Tiger Woods to make 19th appearance in Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
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With a victory, eight-time winner Tiger Woods could set record for most wins in a single TOUR event
ORLANDO, Fla. – On Thursday, fan favorite and former Orlando resident Tiger Woods committed to his 19th appearance in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, seeking a PGA TOUR record ninth win in the prestigious invitational tournament March 4-10 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla.
Woods, 43, already shares the record (with Sam Snead) for the most wins in a single TOUR event with his eight victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (and the newly-named World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational). He won at Bay Hill for the first time on the Championship Course in 2000 – to begin a run of four straight victories – and his last in 2013 when he shot 13-under 275 on the Championship Course for a two-stroke victory over 2018 FedExCup champion Justin Rose
“I always love playing at Bay Hill,” said Woods. “I have such great memories of Arnold and am happy to be back for the 19th time. Of course, it would be great to win and set a new record, especially here, but that’s for me to do on the course. I made a little run at it last year and am hoping I can put myself in position again.”
Last year, Woods returned to Bay Hill for the first time since that 2013 title after a series of injuries, including a bad back that required multiple surgeries, kept him on the sidelines. He finished tied for fifth place with a 10-under-par 278 aggregate total. It marked just the second time that Woods had finished in the top-10 at Bay Hill without winning. He was T9 in 1997, his debut in the event as a pro. He competed in 1994 as an amateur and missed the cut; he hasn’t missed the cut since then.
His best finish so far this season is a T15 at last week’s Genesis Open.
In 70 competitive rounds on the Championship Course, Woods has a stroke average of 68.428. His career earnings in the tournament total $7.6 million.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the tournament that bears the name of golf legend, Arnold Palmer, whose name is associated with greatness. Mr. Palmer brought the former Florida Citrus Open to his Bay Hill Club in 1979 and turned it into one of the most elite events in golf. It offers a purse of $9.1 million, one of the richest on the PGA TOUR, and the winner will receive a three-year TOUR exemption.