Another piece of the PGA Tour’s developing Championship Series puzzle has been put in place—and it’s not a surprising one, though it is significant. Officials of the Arnold Palmer Invitational announced Thursday that the long-held tournament in Orlando, Fla., will join the Championship Series that begins in 2028.
Contested since 1979 at Bay Hill Club’s Championship Course, the Arnold Palmer Invitational has been a signature event on the tour since the creation of what were initially called designated events in 2022. It remains a signature event offering a $20-million purse in 2027, scheduled for March 18-21.
Benefitting the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, the Arnold Palmer Invitational is the first of three invitational tournaments on the tour schedule to reveal its intentions to host a Championship Series event. The remaining two invitationals—the Memorial Tournament, which is hosted by Jack Nicklaus, and the Genesis Invitational, hosted by Tiger Woods—have yet to announce their inclusion in the Championship Series but it seems logical that they will do so given their signature event status through 2027.
Other current signature events not yet committed to the Championship Series are the RBC Heritage, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the year-old Cadillac Championship while the Travelers Championship earlier this week became the first signature tournament to join the Championship Series.
“For more than two decades, Mastercard has been proud to partner with the Arnold Palmer Invitational, helping create unforgettable experiences for fans while honoring Arnold Palmer’s enduring legacy of excellence, generosity and community impact,” Michael Moutenot, SVP, marketing & communications, North America, Mastercard, said in a statement. “As one of golf’s most iconic events, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard has long brought together the game’s best players on one of its most celebrated stages. We’re excited to see the tournament continue to play a prominent role as part of the PGA Tour Championship Series.”
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is the fourth tournament announcing that it would join the PGA Tour’s new Championship Series, which tour CEO Brian Rolapp revealed last month. It joins the Travelers, a new event sponsored by financial services group Sompo that is backing a tournament in Napa, Calif., in 2027 before moving to a new venue, reportedly in Seattle, and The Sentry event at Torrey Pines.
“The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard has a long history showcasing the best of the best in men’s professional golf, and becoming one of the PGA Tour Championship Series events allows us to further recognize the strength of our tournament while celebrating the legacy of Arnold Palmer,” said tournament director Drew Donovan. “Mr. Palmer believed in challenging the world’s best players while creating an unforgettable experience for fans. As a PGA Tour Championship Series event we will continue to deliver championship golf at Bay Hill and give back to the Central Florida community.”
The proposed Championship Series is expected to feature 15 events, not including the Players Championship, the four major championships and the two international team match play events—the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. The Championship Series will feature 120-player fields and will run from February through August, while a secondary set of tournaments, called the Challenger Series will run concurrently and through the fall. So far there have been no events identified for that series of tour events.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
