Scottie Scheffler (-1) has got the job done on the first day of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which is causing serious headaches. Just ask Cameron Young (+10, round of 82), Max Homa (+9, 81), Aldrich Potgieter (+7, 79), or Tom Kim (+6, 78). Therefore, the card of 71 strokes from the World Number One should be considered more than tidy, even remarkable, because Bay Hill and the wind are making things very difficult for the players.
A major aroma, without any doubt: pars are good, birdies are a treasure, and rounds under par might be counted on the fingers of one hand by the end of the day if the wind’s intensity holds in the afternoon, which remains to be seen: it seems that as the hours pass, the wind is easing. Bay Hill doesn’t need a gale to challenge everyone, although it’s true that the morning groups faced gusts reaching thirty kilometres per hour, which is no small matter on a course where it’s essential to stay on track.
Scheffler has shown the form of his previous 2025 appearances: he doesn’t need much to play under par, not even in very demanding conditions, but he still intersperses some mistakes in the same round that he only made very occasionally last year. Nothing alarming, of course. Let’s say he maintains his efficiency intact but still doesn’t intimidate.
Perhaps a warning is necessary: the analysis of the Texan’s performance is based on his ‘divine’ standards, because it doesn’t take much calculation to understand that his tournament start is very positive, being just two strokes behind the provisional leader, Keegan Bradley (-3), waiting for all the matches to finish. The American Ryder Cup captain, by the way, has shown great reliability from the tee and also very sharp around the green. This man could cause quite a stir if he decides to win this week, because it’s worth remembering that his main objective, despite holding the captaincy, is to get into the stars and stripes team, and in these Signature Events, a huge amount of points are distributed (4,000 for the winner, no less).
Alongside Scottie was Ludvig Aberg (PAR), who finished the round with a birdie on the 18th at Bay Hill to sign for level par. More of the same: given how things are, the young Swede’s start is solid, so he should be kept in the group of main favourites for the final victory.
