The Arnold Palmer Invitational may precede one of the biggest events on the schedule, that being The Players Championship, of course, but that doesn't mean it's not a massive event in its own right.
Each season a plethora of the best players on the PGA Tour return to Bay Hill for one of the most highly anticipated and prestigious events of the year.
A marquee event celebrating one of the greatest golfers ever to play the sport was taken up another notch when it was made one of the eight Signature Events on the PGA Tour schedule.
Of course, when it comes to these Signature Events, things are not always clear-cut when it comes to the format and cut rules. This often results in golf fans wondering what's in store when Friday rolls around.
Does the Arnold Palmer Invitational feature a cut at the halfway point? Could some big names be packing their bags early? Let's take a look at everything to know before the weekend rolls around at Arnie's Place.
Arnold Palmer Invitational rules and format in 2025: Is there a cut?
The 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational will feature a cut at the halfway point with the top 50 players and ties after 36 holes advancing through to the weekend. Additionally, any player in the field within 10 strokes of the leader following the conclusion of the second round will also play the weekend.
Unlike the majority of signature events on the schedule, the Arnold Palmer Invitational represents one of three events to implement a cut, joining both last month's Genesis Invitational and the upcoming Memorial Tournament.
The 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational welcomed a field of 72 players to Bay Hill, a number that will at least be partially reduced for the second year in a row following 36 holes of action.
What has the cut line previously been at the Arnold Palmer Invitational?
The cut line at last year's Arnold Palmer Invitational, won by Scottie Scheffler, was 3-over. Here is a look at the last five editions of the tournament.
Year | Cut Line |
|---|---|
2024 | +3 |
2023 | +2 |
2022 | +3 |
2021 | +2 |
2020 | +3 |
Looking back at recent editions of the API, it's interesting to note that not once has the cut line been under par.
Even with varying field sizes over the last five years, the cut has consistently been made at either 2-over or 3-over, illustrating that the tour's top players face a true test when they tee it up at Bay Hill each year, regardless of whether or not the event held Signature status.
Arnold Palmer Invitational cut line projection: What will the cut be in 2025?
For the first time in over five years, the Arnold Palmer Invitational could witness a cut line that is atypical from what has become the norm with Data Golf projecting a 5-over cut line and giving it a 37% chance of coming to fruition.
In addition to differing from the average cut line at this event in recent years, looking back even further, a 5-over cut line would be the biggest margin over par for a cut at Bay Hill in the last decade.
As things stand, that number falling back to 6-over is increasing more likely than it moving forward to 4-over with the difficult test the field has once again faced at Arnie's Place; standing at around 32% and 16%, respectively.
A 5-over cut line could spell bad news for players including Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, Tom Kim, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Billy Horschel, to name a few. Of course, with the 10-shot rule and other factors in play, there is still plenty of time for all of that to change.