It may not be the same level as a green jacket from Augusta National, but PGA Tour players want to get their hands on a red cardigan when they come to Bay Hill Club & Lodge each year.
A field of just 69 players is on site for this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, the fourth signature event of the season, beginning Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
The winner will take home not only $4 million of the $20 million purse, but also a replica red cardigan, Palmer’s garment of choice.
After Scottie Scheffler won the tournament in 2022 on his rise to World No. 1, Kurt Kitayama broke through in 2023 for his first win on tour. Kitayama survived a triple bogey in the final round to shoot 9-under 279, one ahead of Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Harris English.
“It means a lot, because (it was) my first PGA Tour win and coming here is really special,” Kitayama said Tuesday. “One thing that was really cool is when my mom visited in Vegas, and I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, here’s the cardigan.’ And I turned around, and the next thing you know she’s wearing it, and she’s all smiling.”
The field features 15 of the top 16 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, including Norway’s Viktor Hovland (World No. 4), who is making his first start since last month’s Genesis Invitational.
Although he tied for 19th there, Hovland was not happy with his swing and spent time away dedicated to “taking care of the fundamentals.”
“I’m very good at making things work. I think I’m talented in that way, but it definitely helps when the swing is also in a good spot,” Hovland said. “So, we got a little bit of work to do, but that’s kind of a challenge and it’s fun.”
Will Zalatoris said the invitational doesn’t necessarily feel “bigger” by being designated a signature event, but to be fair, it already means plenty to the 27-year-old.
Zalatoris received the Arnold Palmer Scholarship to play golf at Wake Forest. He never got to meet Palmer before he passed, but Zalatoris admires his legacy.
“I got a signed letter from him, once I accepted his scholarship,” Zalatoris said. “Just hearing some of the stories about how he carried himself, and obviously with everything that’s gone on in the golf climate, there are a lot of discussions about that.
“… I feel like I’ve heard stories about him over the last 10 years since I’ve taken his scholarship, but there’s still stories that I’ve never heard and we’re still laughing.”
Zalatoris is in peak form now to win Palmer’s event. After coming back this season from 2023 back surgery, he tied for 13th at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for second at the Genesis.
“The body feels ahead of schedule,” he said. “I’m slowly seeing speed come back. Riviera, that’s a place that I absolutely love, so it was nice to get a good week under my belt, especially that early on in the season.”
As a player-hosted signature event, a la Tiger Woods with the Genesis, there is a 36-hole cut down to the low 50 players and ties. There are also three spots available to qualify for The Open Championship for players not already qualified.
–Field Level Media