Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
March 5-8, 2026
Bay Hill Club & Lodge | Orlando, Florida
Purse: $20,000,000

The PGA TOUR heads to Arnold Palmer's winter home and the course he shaped over the span of nearly five decades. This is where the GOAT built a dynasty. This is where the game’s best get a true test.

This week, LAGC's Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, and Sahith Theegala take on Arnie's Place.

The Origin and the Controversy

In the late 1950s, businessmen Tom Barnes and Thomas Dore saw the Orlando land as fit for a premier golf destination, so they dreamed up the private club. Construction started in 1960, and Bay Hill opened for play in 1961.

Many don’t know this, but there is some controversy.

Who actually designed the course? Barnes insists it was him, while most give Dick Wilson the credit.

Bob Simmons was the construction superintendent on the Bay Hill job and insists that the designs came from Joe Lee, Dick Wilson’s primary associate. He does note that it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Barnes drew them and passed them along to Wilson and his team. There’s a lot of hear-say as to who did the actual drawings of the designs, but to this day it seems Wilson and Lee get the credit.

Arnold Palmer first visited the club to compete in a charity exhibition in 1965. Palmer shot 66 to tie the course record and beat Jack Nicklaus by seven shots. Maybe it was how well he played, maybe it was the weather, but five years later, he made Bay Hill his winter home and brought a PGA TOUR event in 1979.

Working closely with architect Ed Seay, he refined holes, enhanced water features, repositioned bunkers, and lengthened the course. Palmer served as club president and chairman of the course committee, personally overseeing changes.

Before the first tournament, Palmer and Seay remodeled the 18th hole, turning the 489-yard par 5 into a 456-yard par 4 that played to a new 60-yard-long green. Right on the water’s edge, the 18th became one of the most feared finishing holes in golf.

The Finishing Stretch

Bay Hill's final three holes are about as daunting as any 3-hole stretch on the tour.

The 16th is a short par-5 where water guards the green. Tempting, yes. Worth going for it? Depends. The 17th is a 221-yard par-3 over water. Enough said. The 18th is a 458-yard par-4 where the approach forces you to either play it safe or go right over the water.

Water comes into play on all of them. In fact, water comes into play on nine of the eighteen holes, but no stretch more crucial than 16-18. No lead is too safe even late on Sunday.

Justin Rose Storylines

Rose looks to redeem his missed cut at The Genesis Invitational, and he’s more than capable. He played one of his greatest weekends of golf just about a month ago at the Farmers Insurance Open, securing his 13th PGA TOUR win. He could find that again this weekend at Bay Hill.

Tommy Fleetwood Storylines

Fleetwood has finished Top-10 in both events he’s played in this year. His presence on Sunday has felt inevitable since last August, with five straight Top-10s.

Look for him to continue the streak in Orlando this week.

Collin Morikawa Storylines

Last year, Collin Morikawa led Russell Henley heading into Sunday but finished second by one stroke. He could taste it. After ending his 28-month drought at Pebble Beach in February, he arrives to Bay Hill with confidence and unfinished business.

Sahith Theegala Storylines

With a couple Top-10 finishes and no missed cuts through six events this year, Theegala continues his strong start. Theegala has finished T-14 and T-6 at this event before, and his play to start 2026 indicates he can make something special happen this week.

What to Watch

Bay Hill is always one of the TOUR's toughest tests. Last year, Russell Henley won at -11, but single digits under par may be good enough. In many tournaments, you’re looking to shoot well under par each day. Here, pars don’t hurt.

Rose, Fleetwood, Morikawa, and Theegala represent LAGC at Bay Hill, and each has reason to believe they can go out and win this weekend.

The LAGC guys take on Arnie's Place. Tune in to NBC, Golf Channel, and ESPN+ to catch the action.

LAGC makes the TGL Playoffs two years in a row and will take on 3-seed Atlanta on March 17th at SoFi Center. Tune in to ESPN or the ESPN App to follow the action.

About the Author: Luke Mangan

A product of the "post-college I must get better at golf" philosophy, Luke fell in love with the game on municipal courses across Los Angeles. After what most would call a failed early career in sales, Luke found writing as an outlet to tell stories and bring joy to his readers. He now writes for several golf brands and has his own golf newsletter, On Golf.