Arnold Palmer Invitational prize money
Every Arnold Palmer Invitational champion on record here, what the win paid and the year it was won. Akshay Bhatia took $4,000,000 in 2026, which is the most winning it has paid in 31 editions here.
The same tournament has run as Arnold Palmer Invitational pres. by Mastercard, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, Bay Hill Invitational, Bay Hill Invitational Presented by MasterCard, Bay Hill Invitational presented by Cooper Tires, Hertz Bay Hill Classic, Nestle Invitational. Those years are counted here, under the name it carries now.
Every Arnold Palmer Invitational winner
Newest first. The year opens that edition's full payout ladder.
| YEAR | WINNER | COUNTRY | WHAT IT PAID | PLAYERS PAID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Akshay Bhatia | USA | $4,000,000$4.0m | 49 |
| 2025 | Russell Henley | USA | $4,000,000$4.0m | 50 |
| 2024 | Scottie Scheffler | USA | $4,000,000$4.0m | 58 |
| 2023 | Kurt Kitayama | USA | $3,600,000$3.6m | 71 |
| 2022 | Scottie Scheffler | USA | $2,160,000$2.2m | 77 |
| 2021 | Bryson DeChambeau | USA | $1,674,000$1.7m | 72 |
| 2020 | Tyrrell Hatton | ENG | $1,674,000$1.7m | 68 |
| 2019 | Francesco Molinari | ITA | $1,638,000$1.6m | 68 |
| 2018 | Rory McIlroy | NIR | $1,602,000$1.6m | 74 |
| 2017 | Marc Leishman | AUS | $1,566,000$1.6m | 72 |
| 2016 | Jason Day | AUS | $1,134,000 | 73 |
| 2015 | Matt Every | USA | $1,134,000 | 69 |
| 2014 | Matt Every | USA | $1,116,000 | 69 |
| 2013 | Tiger Woods | USA | $1,116,000 | 69 |
| 2012 | Tiger Woods | USA | $1,080,000 | 68 |
| 2011 | Martin Laird | SCO | $1,080,000 | 63 |
| 2010 | Ernie Els | RSA | $1,080,000 | 61 |
| 2009 | Tiger Woods | USA | $1,080,000 | 53 |
| 2008 | Tiger Woods | USA | $1,044,000 | 49 |
| 2007 | Vijay Singh | FIJ | $990,000 | 52 |
| 2006 | Rod Pampling | AUS | $990,000 | 45 |
| 2005 | no first place held | - | 37 | |
| 2004 | Chad Campbell | USA | $900,000 | 34 |
| 2003 | Tiger Woods | USA | $810,000 | 32 |
| 2002 | Tiger Woods | USA | $720,000 | 28 |
| 2001 | Tiger Woods | USA | $630,000 | 26 |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods | USA | $540,000 | 21 |
| 1999 | Tim Herron | USA | $450,000 | 23 |
| 1998 | Ernie Els | RSA | $360,000 | 23 |
| 1997 | Phil Mickelson | USA | $270,000 | 18 |
| 1996 | Paul Goydos | USA | $216,000 | 13 |
We hold no first place for one of these 31 years, and those rows show a dash rather than a name. Every other figure in the row is held in full. Two names in a row is a pairs event, and both halves were paid the same cheque.
Won it more than once
Four players have taken the Arnold Palmer Invitational at least twice
| PLAYER | WINS | YEARS | PAID FOR THOSE WINS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger Woods | 8 | 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 | $7,020,000$7.0m |
| Scottie Scheffler | 2 | 2024, 2022 | $6,160,000$6.2m |
| Matt Every | 2 | 2015, 2014 | $2,250,000$2.3m |
| Ernie Els | 2 | 2010, 1998 | $1,440,000$1.4m |
The last column is the sum of the cheques we hold for exactly the years beside it, and nothing else. It is not a career total: what these players earned across the rest of their seasons is on their own pages.
What winning it has paid
The champion's cheque, 2007 to 2026
The twenty most recent editions we hold a winner's cheque for. The other ten are in the table above, back to 1996.
The 2026 top ten
8 March 2026
| PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | TO PAR | PRIZE MONEY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akshay Bhatia | USA | -15 | $4,000,000$4.0m |
| 2 | Daniel Berger | USA | -15 | $2,200,000$2.2m |
| T3 | Cameron Young | USA | -12 | $1,200,000 |
| T3 | Ludvig Aberg | SWE | -12 | $1,200,000 |
| 5 | Collin Morikawa | USA | -11 | $840,000 |
| T6 | Min Woo Lee | AUS | -10 | $702,000 |
| T6 | Russell Henley | USA | -10 | $702,000 |
| T6 | Sahith Theegala | USA | -10 | $702,000 |
| T9 | Harry Hall | ENG | -8 | $578,000 |
| T9 | Rickie Fowler | USA | -8 | $578,000 |
The full 2026 ladder, all 49 cheques. Akshay Bhatia won it in a playoff, which is why the card above shows the same score twice at the top.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2026?
Akshay Bhatia, on 8 March 2026. The win was worth $4,000,000.
How much does the Arnold Palmer Invitational winner get?
The 2026 champion took $4,000,000. The biggest winner's cheque across the 31 editions on this page is $4,000,000, which Akshay Bhatia collected in 2026.
Who has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational most often?
Tiger Woods, eight times: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013. Those wins paid $7,020,000 between them.
How far back does Arnold Palmer Invitational prize money go here?
To 1996. This page carries 31 editions and 1,585 individual payouts across them, and we hold no first place for one of those years.
Where to next
The rest of the golf money
Golf tournament prize money carries the roll of honour for every event we hold, and golf earnings ranks the players themselves by what they have won across their careers. For the tournaments closest to this one, see TOUR Championship, Masters Tournament, THE PLAYERS Championship, U.S. Open, Memorial Tournament, The Genesis Invitational, PGA Championship, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, BMW Championship, FedEx St. Jude Championship, RBC Heritage and The Sentry. Where a field is paid for every round it survives rather than once at the end, see Champions League prize money, and for a single event that pays a whole field on one night, World Championship darts prize money.