Scheffler and McIlroy Lead Strong Field at Bay Hill

LIV Golf also resumes in Hong Kong this week

Apr. 19, 2026 at 11:04pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented, multi-angled view of a golf tournament, capturing the dynamic energy and competition of the sport.The top players in golf converge at Bay Hill, while LIV Golf continues its global expansion with an event in Hong Kong.Today in Orlando

The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida is bringing together the top three players in the world - Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Rory McIlroy - for the first time this year. Meanwhile, the LIV Golf series is also back in action this week with an event in Hong Kong.

Why it matters

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of the PGA Tour's marquee events, and having the top three players in the world competing together adds significant star power and intrigue. The LIV Golf event in Hong Kong also marks the league's continued global expansion as it seeks to challenge the PGA Tour's dominance.

The details

The Arnold Palmer Invitational features a $20 million purse, with the winner taking home $4 million. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler will look to win the event for the third time in four years. Xander Schauffele is returning from a rib injury, while Rory McIlroy aims to claim his first victory at Bay Hill. The LIV Golf event in Hong Kong will be the third tournament of the year for the breakaway league, with Joaquin Niemann coming off a win at the last event in Adelaide, Australia.

  • The Arnold Palmer Invitational will take place from Thursday, April 18 to Sunday, April 21.
  • The LIV Golf event in Hong Kong will run from Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21.

The players

Scottie Scheffler

The world's top-ranked player and defending champion of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, having won the event in 2021 and 2023.

Xander Schauffele

The world's third-ranked player who is returning from a rib injury to compete at Bay Hill.

Rory McIlroy

The world's second-ranked player and eight-time PGA Tour winner who is seeking his first victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Joaquin Niemann

The recent winner of the LIV Golf event in Adelaide, Australia, who will look to continue his strong play at the Hong Kong tournament.

Adrian Meronk

The current points leader on the LIV Golf tour, who will compete in the Hong Kong event.

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What they’re saying

“It's always exciting to have the top players in the world competing together. This should be a great week of golf at Bay Hill.”

— Rory McIlroy

“LIV Golf continues to expand its global footprint, and we're thrilled to be back in Asia for this event in Hong Kong.”

— Greg Norman, LIV Golf CEO

What’s next

The winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational will receive an exemption into The Players Championship next week, as well as the PGA Championship and Sentry Tournament of Champions in 2024. The LIV Golf event in Hong Kong will be followed by another tournament in Singapore the following week.

The takeaway

This week's slate of golf events showcases the ongoing rivalry and competition between the PGA Tour and the upstart LIV Golf series. The star-studded field at Bay Hill and the continued global expansion of LIV Golf both underscore the high stakes and wide-ranging implications of the sport's current landscape.