After two straight weeks of weaker fields and surprise winners, the big guns return to the course for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. 

Let's check out the three biggest storylines leading up to the fourth Signature Event of the 2025 PGA Tour season.

Welcome back, Xander Schauffele!

The PGA Tour has sometimes lacked juice this season, partly because Xander Schauffele hasn't been on the course. The World No. 2 has missed the last two months of action due to a rib injury, but he plans on returning to the PGA Tour for the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

It's easy to forget how well Schauffele played the last time he was fully healthy. The American finished last season with 11 straight top-15 finishes and two major championship wins, putting him next to Scottie Scheffler in the elite tier of golfers on the PGA Tour. After a strong showing in his recent return to TGL, Schauffele should have his sights set on a win at Bay Hill. 

Time for a Scottie Scheffler statement?

Scheffler isn't having a bad season by any stretch, but finishes of T9, T25 and T3 in 2025 are well below the sky-high standard he set for himself last season. The good news is the World No. 1 returns to Florida this week, where he's dominated the rest of the PGA Tour for three years. 

Scheffler has won four times in his last six starts in the Sunshine State, including two wins in three starts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The American shot 15 under at Bay Hill last season to win by five and kickstart his impressive run of nine victories in the span of 16 worldwide starts. Bay Hill is the perfect golf course for Scheffler because it emphasizes total driving and crisp iron play. Could this be the start of another Scheffler winning streak?

Fewer commercials!

Golf fans, rejoice. The PGA Tour is finally taking action to remedy the gripe many viewers have voiced for years. After the Arnold Palmer Invitational, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan announced that NBC and Golf Channel would feature fewer commercials in favor of more player-caddie conversations throughout the tournament. 

This is a wise initiative by the PGA Tour in its mission to win back golf fans, and it should make the action more enjoyable to watch. 

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