The Arnold Palmer Invitational holds a substantial purse, which makes it one of the most coveted tournaments in the early PGA season. The favorites entering the week were Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, but that merely proved it's impossible to bet on golf. Here is what FanSided's Cody Williams suggested about his tournament picks before the first round.
"Though I was enticed to look at Scottie or Rory, though, we're going in a different direction. Despite McIlroy's success at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, there's just one win to his credit, which is just about the only way I'd feel comfortable betting him given his odds. With Scheffler, he just hasn't been the unstoppable force he was last year since returning from injury. That could quickly and easily change, but I'm not going to get behind someone at shorter than 4/1 odds that I have questions about," Williams wrote.
Cody is one of the biggest PGA Tour fans I know, and is well versed in golf beyond my years. However, he like many others was wrong on this one. It seemed like Collin Morikawa had things wrapped up on Sunday, taking a four-shot lead midway through his final round. But Morikawa bogeyed twice on the back nine, opening the door for Russell Henley to stage a remarkable rally: Henley, who hadn't won on the PGA Tour in some 850 days, pitched in for eagle on No. 16, then held on from there for a comeback victory — and a hefty payday.
Arnold Palmer Invitational purse 2025: Winner's prize money, total purse
The winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational will receive close to 20 percent of the overall purse. The winner, which for now looks to be Morikawa barring a sudden collapse, will recieve $4 million if they are alone in the lead. If the tournament goes to playoff, or if two golfers are tied for first, then the pay can be distributed differently. For example, if Morikawa is tied with another golfer after 18 holes, his payment goes down to $3.1 million. That is why it is so important for Morikawa to set himself apart and avoid a complete disaster of a final round.
Arnold Palmer Invitational payout distribution by finishing position in 2025
As a reward for the biggest win of his career to date, Henley is set to take home a cool $4 million. Here's the full payout breakdown below.
Finishing Position | Arnold Palmer Invitational Prize Money |
|---|---|
Winner | $4,000,000 |
2nd | $2,200,000.00 |
3rd | $1,400,000.00 |
4th | $1,000,000.00 |
5th | $840,000 |
6th | $760,000 |
7th | $700,000 |
8th | $646,000 |
9th | $600,000 |
10th | $556,000 |
11th | $514,000 |
12th | $472,000 |
13th | $430,000 |
14th | $389,000 |
15th | $369,000 |
16th | $349,000 |
17th | $329,000 |
18th | $309,000 |
19th | $289,000 |
20th | $269,000 |
21st | $250,000 |
22nd | $233,000.00 |
23rd | $216,000.00 |
24th | $200,000 |
25th | $184,000 |
26th | $168,000 |
27th | $161,000 |
28th | $154,000 |
29th | $147,000 |
30th | $140,000 |
31st | $133,000 |
32nd | $126,000 |
33rd | $119,000 |
34th | $114,000 |
35th | $109,000 |
36th | $104,000 |
37th | $99,000 |
38th | $94,000 |
39th | $90,000 |
40th | $86,000 |
41st | $82,000 |
42nd | $78,000 |
43rd | $74,000 |
44th | $70,000 |
45th | $66,000 |
46th | $62,000 |
47th | $58,000 |
48th | $56,000 |
49th | $54,000 |
50th | $52,000 |
51st | $51,000 |
52nd | $50,000 |
53rd | $49,000 |
54th | $48,000 |
55th | $47,000 |
56th | $46,000 |
57th | $45,000 |
58th | $44,000 |
59th | $43,000 |
60th | $42,000 |
61st | $41,000 |
62nd | $40,000 |
63rd | $39,000 |
64th | $38,000 |
65th | $37,000 |
66th | $36,000 |
67th | $35,000 |
68th | $34,000 |
The total purse for those golfers who made the cut is $20 million. The winner payout is $4 million assuming they do not finish in a tie. Beyond winning, though, there is plenty of money to be made down the leaderboard.