Ruthless Arnold Palmer Invitational prize money rules after Spieth and Fowler snubbed

The PGA Tour’s fourth Signature event of the year is underway in Florida as some of the sport’s biggest names battle it out for a share of the $20 milliion purse

Just 10 of the 72 players competing in the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational will receive a share of the prize money. The Signature event on the PGA Tour is well underway at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando and competition is already high as players fight it out for the customary $20 million purse.

However, with there being a cut at this year’s tournament, even more is on the line given those who finish outside the Top 10 will walk away with nothing. With nine of the top 10 players in the world in action this weekend, including reigning champion Scottie Scheffler and new World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, there’s sure to be a fight until the end.

Scheffler hasn’t won on the PGA Tour so far this year but that hasn’t stopped him from being touted as the favorite heading into the tournament, where he will be hoping to build on his two top-10 finishes in 2025 with his third victory in this event. As for McIlroy, the 2018 Bay Hill winner is making his 11th API appearance, and is still riding high after his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am success last month.

Xander Schauffele (3), Ludvig Aberg (4), playing in his first tour event since winning the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines in February, Collin Morikawa (5), Hideki Matsuyama (6), Wyndham Clark (7), Justin Thomas (8) and Tommy Fleetwood (10) are the others inside the top 10 who are competing this weekend.

The $20M purse will be split between the 10 players who make the cut, with the winner pocketing a hefty $4m for themselves. The runner-up at this year’s API will take home $2.2m, while the golfers who come in third and fourth place will be granted $1.4m and $1m, respectively.

Those who place 5th-10th will still also be taking home more than half-a-million dollars each for their efforts. This works out at $840,000 for finishing 5th, $760,000 for finishing 6th, $700,000 for finishing 7th, $646,000 for finishing 8th, $600,000 for finishing 9th, and $556,000 for finishing 10th.

Prior to the tournament starting on Thursday, there had been uproar over the decision not to award sponsor exemptions to Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth at Bay Hill. Instead, they went to Justin Rose and Rafael Campos, along with Mackenzie Hughes and Min Woo Lee.