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| Tuesday Mar 03, 2026 |
Arnold Palmer Invitational Talking Points:
▪️ There has not been a playoff at the Arnold Palmer Invitational since 1999. In the 26 events since then, 14 have been decided by one stroke.
▪️ Daniel Bennett, of South Africa, received a spot in this week's field by virtue of a vote from his peers at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Cup in June. Bennett helped lead the International team to victory over the U.S. at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina.
▪️ Sixty of the 72 players in the field have won on the PGA Tour, led by 29-time winner Rory McIlory.
▪️ The field features 42 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, including 19 of the top 20 — No. 18 Patrick Reed is the lone absence — led by No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood, No. 4 Justin Rose and No. 5 Collin Morikawa.
▪️ Rory McIlroy, the 2018 champion, is making his 12th career start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and has played every year since his debut in 2015.
▪️ Scottie is one of eight multiple winners of the event. The others are Tiger Woods (8 times), Jerry Heard (2), Gary Koch (2), Tom Kite (2), Loren Roberts (2), Ernie Els (2) and Matt Every (2).
POLL
▪️ Should the Trump administration be involved with the running of Washington, D.C.’s three municipal golf facilities? | Vote
▪️ Previous: Which is the better schedule swing on the PGA Tour? | Results
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
▪️ What is your opinion of the Trump administration's involvement with Washington, D.C.’s three municipal golf courses currently being managed by National Links Trust? | Respond
> They rescued D.C.'s munys. Then Trump took over. Inside the fight between the president and public golf | Golf Digest | Read
> The National Links Trust’s Battle with the Trump Administration explained | Fried Egg Golf | Read
> Uncertainty and a new lawsuit swirl around the National Links Trust and Washington D.C. golf courses | GolfPass | Read
▪️ Previous: What are the key ingredients to the ideal buddy trip? | Read
RECENT DROPS
🎧 | ▶️ CONTENT CLUBHOUSE
Gabe Aluisy: Building authority from scratch
Guest: Gabe Aluisy, founder and host of "Let's Play Thru" YouTube channel.
Listen / Watch | Archives
🎧 GOLF INNERVIEW WITH ANN LIGUORI
Stephen Ames: The senior life
Guest: Stephen Ames, PGA Tour Champions player.
Listen | Archives
🎧 ROAD TO AUGUSTA
Now on the tee, from Durham, North Carolina ...
Guest: Ward Clayton, host.
Listen
▪️ Why the PGA of America and NBC extended their media rights deal
[James Colgan | Golf.com | Read]
▪️ 'He carries that torch': Why Rickie Fowler is this year's Arnie Award winner
[Jaime Diaz | Golf Digest | Read]
▪️ Meet the LPGA players who won with their husband on the bag
[Beth Ann Nichols | Golfweek | Read]
▪️ Arnold Palmer Cup alumni highlight deep foundaton roots at 2026 API
[Cameron Jourdan | Golfweek | Read]
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Readers of The First Call share their thoughts on what makes for a great group golf trip.
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MARCH
3: Ohio Golf Course Owners Association Conference, Mansfield, Ohio | Info
4: ForeUp Digital Summit | Info
9-13: ASGCA Design Boot Camp, Pinehurst, North Carolina | Info
23-25: Asia Golf Tourism Convention, Thailand | Info
To submit events for the calendar, please include the event name, date, location and informational link to info@firstcallgolf.com.