George Burns on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. Koch is the only champion in the tournament's history to win both at Rio Pinar and Bay Hill.[15]
- 1985: Coming off back surgery less than six months previously, Fuzzy Zoeller wins at Bay Hill. He finishes two shots ahead of Tom Watson.[16]
- 1987: Payne Stewart, who owned a home just off Bay Hill's 12th tee, notches his third career PGA Tour title. He beats David Frost by three shots.[17]
- 1989: Tom Kite wins for a second time at Bay Hill by defeating Davis Love III on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. Before the playoff took place, both Kite and Love made double bogey on the tournament's 72nd hole.[18]
- 1990: Robert Gamez holes a 7-iron on the 72nd hole for an eagle two allowing him to win by one shot over Greg Norman.[19]
- 1992: Fred Couples wins by nine shots over Gene Sauers. With his win, Couples becomes the #1 ranked player in the world.[20]
- 1995: Loren Roberts becomes the first returning champion to successfully defend his title. He beats Brad Faxon by two shots.[21]
- 1996: Paul Goydos wins for the first time on the PGA Tour. He beats Jeff Maggert by one shot and Tom Purtzer by two.[22] During the tournament's second round, Purtzer incurred a two-shot penalty by playing the wrong ball.
- 1998: During the tournament's final round, John Daly hits six balls in the water on the sixth hole. He finishes the hole with a final score of 18.[23]
- 2000: Tiger Woods wins at Bay Hill for the first time. He beats Davis Love III by four shots.[24]
- 2003: Tiger Woods becomes the first golfer since Gene Sarazen at the 1930 Miami Open to win the same tournament in four consecutive years. He wins by 11 shots over Kirk Triplett, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, and Brad Faxon.[25]
- 2005: Kenny Perry wins by two shots over Vijay Singh. The two players were tied for the lead till Singh made double bogey at the 72nd hole.[26]
- 2008: Tiger Woods sinks a 25-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole to defeat Bart Bryant by one shot.[27] It's Woods fifth Bay Hill triumph in addition to his winning the fifth consecutive tournament he had played in.
- 2009: Tiger Woods wins at Bay Hill for the 2nd straight year and sixth time overall. He birdies the 72nd hole to defeat Sean O'Hair by one shot.[28]
References
- ^ What's at stake for 2008, pgatour.com, November 1, 2007
- ^ Arnold Palmer Invitational - Winners - at www.pgatour.com
- ^ Arnold Palmer Invitational - Winners - at www.golfobserver.com
- ^ Hebert Discards Remedy, Wins Florida Citrus Open
- ^ Dan Sikes wins Citrus Open
- ^ Palmer Cops Citrus Open
- ^ Allin Citrus Champ
- ^ Jerry Heard regains winning touch, takes Citrus Open on 273 total
- ^ Citrus Open playoff won by Hale Irwin
- ^ Irwin Raps TV For Late Start
- ^ Byman steps up in Citrus
- ^ Eichelberger wins chilly Bay Hill
- ^ Golfers required panty hose
- ^ Kite wins Bay Hill Golf in three-man playoff
- ^ Gary Koch wins Bay Hill playoff
- ^ Fuzzy Zoeller wins Bay Hill Classic
- ^ Stewart wins Bay Hill by 3
- ^ Kite catches Love and wins playoff
- ^ Spectacular eagle wins for Gamez
- ^ Sizzling Couples coasts by 9 shots in Nestle laugher
- ^ Roberts and Bay Hill Links Seem Made for Each Other
- ^ Goydos fires 67 to capture Bay Hill
- ^ Six In Lake Give Daly an 18
- ^ Woods Triumphs Again, Leaving Love in Awe
- ^ Ailing Woods wins 4th straight Bay Hill by 11 strokes
- ^ Perry Wins Bay Hill After Singh Suffers Rocky Finish
- ^ Tiger birdies 18 for title
- ^ Golf-Woods overhauls O'Hair for comeback win at Bay Hill
External links
Categories:- PGA Tour events
- Golf in Orlando, Florida
- 6 wins
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