Akshay Bhatia triumphed over Daniel Berger in a thrilling playoff to claim victory at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational. This iconic tournament took place at the renowned Bay Hill Club and Lodge, showcasing a remarkable back-nine battle between the competitors.
2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational Overview
Both Bhatia and Berger finished the tournament with a score of 15 under par. The decisive moment occurred on the first playoff hole, where Berger struggled with a three-putt from 106 feet. Missing a crucial 7-footer for par, he recorded a bogey. In contrast, Bhatia managed to two-putt for par from 27 feet, securing his championship win.
Prize Distribution
The 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational featured a total purse of $20 million. Bhatia’s exceptional performance earned him a significant payout of $4 million, while Berger took home $2.2 million for his second-place finish. Below is a detailed breakdown of the prize distribution for the top finishers:
| Finish | Player | Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akshay Bhatia | $4,000,000 |
| 2 | Daniel Berger | $2,200,000 |
| T3 | Ludvig Åberg | $1,200,000 |
| T3 | Cameron Young | $1,200,000 |
| 5 | Collin Morikawa | $840,000 |
| T6 | Sahith Theegala | $702,000 |
| T6 | Russell Henley | $702,000 |
| T6 | Min Woo Lee | $702,000 |
| T9 | Harry Hall | $578,000 |
| T9 | Rickie Fowler | $578,000 |
| T11 | Adam Scott | $493,000 |
| T11 | Jordan Spieth | $493,000 |
| T13 | Sepp Straka | $373,200 |
| T13 | Billy Horschel | $373,200 |
| T13 | Maverick McNealy | $373,200 |
| T13 | Si Woo Kim | $373,200 |
| T13 | Viktor Hovland | $373,200 |
| T18 | Chris Gotterup | $261,000 |
| T18 | Max Greyserman | $261,000 |
| T18 | Kurt Kitayama | $261,000 |
| T18 | Jacob Bridgeman | $261,000 |
| T18 | Jhonattan Vegas | $261,000 |
| T18 | Bud Cauley | $261,000 |
| T24 | Lucas Glover | $157,000 |
| T24 | Robert MacIntyre | $157,000 |
| T24 | Nicolai Højgaard | $157,000 |
| T24 | Ryan Fox | $157,000 |
| T24 | Patrick Rodgers | $157,000 |
| T24 | Alex Noren | $157,000 |
| T24 | Harris English | $157,000 |
| T24 | Scottie Scheffler | $157,000 |
| T24 | Xander Schauffele | $157,000 |
| T33 | Keith Mitchell | $109,000 |
| T33 | Michael Kim | $109,000 |
| T33 | Corey Conners | $109,000 |
| T33 | Ryo Hisatsune | $109,000 |
| T33 | Michael Thorbjornsen | $109,000 |
| T38 | Nick Taylor | $90,000 |
| T38 | Taylor Pendrith | $90,000 |
| T38 | Andrew Novak | $90,000 |
| T41 | Hideki Matsuyama | $78,000 |
| T41 | Matt McCarty | $78,000 |
| T41 | Matt Fitzpatrick | $78,000 |
| T44 | Nico Echavarria | $66,000 |
| T44 | Taylor Moore | $66,000 |
| T44 | Andrew Putnam | $66,000 |
| T47 | Chris Kirk | $58,000 |
| T47 | Daniel Bennett (a) | $0 |
| 49 | Tommy Fleetwood | $56,000 |
| 50 | Brian Harman | $54,000 |
The tournament featured a competitive 72-player field with a cut after the first 36 holes. Notably, Rory McIlroy and Austin Smotherman withdrew before the third round started, reducing the final number of competitors to 50. These players completed the remaining 36 holes, vying for their share of the substantial purse.
