The second “Florida Swing” event of the 2026 PGA Tour season is set to kick off as the pros head northwest from Palm Beach Gardens to Orlando, Florida, for the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
In the late 1960s, Orlando’s signature sporting event was originally known as the Florida Citrus Open. It has since evolved through several eras. In 1990, former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Robert Gamez secured a dramatic victory over Greg Norman by a single stroke after holing out for eagle with a 7-iron from 176 yards on the 72nd hole.
The tournament was officially renamed the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2007. Vijay Singh holds the distinct honor of being the first winner under the new name, marking one of his 34 total PGA Tour victories. Tiger Woods has won this “Southern Classic” a record eight times, with a tournament low of 269 strokes across all four rounds at the 2003 tournament, where he outlasted Brad Faxon, Kenny Perry, Kirk Triplett and Stewart Cink.
Current world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the tournament in 2022 and 2024, outperforming Wyndham Clark and closing out Championship Sunday with six birdies. Clark, who finished in second (-10), recorded a pair of double bogeys during his Saturday round and struggled to close out strong against the multiple-time major championship winner in Scheffler.
Russell Henley is the current title holder of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He won the 2025 tournament, beating six-time PGA Tour champion Collin Morikawa by a single stroke, securing his fifth PGA Tour victory. So far this season, Henley has yet to win but has placed in the top 10 once — at the 2026 American Express at La Quinta Country Club in East Los Angeles.
At last year’s Arnold Palmer event, Henley eagled the par-five 16th during the Friday and Sunday rounds of the tournament. He finished the tournament 11 under, taking home the $4 million purse and 700 FedEx Cup points. He looks to defend his title this year as he is set to tee off at 10:20 a.m. this Thursday, March 5, alongside Scottie Scheffler.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a PGA Tour Signature event, meaning that the world’s top golfers, including Grand Slam Champion Rory McIlroy and 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner Colin Morikawa, will be among others competing in the field.
American Joel Dahmen is scheduled to start off the tournament at 7:40 a.m. this Thursday. The tournament will be available for viewing on NBC, ESPN+, Golf Channel and Peacock.
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