Arnold Palmer Invitational To Get Less-Attractive Schedule Spot in 2021

The King’s Legacy can’t buy a break.

Arnold Palmer’s beloved Golf Channel is leaving Orlando, and now the API will be moving up on the 2021 schedule. And based on last week’s Honda Classic, the schedule spot might make it tough to attract a quality field despite the API’s elevated status (three-year exemption).

From Brian Wacker’s GolfDigest.com report:

According to the source, the sequence of tournaments following the Genesis Invitational, the final event on the West Coast swing, will be the WGC-Mexico Championship, API, Players and Honda. As part of the shift, it’s expected that the Valspar Championship, also held in Florida, will move to a late April date.

The wealth of quality events this time of year makes scheduling tough and the different calendar in 2021 left the PGA Tour no choice. Still, with Riviera, a WGC before the API and the Players/Honda pairing after, it sure seems likely The King’s event will be the odd man out.

To understand how the opening spot on the Florida swing has suffered, check out the Honda Classic’s Official World Golf Ranking strength of field numbers since 2015. The event followed the Riviera stop until 2019 when the WGC Mexico Championship moved between the West Coast swing and Florida.

Year Honda Strength of Field

2015 466

2016 446

2017 387

2018 375

2019 298

2020 261

For perspective, the 2019 and 2020 strength of field’s were well less than half the WGC Mexico City.

The 2018 to 2020 API strength of field: 443-545-568.