Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard Round 3

Date
Sat 7th March 2026 (UTC)
Sat 7th March 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-03-07T14:20:00

Time

14:20:00 UTC (09:20:00 Local)

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League
PGA Tour

Season
2026

Round
9

Status
Match Finished

Location
Bay Hill Club & Lodge

Video Highlights

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Description

The third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard sees the elite field return to Bay Hill Club & Lodge for the traditional "Moving Day." With the 36-hole cut now behind them, the strategy for the remaining 50+ players shifts from survival to aggressive positioning. The par-72 layout is expected to be at its most defiant today; the Florida sun and increasing wind traditionally bake the greens into a "crusty" state, making distance control on approach shots and lag putting the absolute priorities.

The headline story is Daniel Berger, who holds a commanding five-stroke lead at 13-under-par. His primary challenge is maintaining his clinical rhythm against a chasing pack that features some of the world's most aggressive closers. Akshay Bhatia, sitting solo second, will look to apply early pressure, while major champions Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Åberg are poised to make a charge if the leader falters. For those further back, like Rory McIlroy and defending champion Russell Henley, Round 3 is the final opportunity to bridge the gap before the red cardigan is handed out on Sunday.

Reports

Result List

Result Description

The third round of the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational ended in a literal stalemate, as darkness suspended play at 18:30 local time following earlier weather delays. Daniel Berger remains the man to beat, holding a clubhouse lead of 13-under, though his once-massive lead has been trimmed to just two strokes by a surging Akshay Bhatia. Berger, who struggled slightly with his putting for the first time all week, elected to mark his ball on the par-5 16th hole and will sleep on a 33-foot eagle putt that could potentially restore his cushion when play resumes Sunday morning.

Akshay Bhatia was the standout performer of the afternoon, navigating a rollercoaster front nine before finding a brilliant rhythm on the back. Bhatia opted to finish the 16th hole before the horn blew, calmly rolling in a birdie putt to move to 11-under. Behind the lead pair, Sepp Straka produced the "round of the day" thus far, carding seven birdies to jump into a tie for third at 9-under alongside Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa. The day was also marked by the withdrawal of Rory McIlroy due to back spasms and Austin Smotherman with a back injury, while stars like Ludvig Åberg and Sahith Theegala remain inside the top ten, waiting to complete their final few holes of the round at daybreak.

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