As it concerns all fortnights on the PGA TOUR schedule, the one straight ahead cannot be ruled out as the most formidable. And while it’s not officially the “Scottie Scheffler Segment” of the Florida Swing, he is the defending champion of both ends of it.

It opens with the 60th edition of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard contested at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, annually one of the most challenging par 72s. THE PLAYERS Championship awaits on deck at TPC Sawgrass. That course in the TOUR’s backyard requires no introduction, but there will be plenty to say next week, anyway.

For now, a field of 72 has assembled in Orlando for the fourth Signature Event of 2025. How Bay Hill sets up, a review of the format, what’s up for grabs and more are all detailed below.

For every professional golfer who wants his game to be tested, Bay Hill never disappoints. There’s no faking it around the 7,466-yard foundation of the stock par 72. Because it’s as much of a battleground on which to settle and sharpen the focus as it is physically demanding, a fruitful experience can yield confidence for weeks if not for the remainder of the season.

Despite a full boat of par 5s, they are not pushovers relative to others despite the fact that Scheffler scored a field-best, bogey-free 12-under with an eagle and 10 birdies on the set en route to a five-stroke victory at 15-under 273 last year. But how he cracked the code also is a product of brilliant course management to set up the par breakers.

With the nastiest of the overseeded ryegrass rough allowed to reach four inches – up an inch from recent editions – and non-overseeded Bermudagrass greens prepped to push 13½ feet on the Stimpmeter, it matters less that the targets are a sizable 7,500 square feet and more that irons are wielded from favorable lies. Last year’s field average of 10.67 greens in regulation per round was 10th-lowest among all courses in 2024, and that represented a six-year high! Scheffler led the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the Tee and SG: Tee-to-Green while ranking second in GIR. And you’ll recall that he had quieted the demons in his putter for the second leg of the Florida Swing in leading the field in fewest putts per GIR.

Bay Hill’s scoring average of 72.331 last year marked the eighth consecutive year that the course has checked up over par. While the tournament has been an invitational for some time, it evolved into a Signature Event with only 69 entrants in 2024, so it held true to form with a denser pool of talent.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is the second of the three legacy Signature Events, so the structure of the competition matches that of The Genesis Invitational. At the conclusion of two rounds, the low 50 plus ties and all golfers within 10 strokes of the lead will continue to play for the title.

The champion will collect 700 FedExCup points and $4 million of a prize fund of $20 million. Among the plethora of perks, he’ll secure a PGA TOUR membership exemption in a category special for this event through 2028 as well as exemptions into THE PLAYERS through 2027.

After taking most of the week off in south Florida, Mother Nature will make a return this week. Thursday’s offering will consist of moderate breezes and a daytime high that won’t eclipse 70 degrees. Friday will be the day to score with calm winds and a high in the mid-70s. Saturday will be similar but warmer, while Sunday could be gnarly. Rain and storms in the forecast accompany what could be the strongest gusts of the tournament.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton previews and recaps every tournament. Refer to the timing of his contributions below. He’s also active as @RobBoltonGolf on X where you can connect with him.

MONDAY: Power Rankings (Arnold Palmer)
TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Puerto Rico); Fantasy Insider
SUNDAY: Payouts and Points (Arnold Palmer); Payouts and Points (Puerto Rico); Qualifiers

* - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore, which also publishes on Tuesday.