The first day of the Arnold Palmer Invitational saw golf icon Scottie Scheffler end the day on a respectable note, with a score of one under par. This performance at Bay Hill puts Scheffler in a strong position as the tournament unfolds.
Bay Hill, known for its challenging terrain, did not go easy on the players during the tournament’s kick-off. The grueling course laid bare the vulnerabilities of many, including Cameron Young and Max Homa, who couldn’t manage to go under 80. The tournament, already notorious for its high scores, is far from replicating the low-scoring patterns of last week’s Cognizant Classic at PGA National.
Scheffler, a two-time champion of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, is currently hovering just outside the top ten, with a solid 71 score. His performance, although not extraordinary, comprised of three birdies and two bogeys, enough to give competitors like Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark a run for their money.
Despite his familiarity with the Bay Hill course — a result of his victories in 2022 and 2024 — Scheffler found himself taken aback by the difficulty of certain sections of the course. In a post-round interview, he divulged some insights about the course’s challenges that might not be evident to the audience at home.
According to Scheffler, navigating Bay Hill is a skillful balancing act – the fairways are soft, but the greens are as hard as concrete. This contrast makes it exceptionally challenging for players to get the ball close to the hole, especially if they’re not shooting from the fairway. Scheffler illustrated this point by recalling a shot he made on the fifth hole, where the ball landed exactly where he planned but failed to release at all.
Despite the underlying challenges, Scheffler emphasized the importance of patience while playing at Bay Hill. As he noted, the course is hard and fraught with frustrating elements, but maintaining composure is key to success.
The opening round, interestingly, was Scheffler’s worst performance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He had never previously shot over 70 on the first day. However, a pattern has emerged over the past three years, where his scores on the first and third days, and the second and fourth days, have shown a correlation. For instance, in 2024, his scores were 70 on both Thursday and Saturday, with a 67 and 66 on Friday and Sunday respectively.
With this pattern in mind, fans can anticipate Scheffler’s performance in the upcoming rounds. Given Scheffler’s past track record, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he steps up his game and moves up the leaderboard as the tournament progresses.