PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Ernie Els will be among those returning to Bay Hill next week to honor the legacy of Arnold Palmer, but he understands why several top-ranked players may be absent.
This year marks the first edition of the tournament since Palmer’s death in September because of heart complications. While tournament officials had hoped to draw an elite field and the purse has increased significantly, only 10 of the top 25 players in the world are currently committed to play.
Els made one of his first PGA Tour starts at Arnold Palmer Invitational in 1993 when he was just 23 years old, and he won the event in both 1998 and 2010.