Bay Hill showed its teeth on Thursday as the Arnold Palmer Invitational got underway. With firm greens and challenging pin positions, only a handful of players managed to go low, while many struggled to break par.
The best round of the day belonged to Wyndham Clark, who fired a 67 (-5) to grab the early lead. Clark’s aggressive approach off the tee and sharp iron play gave him plenty of scoring chances, and he took full advantage.
This performance was especially notable in Golf’s Greatest Gamble, as Aca wisely used a mulligan to switch from Xander Schauffele (77, +5) to Clark—a decision that could pay off in a big way.
🏌️♂️ Rory McIlroy (70, -2) – A steady start for Rory, who has a great history at Bay Hill. If his putter heats up, he’ll be a threat heading into the weekend.
🏌️♂️ Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler (71, -1) – This elite group is within striking distance, and any of them could make a big move in Round 2.
🏌️♂️ Ludvig Åberg, Russell Henley (72, E) – Åberg continues to prove he belongs among the world’s best, while Henley quietly kept himself in the mix.
😬 Xander Schauffele (77, +5) – A brutal day for Xander, making Aca’s mulligan look even more brilliant.
😬 Viktor Hovland (77, +5) & Sepp Straka (77, +5) – Both had trouble navigating Bay Hill’s demanding layout and will need a huge Round 2 just to make the cut.
😬 Akshay Bhatia (79, +7) – The young star had a rough start and will need a miracle to stick around for the weekend.
With Clark leading the way, the question is: can he keep the momentum going? Expect McIlroy, Scheffler, and Morikawa to make a push, while others fight to avoid an early exit.
And for Aca? That mulligan might just be the move of the tournament.
Stay tuned for more updates from Bay Hill! ⛳🔥
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