5 storylines to follow at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

The fourth signature event of the 2024 season, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, is set to begin on March 7 at the Bay Hill Golf Club. The tournament boasts a prize pool of $20,000,000.

The event will see some of the most talented golfers in the world vying for the title. There’s a lot to uncover about the event, from navigating the challenges of the course to uncovering who earned the 2024 sponsor exemption. Here are some of the narratives surrounding the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament.

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5 storylines to look out for at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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#1. The Arnold Palmer Invitational is another player-hosted event

The Arnold Palmer Invitational honors the iconic Arnold Daniel Palmer, celebrating his extensive and successful career in golf. Moreover, it stands as the second player-hosted event of the year, following Tiger Woods' Genesis Invitational.

For the uninitiated, unlike other signature events, player-hosted events have a 36-hole cut. Fans can expect only 50 players and ties to enter the weekend rounds of the competition.

World No. 5 Xander Schauffele expressed his excitement about playing the event, saying (via PGA Tour):

“Playing on Arnie's property, seeing all the fans, seeing the iconic umbrella. It still feels like he's … not just here with us, but everyone supports him and talks about him and he's definitely the talk of the town.”

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#2. The course provides great difficulties for golfers

The Bay Hill Club & Lodge is a difficult golf course with strategically placed bunkers and water hazards. These hurdles provide exciting challenges to golfers, especially on par-3s.

The venue has also been ranked in the Top 10 in the difficulty list in each of the last five seasons. Additionally, since the course is in Florida, golfers should expect windy conditions that can affect their shots.

Thus, players must strategically navigate the course and make smart decisions to avoid the hazards.

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#3. The course features the most challenging final hole, the 18th

Designed by Arnold Palmer himself, the 18th hole at the Bay Hill GC is infamous for the challenge it poses. This hole has provided some of the best dramatic finishes in the past.

In 1990, the three-time PGA Tour champion Robert Gamez had a decisive shot as he holed his seven-iron approach from 176 yards.

Palmer also suggested that one has to play boldly to triumph at hole 18. He said:

“You must play boldly to win.”

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#4. No playoff round since 1999

A notable aspect of the Arnold Palmer Invitational to keep an eye on is that the tournament hasn't featured a playoff round since 1999.

In the 1999 Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament, Tim Herron triumphed over Tom Lehman in the playoff.

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#5. Additional sponsor exemption at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

David Ford, an American amateur golfer, received a sponsor exemption for the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament. He won three events in 2023, including the Walker Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup, and Eisenhower Trophy.

Ford earned a spot to play in the upcoming event after receiving a vote from his peers at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup. David Ford thanked his peers for voting for him and stated (via Yahoo Sports):

“I was lucky enough to be voted in by my peers. I know a lot of people in the world of golf and I’ve done a good job at making friendships with them.”