Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala will return to action at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the PGA TOUR’s third $20 million Signature Event of the 2026 season, starting March 5 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando.
The elite-field tournament is one of the marquee stops on the early-season schedule and will feature many of the world’s top players.
Theegala arrives looking to build momentum after an injury-affected 2025 season. The Indian-American has shown encouraging signs in recent weeks with top-10 finishes at The American Express and the Farmers Insurance Open, followed by a tied-18th result at the WM Phoenix Open.
Bhatia, meanwhile, has been in strong form despite a couple of early missed cuts. The 24-year-old finished tied third at the WM Phoenix Open and followed it with a tied-sixth result at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am before adding a tied-16th finish at The Genesis Invitational.
In the opening round, Bhatia will be paired with former Open champion Brian Harman, while Theegala tees it up alongside experienced American Chris Kirk.
The field is headlined by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who arrives in dominant form on the PGA TOUR. Rory McIlroy, ranked No. 2 in the world, also features among the contenders.
Collin Morikawa, who recently returned to the winner’s circle at Pebble Beach, and Justin Thomas, making his return after surgery, add further depth to the star-studded field.
With a $20 million purse and 700 FedExCup points on offer, the Arnold Palmer Invitational once again promises one of the strongest tests of the early PGA TOUR season.
Photo – PGAT
