PGA Tour stars seek returns to winner's circle at Arnold Palmer Invitational

Bay Hill has pushed back in recent years by presenting one of the Tour’s 10 toughest tests since 2019, when the week’s scoring average was over par.

“It’s just hard and it just gets harder as the week goes on it’s borderline,” Will Zalatoris said. “By Sunday it’s major championship toughness — just get out of there with pars and be happy.”

Zalatoris, who is ranked 34th coming off 2023 back surgery, has just one victory on Tour himself, at the ’22 FedEx St. Judes Classic. But with six top-10s in 10 majors before his injury the 27-year-old would not sneak up on anyone at Bay Hill.

Meanwhile, the biggest names and winners aim to get on track as next week’s Players Championship looms and major championship season beckons, beginning with the Masters April 11-14.

Among top players, Schauffele is one who’s had chances stumbled on Sunday.

The 30-year-old was two back at the season-open Sentry and in the final pairing at the Genesis Invitational, where he and Cantlay, his closest friend on Tour, were in the final pairing at Riviera. Neither broke 70 as Hideki Matsuyama closed with a 9-under 62 to win by 3 and become the sole big-name winner in 2024 after injuries plagued the Japanese star last year.

“Haven’t been able to sort of really get over the hump or get myself close, I should even say, with six to nine holes in a tournament,” Schauffele said. “Just keep on keeping on is kind of what I’m doing.”

Schauffele has four top-10s in five starts this season, but has finished tied for 24 and 39 in two starts at the API with just one of eights rounds in the 60s. Something has to change this week for the seven-time winner to end a 32-tournament drought.

Cantlay, who has eight victories on Tour, is amid of winless streak of 27 starts dating to 2022. He finished T4 during his API debut last year.

“You got to keep putting yourself in position time after time, and some of those weeks you get the right break at the right time,” he said. “You hit a couple putts that, instead of going on the lip, they go in. Usually those are the weeks that you win.”

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