The first Arnold Palmer Invitational without the beloved tournament host began with Emiliano Grillo of Argentina and Matt Fitzpatrick of England opening at five-under 67 to share the lead on a Bay Hill course that looked better than ever.
The week is a celebration of Palmer, who died last September, for the tournament he brought to Bay Hill in 1979 and played until 2004, when he hit driver off the deck on the 18th hole, with 16-year-old grandson Sam Saunders on the bag.
Saunders not only received a sponsor exemption, he was placed in the star pairing for the afternoon with Rory McIlroy and Brandt Snedeker. McIlroy twice made bogeys from the bunker and three-putted from 18 feet on the fringe in his round of 74.
Palmer’s grandson, now 29, was at Bay Hill to play, though he realised this was not a normal round. Asked how much he thought of Palmer, he said, ‘All day’.
‘How can you not? He’s everywhere,’ Saunders said. ‘I see him, I feel him, you hear about him. There were so many well wishes out there toward me today, and his presence is overwhelming. It always will be.’
Multicoloured umbrellas – the famous Palmer logo – were everywhere at Bay Hill. They were on shirt collars and caps, golf bags and even the covers of fairway metals. Parkas might have been more appropriate, especially with the round beginning in 39 degrees, the coldest start of a PGA Tour event this year – in Florida, no less.
Grillo made the most of it.
After two soft bogeys – a three-putt from 25 feet on No 3 and missing the green from 120 yards in the fairway on the par-5 fourth – the 24-year-old Argentine came to life with seven birdies. That included a 50-foot birdie putt on No 9 and a 40-foot birdie putt on No 17.
With Grillo and Fitzpatrick tied on 67, three players were on 68. World No 2 Jason Day of Australia, in a group that included South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Trevor Immelman on 70, tied for eighth.
Charl Schwartzel was tied for eighth after a 72.
Image: Louis Oosthuizen playing his tee shot on the 11th.
Courtesy: Getty Images
