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A18   SPORTS
                    Thursday 5 March 2020
            Bay Hill has strongest field since death of Arnold Palmer




            By DOUG FERGUSON                                                                                                    reached No. 1 in the world
            AP Golf Writer                                                                                                      by  winning  the  Honda
            ORLANDO,  Fla.  (AP)  —  So                                                                                         Classic  in  2012,  missed  last
            much  for  the  notion  the                                                                                         week. He plans to play five
            Arnold  Palmer  Invitational                                                                                        of the next six through the
            wouldn't  be  as  attractive                                                                                        Masters,  missing  only  the
            when its namesake was no                                                                                            Valspar  Championship  at
            longer around.                                                                                                      Innisbrook.
            Rory  McIlroy,  Brooks  Koep-                                                                                       Bay Hill is personal for McIl-
            ka, Adam Scott and a host                                                                                           roy on many levels.
            of other top players at Bay                                                                                         Palmer  finally  persuaded
            Hill this week give the tour-                                                                                       him  to  come  in  2015,  and
            nament  its  strongest  field                                                                                       they  had  lunch  and  grew
            since  Palmer  died  in  Sep-                                                                                       close.  He'll  always  have
            tember 2016.                                                                                                        that memory. And then two
            The condition of the course                                                                                         years  ago,  McIlroy  ended
            is  good  as  ever.  Florida  in                                                                                    his longest drought by clos-
            March  has  warmth  in  the                                                                                         ing with a 64 to win the Ar-
            air and the increasing buzz                                                                                         nold Palmer Invitational.
            that  the  Masters  is  right                                                                                       He was No. 13 in the world
            around the corner.                                                                                                  when he arrived. He returns
            And it's still Arnie's place.                                                                                       this week at No. 1 thanks to
            "The  legacy  of  my  grand-                                                                                        a  two-year  stretch  of  win-
            father,  it  just  doesn't  go                                                                                      ning five times in his last 47
            away,"  Sam  Saunders  said                                                                                         events worldwide, with 64%
            Wednesday.  "And  he's  not                                                                                         of his finishes in the top 10.
            here  to  shake  hands  with                                                                                        "I  feel  like  this  place  is  a
            the players and see them,                                                                                           lot  of  special  memories  to
            but the impact ... they feel                                                                                        me,"  McIlroy  said.  "It  was
            it.  They  know  how  impor-                                                                                        definitely  the  catalyst  to
            tant this event is."                                                                                                do what I've done over the
            Tiger  Woods  chose  not  to                                                                                        past two years and ascend
            play  as  he  picks  his  tour-                                                                                     back  to  the  top  of  the
            naments  more  sparingly                                                                                            world rankings."
            because  of  a  fused  lower                                                                                        NOTES:  Augusta  National
            spine.  He  has  played  Bay                                                                                        says it will proceed with its
            Hill just once — a tie for fifth                                                                                    12  days  of  golf  that  con-
            in 2018 — since winning for                                                                                         cludes  with  the  Masters
            the eighth time in 2013.                                                                                            while  closely  monitoring
            Even so, the Arnold Palmer                                                                                          developments    with   the
            Invitational  is  more  than                                                                                        coronavirus.
            holding  its  own  against  a   Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland follows his tee off at the second during the final round for the   Chairman  Fred  Ridley  said
            schedule that features two   WGC-Mexico Championship golf tournament, at the Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City, Sun-  in a statement Wednesday
            World  Golf  Championships   day, Feb. 23, 2020.                                                                    the club has consulted with
            and The Players Champion-                                                                          Associated Press   the World Health Organiza-
            ship in the weeks leading to                                                                                        tion, the U.S. Centers for Dis-
            Augusta National.            the  same  elevated  status  co.  When  the  World  Golf  The  Players  Championship  ease  Control  and  Preven-
            "It's very, very hard to pick  with  a  big  purse,  smaller  Championships began, the  has gone up to $15 million  tion  and  Georgia  health
            and  choose  right  now  be-  field  and  ranking  points  only events outside the U.S.  this year.                 authorities.
            cause  this  is  such  a  strong  that are among the highest  on  the  PGA  Tour  schedule  "They   were   significantly  Based on the current situa-
            part  of  the  year,"  Graeme  for regular tour events.   were  two  in  Canada,  the  more  money,"  Scott  said  tion, Ridley says the club will
            McDowell said.               The  other  tournament  in  British Open and Spain.       of  the  WGCs.  "Now  every-  proceed  with  the  Augusta
            McDowell regrets going to  that  elevated  category,  "It was much harder to get  thing is a lot of money."         National Women's Amateur
            a World Golf Championship  the  Memorial,  has  been  the  world's  top  players  to-  So  many  tournaments.  So  (April  1-4),  the  Drive,  Chip
            in  Mexico  City,  mainly  be-  among  the  strongest  for  gether," Scott said. "Most of  much  more  money.  So  and Putt National Finals on
            cause  he  didn't  get  much  years.                      the world's top players play  many options.               April 5 and the Masters the
            out of the high altitude with  It's a question whether they  on the PGA Tour as a PGA  Koepka  skipped  the  WGC  following week.
            his low ball flight.         have    become     stronger  Tour member now."            in Mexico City and is play-  "We will continue to review
            There  was  a  time  when  with the added perks, or if  In  1999,  the  World  Golf  ing  five  straight  events,  in-  the available facts and in-
            players  never  would  have  the World Golf Champion-     Championships,  the  Tour  cluding the Valspar Cham-      formation  with  the  experts
            considered    skipping   a  ships  are  not  revered  as  Championship  and  The  pionship.  Dustin  Johnson  and  authorities,  establish
            World  Golf  Championship  much  as  they  were  when  Players Championship had  was  in  Mexico  and  has  precautions  and  take  ap-
            with its big purse ($10.5 mil-  they began in 1999. It could  the largest purses at $5 mil-  taken two weeks off before  propriate  action  to  ensure
            lion) and small field with no  be a little of both.       lion. The largest purse for a  going  to  The  Players,  Val-  the  safety  of  all  involved,"
            cut. Now it's getting harder  Scott  said  so  much  has  regular PGA Tour event was  spar  and  the  Match  Play.  Ridley said.
            to distinguish.              changed  in  20  years.  The  $3 million.                 Justin  Thomas  has  skipped  He encouraged those trav-
            Bay  Hill  has  a  $9.3  million  tour  now  has  10  tourna-  Bay Hill, Memorial and Riv-  the last two weeks and will  eling  to  Augusta  to  study
            purse, a 120-man field (with  ments  outside  the  U.S.  —  iera  now  have  $9.3  million  play  the  next  three.  Jon  the most recent travel pro-
            a  cut)  and  strong  world  the  U.K.,  Canada,  Japan,  purses, a little more than $1  Rahm played four in a row  tocols and restrictions, and
            ranking points. Ditto for the  China, South Korea, Bermu-  million  less  than  the  WGCs  through  Mexico  and  then  to  follow  recommenda-
            Genesis  Invitational  at  Riv-  da, Puerto Rico, Dominican  and about $2 million to $3  took two weeks off.        tions of the CDC to prevent
            iera  last  month,  which  has  Republic  and  two  in  Mexi-  million less than the majors.  Rory  McIlroy,  who  first  the spread of any virus.q
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