Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
McIlroy, Fowler headline early field
International superstar Rory McIlroy, fan favorite Rickie Fowler, 2020 defending champion Tyrrell Hatton and 2021 PGA Tour winner Patrick Reed headline the list of early commitments for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, slated for March 4-7 at Orlando’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
McIlroy, an 18-time Tour winner, won the event in 2018 and is among seven former champions, including 2017 winner Marc Leishman and 2016 titleholder Jason Day.
Last year, Hatton managed fast, firm conditions en route to a 4-under-par 284, the highest winning score in the event’s 42-year history at Bay Hill. The 28-year-old recently won January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the European Tour and sits at No. 5 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Hatton, the first Englishman to win the API, is among eight players in the world’s top 20 who have committed to play at Bay Hill. Players have until 5 p.m. Friday to enter the event.
Hatton will be joined by McIlroy (No. 7), Reed (No. 11), Viktor Hovland (No. 14), Paul Casey (No. 16), Sungjae Im (No. 17), Harris English (No. 19) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (No. 20).
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker and European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington received special exemptions to play in the API.
The 120-player field also includes former Florida Gators stars Billy Horschel and Camilo Villegas, Hall of Famer Vijay Singh and 2020 U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci, a native of Davie.
The $9.3 million Arnold Palmer Invitational will award $1,674,000 to its 2021 champion.
“Historically we’ve had a consistently accomplished and well-rounded player field, and I believe we’re off to a terrific start this year,” said Joie Chitwood, the new tournament director.
The 2020 API was the last PGA Tour event completed prior to the coronavirus shutdown on March 13. The Players Championship was called off after one round.
The continued impact of COVID-19 will limit the 2021 API to 25% of fan capacity, and multi-day tickets will not be available. Day-specific tickets will be offered for general admission, priced at $65 for Thursday, $75 for Friday and $80 for Saturday and Sunday.
Mastercard cardholders will receive exclusive pricing, a $5 discount, on general admission tickets.
Fans will only be permitted on site for days of competition rounds; no fans will be allowed for practice rounds or pro-ams earlier in the week. Fans will be required to present a valid digital ticket to enter tournament grounds via a contactless admissions process.
Shuttle service will not be available for the tournament. On-site parking passes can be purchased for $50 each day. There will also be a ride-share drop-off location on site.
All tickets and parking must be purchased in advance. There will be no walk-up sales.