Activities Sports & Athletics Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Tournament The King's PGA Tour event, with winners and history Share PINTEREST Email Print The King himself, twice: Life size, and also in miniature atop the trophy for the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament. Sam Greenwood/Getty Images Sports & Athletics Golf Golf Tournaments Basics History Gear Golf Courses Famous Golfers Baseball Basketball Bicycling Billiards Bodybuilding Bowling Boxing Car Racing Cheerleading Cricket Extreme Sports Football Gymnastics Ice Hockey Martial Arts Professional Wrestling Skateboarding Skating Paintball Soccer Swimming & Diving Table Tennis Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Other Activities Learn More by Brent Kelley Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. Updated May 24, 2019 The full name of the tournament is Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, a name the tournament assumed beginning in 2007. For a dozen or so years prior to that, it was known as the Bay Hill Invitational after its host course, which Palmer owns. Arnold Palmer has long been the host of this tournament, and his relationship with Bay Hill goes back decades. The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a 72-hole stroke play tournament that typically falls on the PGA Tour schedule in mid-March. 2019 Palmer Invitational Francesco Molinari fired a final-round 64, moving up 16 positions to claim the victory. Molinari finished at 12-under 276, two strokes better than runner-up Matthew Fitzpatrick. It was his third career victory on the PGA Tour. 2018 TournamentRory McIlroy closed with a score of 64 to win this tournament for the first time and win on the PGA Tour for the first time since the 2016 Tour Championship. It was McIlroy's 14th career PGA Tour victory. McIlroy finished at 18-under 270. The runner-up, Bryson DeChambeau, finished three strokes back. 2017 Arnold Palmer InvitationalMarc Leishman tracked down third-round leaders Kevin Kisner and Charley Hoffman in the final round to win by one stroke. Leishman shot 69 Round 4 to the 73s each posted by Kisner and Hoffman. Leishma finished at 11-under 277. It was his second career PGA Tour win. Official Web sitePGA Tour tournament site Tournament Records at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Scoring, 72 holes: 264 - Payne Stewart, 1987Scoring, 18 holes: 62 - Andy Bean, 1981; Greg Norman, 1984; Adam Scott, 2014Wins: 8 - Tiger Woods Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Courses The Arnold Palmer Invitational has been played at Bay Hill Club & Lodge golf course every year since 1979. Prior to that, the tournament - known as the Florida Citrus Open Invitational at that point - was played at Orlando's Rio Pinar Country Club. Arnold Palmer Invitational Trivia and Notes The tournament was renamed the Arnold Palmer Invitational beginning with its 2007 playing. Palmer is only the second golfer to have a PGA Tour event named for him; Byron Nelson was the first.Arnold Palmer began visiting the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in 1965, and it became his winter home. Palmer became owner of the club in 1975, and in 1979 convinced the PGA Tour to move its Orlando event to Bay Hill.Palmer was 41 years old when he won this tournament in 1971. It was among his last half-dozen or so wins on the PGA Tour.The tournament was first played in 1966, and Lionel Hebert was the winner. Jack Nicklaus finished second that year. Nicklaus was also runner-up in 1982, when he lost a playoff to Tom Kite. Nicklaus never won this tournament.Tiger Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational four straight years, 2000-03. Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen are the only other golfers to win any PGA Tour event four consecutive years.Aside from Woods, the only other golfers to win this tournament back-to-back are Loren Roberts (1994-95) and Matt Every (2014-15). The other 2-time winners of the tourney are Jerry Heard (1972, 1974), Gary Koch (1977, 1984) and Ernie Els (1998, 2010).Tiger Woods also won in 2008-09 and 2012-13, for eight victories total in this tournament. That ties Sam Snead for most wins in the same tournament (Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open eight times). (Related: See Tiger Woods' wins at Bay Hill) Winners of the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational (Changes in the tournament's name are noted; p-playoff; w-weather shortened) Arnold Palmer Invitational2019 - Francesco Molinari, 2762018 - Rory McIlroy, 2702017 - Marc Leishman, 2772016 - Jason Day, 2712015 - Matt Every, 2692014 - Matt Every, 2752013 - Tiger Woods, 2752012 - Tiger Woods, 2752011 - Martin Laird, 2802010 - Ernie Els, 2772009 - Tiger Woods, 2752008 - Tiger Woods, 2702007 - Vijay Singh, 272 Bay Hill Invitational2006 - Rod Pampling, 2742005 - Kenny Perry, 2762004 - Chad Campbell, 2702003 - Tiger Woods, 2692002 - Tiger Woods, 2752001 - Tiger Woods, 2732000 - Tiger Woods, 2701999 - Tim Herron-p, 2741998 - Ernie Els, 2741997 - Phil Mickelson, 2721996 - Paul Goydos, 275 The Nestle Invitational1995 - Loren Roberts, 2721994 - Loren Roberts, 2751993 - Ben Crenshaw, 2801992 - Fred Couples, 2691991 - Andrew Magee-w, 2031990 - Robert Gamez, 2741989 - Tom Kite-p, 278 Hertz Bay Hill Classic1988 - Paul Azinger, 2711987 - Payne Stewart, 2641986 - Dan Forsman-w, 2021985 - Fuzzy Zoeller, 275 Bay Hill Classic1984 - Gary Koch-p, 2721983 - Mike Nicolette-p, 2831982 - Tom Kite-p, 2781981 - Andy Bean, 2661980 - Dave Eichelberger, 279 Bay Hill Citrus Classic1979 - Bob Byman-p, 278 Florida Citrus Open Invitational1978 - Mac McLendon, 2711977 - Gary Koch, 2741976 - Hale Irwin-p, 2701975 - Lee Trevino, 2761974 - Jerry Heard, 2731973 - Bud Allin, 2651972 - Jerry Heard, 2761971 - Arnold Palmer, 2701970 - Bob Lunn, 2711969 - Ken Still, 2781968 - Dan Sikes, 2741967 - Julius Boros, 2741966 - Lionel Hebert, 279 Continue Reading