"It feels like no one's here" - Arnold Palmer Invitational faces criticism over limited field and reduced impact
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of the biggest events on the PGA Tour. It's a Signature Event, which means all the best golfers will at least try to get into the field. Signature Events feature no cuts and a restricted field, which is supposed to make them feel much more important than the other tournaments.
However, that may have backfired. The limited field means the players will theoretically be better, but the lack of a large field makes it feel like there aren't many people participating. That's been the chief criticism of the Invitational thus far.
Will Zalatoris said via Golf Digest:
“I came out yesterday to practice for a couple hours and it feels like no one's here. It doesn't feel bigger. I wish I could give you a better answer than just different. It’s a different feel.”
Events like the WM Phoenix Open or Pebble Beach Pro-Am have much larger fields. They feel like there's a ton of golf going on, and the cuts make them a challenge for players.
The Signature Events don't have that feel, but that's not to say that everyone dislikes them. In fact, a lot of golfers prefer playing in them for several reasons.
Some golfers like Signature Events like the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Not everyone is disappointed in the seemingly small feeling surrounding the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Xander Schauffele believes there's something about the Signature Events, even if they're a little smaller in terms of the field size. He was quoted as saying via Golf Digest:
“Yeah, they feel special. I want to win them more than a non-signature event. I know there's better players playing in this tournament. The courses and the tournaments hold a lot of history.”
The tournaments themselves are usually prestigious. After all, this one is named after one of the best golfers to ever live. The fact that 70 of the absolute best golfers in the sport are all in one field also lends itself to that prestige.
This does bring up a different issue, though. The PGA Tour has to contend with the fact that several golfers are left out of these events. In a sport where truly anyone can win, that can be seen as an issue.
For reference, the Tour has seen just one player ranked in the top 50 win an event this year. Hideki Matsuyama won the Genesis Invitational, but every other event has been claimed by someone a little less heralded.
That parity is unique for golf and it means every tournament could have something impressive and perhaps unprecedented. The Signature Events don't allow for that, and some of the unheralded golfers don't appreciate the lack of opportunity they get.
The following players are the favorites to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational, led by world number one Scottie Scheffler (odds via CBS Sports):
- Scottie Scheffler +600
- Rory McIlroy +850
- Viktor Hovland +1200
- Xander Schauffele +1400
- Patrick Cantlay +1600
- Ludvig Åberg +2000
- Jordan Spieth +2000
There's less of a shot that there's an exciting upset win since most of the field is on the same playing level, which does arguably detract from the tournament's value.