Golf Glance: PGA's signature event at Bay Hill highlights busy week
Golf Glance: PGA's signature event at Bay Hill highlights busy week
Field Level MediaTue, March 3, 2026 at 7:07 PM UTC
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Feb 21, 2026; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits his fairway shot on on the 13th hole during the third round of the The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)
The busiest week in professional golf so far this year features the third signature event of 2026 on the PGA Tour. The LPGA wraps up its Asia Swing, the DP Tour concludes its International Swing, LIV Golf returns to Hong Kong and the Champions tee it up alongside NFL legends.
THIS WEEK: Arnold Palmer Invitational, Orlando, March 5-8
Course: Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge (Par 72, 7,466 Yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $4M)
Defending Champion: Russell Henley
FedEx Cup Leader: Jacob Bridgeman
TV: Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 12:30-2:30 p.m. (GC); 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @APInv
NOTES: This is the third of eight signature events this season, featuring a $20 million purse and 700 FedEx Cup points at stake. It is one of three player-hosted signature events to include a 36-hole cut to the low 50 players and ties along with any additional players within 10 strokes of the lead. ... The field includes 42 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. ... Justin Thomas is making his first start since undergoing microdiscectomy surgery in November. Sungjae Im is also making his season debut. ... Four players earned spots in the field via the Aon Swing 5: Nico Echavarria, Austin Smotherman, Taylor Moore and Keith Mitchell, while Joel Dahmen earned a spot based on his current FedEx Cup rank. The sponsor exemptions are Max Greyserman, Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk and Jordan Spieth. ... Four players fell out of the Aon Swing 5 over the weekend: Haotong Li, Stephan Jaeger, Kevin Roy and Tony Finau. University of Texas sophomore Daniel Bennett is also in the field via the Arnold Palmer Cup Exemption. ... This is the first of four events that are part of The Open Qualifying Series, with the top player who is not otherwise exempt earning a spot in the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. ... Payne Stewart still holds the tournament scoring record of 264 with his victory in 1987.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+325 at DraftKings) won at Bay Hill in 2022 and 2024. He has finished T3, T4 and T12 in his past three starts despite posting opening round scores of 73, 72 and 74. ... Rory McIlroy (+950) won at Bay Hill in 2018 and has finished no lower than T27 in 11 previous appearances. ... Tommy Fleetwood (+1750) finished T11 last year and has three top-10s in nine previous event starts. ... Collin Morikawa (+2600) won at Pebble Beach last month and held the 54-hole lead here last year. ... Chris Gotterup (+4300) continues to provide intriguing odds in a marquee field despite being a two-time winner already in 2026 who is ranked No. 6 in the world.
THIS WEEK: Puerto Rico Open, Rio Grande, March 5-8
Course: Grand Reserve Golf Club (Par 72, 7,508 Yards)
Purse: $4M (Winner: $720,000
Defending Champion: Karl Vilips
TV: Thursday-Friday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 2:30-5 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Streaming (ESPN+)
X: @PuertoRicoOpen
NOTES: The opposite field event offers 300 FedEx Cup points to the winner along with a two-year PGA Tour exemption and an invitation to The Players Championship next week. ... No. 45 Michael Brennan is the highest-ranked player in the field, followed by No. 48 Rasmus Hojgaard. ... Blades Brown, 18, will make his eighth career start on tour, while 17-year-old Miles Russell will make his fifth. ... John Daly II will make his PGA Tour debut on a sponsor exemption.
Last Tournament: Cognizant Classic (Echavarria)
Next Tournament: The Players Championship, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., March 12-15
THIS WEEK: Blue Bay LPGA, Hainan Island, China, March 5-8
Course: Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course (Par 72, 6,712 Yards)
Purse: $2.6M (Winner: $390,000)
Defending Champion: Rio Takeda
Race to the CME Globe Leader: Jeeno Thitikul
TV/Streaming: Thursday-Saturday: 11 p.m.-4 a.m. ET; Sunday: 11 p.m.-5 a.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @LPGA
NOTES: This is the final leg of the three-event Asia swing, which world No. 2 Nelly Korda is skipping for the third consecutive year. ... It is the eighth edition of the event, which was not contested from 2019-23 due to the pandemic. ... The 108-player field includes 83 LPGA Tour players along with 20 CGA players and five sponsor invites. The top-ranked player in the field is No. 8 Ruoning Yin. ... Bailey Tardy set the tournament scoring record of 19-under 269 in 2024, when she beat Sarah Schmelzel by four strokes.
Last Tournament: HSBC Women's World Championship (Hannah Green)
Next Tournament: Fortinet Founders Cup, Menlo Park, Calif., March 19-22
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THIS WEEK: LIV Golf Hong Kong, Fanling, March 5-8
Course: Hong Kong Golf Club (Par 70, 6,710 Yards)
Purses: Individual: $30M (Winner: $4M); Team: $10M (Winners: $3M)
Defending Champions: Individual: Sergio Garcia; Team: Fireballs GC
2026 Season Leaders: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: Ripper GC
TV: Thursday: 12:15 a.m. ET (Round 1 - FS1, FS2), 11:15 p.m. (Round 2 - FS1, FS2); Saturday: 12:15 a.m. (Round 3 - FS1); 10:35 p.m. (Round 4 - Fox One, FS1)
X: @livgolf_league
NOTES: The Hong Kong Golf Club was established in 1889 and has been the site of the Hong Kong Open, won by Legion XIII's Tom McKibbin last year, since its inception in 1959. LIV Golf has already announced it will return to the Hong Kong Golf Club for a fourth consecutive season, with 2027's event scheduled for Feb. 18-21. ... This is the third of 14 events this season. ... HyFlyers GC captain Phil Mickelson will miss his third consecutive event due to an undisclosed family matter and will be replaced by Wade Ormsby. ... The daily shotgun start includes 13 teams and 57 total players, including five wild cards.
Last Event: LIV Golf Adelaide (Individual: Anthony Kim; Team: Ripper GC)
Next Event: LIV Golf Singapore, March 12-15
THIS WEEK: Joburg Open, Johannesburg, South Africa, March 5-8
Course: Houghton GC (Par 70, 6,656 Yards)
Purse: $1.24M
Defending Champion: Calum Hill
Race to Dubai Leader: Patrick Reed
TV: Thursday-Friday: 5:30-10:30 a.m. ET; Saturday: 5-9:30 a.m.; Sunday: 5-10 a.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @DPWorldTour
NOTES: This is the last of the seven-event International Swing, with the final three all taking place in Africa. ... The winner of the International Swing will earn a $200,000 bonus and a spot in the Scottish Open if not otherwise exempt. Reed is making his event debut while he attempts to become the first American to win the International Swing since its inception in 2024. ... The field also includes Jayden Schaper, also a two-time winner this season, and former Joburg Open champion Andy Sullivan.
Last Tournament: South African Open Championship (Casey Jarvis)
Next Tournament: Hainan Classic, Hainan Island, China, March 19-22
THIS WEEK: James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, Boca Raton, Fla., March 6-8
Course: The Old Course at Broken Sound (Par 72, 7,008 Yards)
Purse: $2.2M (Winner: $330,000)
Defending Champion: Angel Cabrera
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart Cink
TV: Friday-Sunday: 7-9 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
X: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: The event returns for a second season. The field features 78 Champions players competing over a 54-hole tournament and 26 Pro Football Hall of Fame players taking part in a 36-hole two-man best-ball competition over the first two days. ... Three players are making their Champions debuts this week: Former Ryder Cup captain and two-time major champion Zach Johnson, five-time PGA Tour winner Ben Crane and one-time tour winner Ryan Armour.
Last Tournament: Chubb Classic (David Toms)
Next Tournament: Cologuard Classic, Tucson, Ariz., March 20-22
--Field Level Media
Source: “AOL Sports”
