Mar 07, 2026
3 min read
Daniel Berger leads the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational after 36 holes.Who will chase the weekend?
Arnold Palmer Invitational leader board, kapindho round highlights, scores
The 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational is in its second round at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida.If you missed all the action from the opening round, catch it here.
It's the third signature event on the PGA Tour's 2026 schedule, but even though it's a smaller field, there's still a tipping point.The top 50 and tie, plus any player within 10 shots of the lead after 36 holes, will be played this weekend.
Find all the standings updates, scores, highlights and more from Friday's second round of the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational here.
2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational Board of Directors
Follow all the results at Bay Hill so far this week with the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational Winners List.This is what the top of the table looked like after 36 holes.
|Pos.|Ism |Bal |
|1 |Daniel Berger |-13 |
|2 |Akshay Bhatia |-8 |
|T3 |Ludwig Aberg |-7 |
|T3 |Collin Morikawa |-7 |
|Th3 |Baris Sahit |-7 |
|6 |Rickie Fowler |-6 |
|T7 |Russell Henley |-5 |
|T7 |Xander Schauffele |-5 |
Russell Henley recorded three consecutive birdies.
Henley climbed into the top 10 late Friday with his third straight birdie.The defending champion on his scorecard no.Rounded 12, 13 and 14.And finished tied for 5th at four holes under.
Daniel Berger returns his 63 with a 68
Berger was 4 under on Friday and signed for a 68. That means he is 13 under and five shots through 36 holes.He now has a 22-under total over his last five rounds at Bay Hill.
"The recipe is pretty simple. It's fairways and greens, and if you can do that, it's hard for guys to catch you," he said."So the next few days will be a challenge to hit a certain number of fairways and a certain number of greens."
And what about the thought of playing with such a big lead?
"You play like you're starting the round under par, you're not playing with the other guys. You're on the golf course, you're playing by yourself. You control what you can control. And it's not like I've done it a million times, so I can't tell you exactly what it's going to be like, but I know how I want to do it."
Scotty Scheffler drains a long layup
Ludwig Aberg is tied for 71st, sitting at 7 under through 36 holes.
Aberg, who clearly played his best golf of the year, shot an early wave of 71 on Friday. Now he will be well rested for the third round on Saturday.Aberg had a stretch on 3-overs from 8 through 10 on Friday (bogey on 8, double on 10), but he had birdies at Nos. 4, 5, 12 and 18. He is solo in the second half. In 2026 he has WD, MC, T-37 and T-20.
Update: Sahith Theegala later joined Aberg at 7 under after Theegala shot 67. Rickie Fowler is tied for fourth at 6 under. He's also through 36 holes.
Daniel Berger singled for a short five-shot lead
Berger's strong play this week continues.After an opening 63, he birdied the first and sixth to reach 11 under.That gave him a five-shot lead but Collin Morikawa bogeyed his first hole to go 7 under.
Sahit Dhikala ties for the second time after a hole-out
Theegala just got out of the greenside bunker for a birdie on the 10th hole and is 4 under today and 6 under overall.That puts him in a tie for second place with Colin Morikawa and Ludwig Aberg.
What is the projected advance to the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational?
The 36-hole cut will be 50, those and anyone within 10 strokes.This is the cutoff rule for the three player-hosted signature events, which include the API as well as the Genesis Invitational and Memorial.
As of 9:45 a.m., the projected cut line on DataGolf.com is 2 over, meaning players like Justin Thomas (7-plus), Tommy Fleetwood (4-plus) and Jason Day (4-plus) are all in a dangerous spot.Again, at 9:45 A.M.others like Shane Lowry (2 more), JJ Span (1 more) and Jordan Spieth (1 more) are also flirting with an early exit.
Haotong Li has his best round ever on an API Friday
Li wasn't even in the field until minutes before the first lap.He hung around Bay Hill as the first choice, and when Jake Knapp was the WD 11 hours, Li came in. He went out and shot a 77, a good navigation on the golf course until Friday, as he is 4 under 14 holes this time.More importantly, he's 1 over and is right on the cut line set by the PGA Tour.Datagolf.com has the projected cut at 2 over (54 percent as of 12:05 p.m. ET).
Could Pierceson Coody return after Thursday?
Thursday was a tough day for Pearson Coody, who finished with a 79.Pierceson, 26, is ranked No. 47 in the world and was in the top 50 the week before the Masters qualified for Augusta.Pierceson is trying to become the grandson of a former champion to qualify for the Masters Tournament.Charles Coody won the Green Jacket in 1971.
"I know a few good accomplishments will go a long way," Pearson Coody told our Doug Stutsman.
When asked what it would mean to be the first grandson of a previous winner to be invited, Pearson admitted, "I thought the list would be short, but I didn't know (a champion's grandson) had ever qualified."
Although Coody has never competed in the Masters, he is no stranger to Augusta.
Pearson and his twin brother, Parker, started as toddlers, wanting to caddy during the par-3 competition.Charles' routine went something like this: The 1971 champion would complete the first hole before retiring from service.Parker took honors at Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 8. Pearson at third, fifth, seventh and ninth.
Pierceson started Friday stronger at Bay Hill, birdying three of the first four holes to reach 4 over in the tournament.He has an uphill battle to make it to the weekend.
Rusty JT hopes the second round will be better
Justin Thomas made his first PGA Tour start in months at Bay Hill on Thursday.It was his first appearance since the Prokor Championship last September.
Thomas successfully underwent microscopic surgery, a procedure to remove a broken or damaged disc in the lower spine.But his return was nothing more than what he had hoped for.
"I had a bad day today. It was hard for me to measure the speed. But just a lot of small things. I couldn't stay focused on the back nine," said JT. "There were a few times where I got behind because I would walk in the battery box and I didn't know what I wanted to do. To be honest, playing the 18-hole pro-am yesterday was good for me to get used to being here for a long time and trying to focus. I haven't done that in a while.
"But still, no excuse for making so many mistakes. But go out there and try to do better (Friday)."
Where is Jake Knapp?
Jake Knapp moved up to No. 41 on the OWGR, but he didn't get a chance to improve on that when he exited the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational moments before his opening round.
At 11:50 a.m. ET Thursday, the PGA Tour announced via social media that Knapp had retired. He teed off at 12:05 p.m.His agent told Adam Schupak that Knapp is battling an illness and has decided to rest before the Players Championship next week.China's Haotong Li, who topped the alternate list Thursday morning, took his place at Bay Hill, shooting a first-round 77.
Knapp is off to a strong start in 2026. He entered week eight in the FedEx Cup standings with four straight top-10 finishes, including a sixth-place finish in his last start at the Genesis Invitational. His worst finish so far this season was a T-11 in the Tour's season opener at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
What is the weather forecast for round 2?
Lots of clouds today in Orlando.Here is the forecast.
How much does it cost to be admitted to the 2026 Arnold Palmer?
The total prize pool is $20 million, with the winner receiving $4 million (20 percent of the purse).This is one of three autograph events hosted by the players that will award $4 million to the winner.
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