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**administrator** · 02-28-2007, 01:55 PM

History:

The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard is a PGA Tour golf tournament. It is played each March at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort in Orlando, Florida which has been owned by Arnold Palmer since 1976 and where he has his winter home. The event was founded in 1979 as a successor to the Florida Citrus Open Invitational, which was played at Rio Pinar Golf Club on the East side of Orlando. It has had a number of different names since then, most of them including "Bay Hill." The tournament will be played for the first time under the Palmer name in 2007.

Tiger Woods won what was then known as the Bay Hill Invitational four years in a row from 2000 to 2003. This is one of only four occasions that a golfer has won the same event four times in a row on the Tour. In 2004 he was one shot off the lead after opening with a 67, but followed up with back to back 74s on the Friday and Saturday, and ended the final round on Sunday in a tie for 46th place.

Winners

Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCard

* 2006 Rod Pampling
* 2005 Kenny Perry
* 2004 Chad Campbell

Bay Hill Invitational presented by Cooper Tires

* 2003 Tiger Woods
* 2002 Tiger Woods

Bay Hill Invitational

* 2001 Tiger Woods
* 2000 Tiger Woods
* 1999 Tim Herron
* 1998 Ernie Els
* 1997 Phil Mickelson
* 1996 Paul Goydos

The Nestle Invitational

* 1995 Loren Roberts
* 1994 Loren Roberts
* 1993 Ben Crenshaw
* 1992 Fred Couples
* 1991 Andrew Magee
* 1990 Robert Gamez
* 1989 Tom Kite

Hertz Bay Hill Classic

* 1988 Paul Azinger
* 1987 Payne Stewart
* 1986 Dan Forsman
* 1985 Fuzzy Zoeller

Bay Hill Classic

* 1984 Gary Koch
* 1983 Mike Nicolette
* 1982 Tom Kite
* 1981 Andy Bean
* 1980 Dave Eichelberger

Bay Hill Citrus Classic

* 1979 Bob Byman

Florida Citrus Open

* 1978 Mac McLendon
* 1977 Gary Koch
* 1976 Hale Irwin
* 1975 Lee Trevino
* 1974 Jerry Heard
* 1973 Bud Allin
* 1972 Jerry Heard

Florida Citrus Invitational

* 1971 Arnold Palmer
* 1970 Bob Lunn

Florida Citrus Open Invitational

* 1969 Ken Still
* 1968 Dan Sikes
* 1967 Julius Boros
* 1966 Lionel Hebert

srothfuss · 03-16-2007, 08:55 AM

So Tiger's playing this weekend and on the first day he (along with 2 other players) open the weekend festivities with a -6... Should make for some very marketable TV time on TGC.

Golfbum · 03-17-2007, 10:39 AM

You gotta love the fact that Rocko is leading this tournament going into the weekend. I hope his back holds up and he goes on to win Arnie's event. Remember last year when he was still in contention going into the back 9 on Sunday at The Masters? Then his back problem flares up and he was toast.
As for Woods, well he hacked it around yesterday for a 73. Here's hoping he stays far enough back of the lead!
I would not mind seeing Sergio win this event though. He was styling yesterday in those red pants

Tamaj13 · 03-18-2007, 06:32 PM

I write in an earlier post that I thought Tiger was losing his edge and maybe not as mentally tough as he used to be. I think this week's and particularly today's performance supports that. It will be interesting to see if he can recover in time for the Masters.