Arnold Palmer Invitational Winners and History

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of just two PGA Tour events named after former player (the other is the Byron Nelson). Played since 1979 at Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge, the Arnold Palmer Invitational is the successor of the Florida Citrus Open.

The Palmer also is one of just five PGA Tour “Invitational” events, with a reduced field of 120 players, and no Monday Qualifying. The top 70 players from the previous year’s money list are the only guaranteed invitations.

The Florida Citrus Open began in 1966, and was played at the Rio Pinar golf club in Orlando. Palmer had purchased the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in 1976, and the tournament moved there in 1979 as the Bay Hill Citrus Classic. The Tournament’s first five years was as a full field open format. It became an invitational in 1984. Over the years, the tournament has been sponsored by the Citrus growers, Nestle, Hertz, Cooper Tires and MasterCard.

The tournament benefits the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.

With the passing of Arnold Palmer in 2016, the tournament has named five new hosts: Graeme McDowell, Anika Sorenstam, Peter Jacobsen, Curtis Strange and former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. The group will handle the duties usually assumed by Palmer, such as hosting pro-am parties and awarding the trophies.

The 2017 winner receives $1.566 million and a three-year exemption on the PGA TOUR. A win usually earns players a two year exemption.

Tiger Woods has won the tournament eight times—including four in a row from 2000 to 2003. Bay Hill represents nearly ten percent of his Tour wins. Any time Tiger tees it up at Bay Hill, you can expect a win.

The low tournament was Payne Stewart’s 264 in 1987.

A list of Arnold Palmer Invitational Winners Follows:

Year	Player	Score	To par	Margin
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard
2024	Scottie Scheffler	273	-15	5 strokes
2023	Kurt Kitayama	279	-9	1 stroke
2022	Scottie Scheffler	283	-5	1 stroke
2021	Bryson DeChambeau	277	-11	1 stroke
2020	Tyrrell Hatton	284	-4	1 stroke
2019	Francesco Molinari	276	−12	2 strokes
2018	Rory McIlroy	270	−18	3 strokes
2017	Marc Leishman	277	−11	1 stroke
2016	Jason Day	271	−17	1 stroke
2015	Matt Every (2)	269	−19	1 stroke
2014	Matt Every	275	−13	1 stroke
2013	Tiger Woods (8)	275	−13	2 strokes
2012	Tiger Woods (7)	275	−13	5 strokes
2011	Martin Laird	280	−8	1 stroke
2010	Ernie Els (2)	277	−11	2 strokes
2009	Tiger Woods (6)	275	−5	1 stroke
2008	Tiger Woods (5)	270	−10	1 stroke
2007	Vijay Singh	272	−8	2 strokes
Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard
2006	Rod Pampling	274	−14	1 stroke
2005	Kenny Perry	276	−12	2 strokes
2004	Chad Campbell	270	−18	6 strokes
Bay Hill Invitational presented by Cooper Tires
2003	Tiger Woods (4)	269	−19	11 strokes
2002	Tiger Woods (3)	275	−13	4 strokes
2001	Tiger Woods (2)	273	−15	1 stroke
2000	Tiger Woods	270	−18	4 strokes
1999	Tim Herron	274	−14	Playoff
Bay Hill Invitational presented by Office Depot
1998	Ernie Els	274	−14	4 strokes
1997	Phil Mickelson	272	−16	3 strokes
1996	Paul Goydos	275	−13	1 stroke
Nestle Invitational
1995	Loren Roberts (2)	272	−16	2 strokes
1994	Loren Roberts	275	−13	1 stroke
1993	Ben Crenshaw	280	−8	2 strokes
1992	Fred Couples	269	−19	9 strokes
1991	Andrew Magee	203*	−13	2 strokes
1990	Robert Gamez	274	−14	1 stroke
1989	Tom Kite (2)	278	−6	Playoff
Hertz Bay Hill Classic
1988	Paul Azinger	271	−13	5 strokes
1987	Payne Stewart	264	−20	3 strokes
1986	Dan Forsman	202*	−11	1 stroke
1985	Fuzzy Zoeller	275	−9	2 strokes
Bay Hill Classic
1984	Gary Koch (2)	272	−12	Playoff
1983	Mike Nicolette	283	−1	Playoff
1982	Tom Kite	278	−6	Playoff
1981	Andy Bean	266	−18	7 strokes
1980	Dave Eichelberger	279	−5	3 strokes
Bay Hill Citrus Classic
1979	Bob Byman	278	−6	Playoff
Florida Citrus Open
1978	Mac McLendon	271	−17	2 strokes
1977	Gary Koch	274	−14	2 strokes
1976	Hale Irwin	270	−18	Playoff
1975	Lee Trevino	276	−12	1 stroke
1974	Jerry Heard (2)	273	−15	3 strokes
1973	Buddy Allin	265	−23	8 strokes
1972	Jerry Heard	276	−12	2 strokes
Florida Citrus Invitational
1971	Arnold Palmer	270	−18	1 stroke
1970	Bob Lunn	271	−17	1 stroke
Florida Citrus Open Invitational
1969	Ken Still	278	−10	1 stroke
1968	Dan Sikes	274	−14	1 stroke
1967	Julius Boros	274	−10	1 stroke
1966	Lionel Hebert	279	−5	2 strokes
* rain-shortened to 54 holes