Iconic PGA Tour event unsurprisingly granted Championship Series status

The Arnold Palmer Invitational will unsurprisingly retain its standing as one of the PGA Tour's most prestigious non-major events moving forward, following the announcement of its inclusion in the newly-revamped Championship Series of tournaments moving forward.

The Bay Hill tournament joins a host of events that have already been announced as part of the new series, including The Sentry (formerly the Farmers Insurance Open), the Travelers Championship, and a new Sompo-sponsored, California-based event that's set to replace the Rocket Classic from 2027.

One of the highest-profile events on the pre-Masters calendar, the Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of the PGA Tour's most celebrated signature events, offering a prize pool of $20 million. Profits from the event go towards the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation.

“For more than two decades, Mastercard has been proud to partner with the Arnold Palmer Invitational, helping create unforgettable experiences for fans while honoring Arnold Palmer’s enduring legacy of excellence, generosity and community impact,” Michael Moutenot, SVP, marketing & communications, North America, Mastercard, said in a statement. 

"As one of golf’s most iconic events, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard has long brought together the game’s best players on one of its most celebrated stages. We’re excited to see the tournament continue to play a prominent role as part of the PGA Tour Championship Series.”

Announced last month, the Championship Series will form the premiere prong of a new two-track tournament system set to be instated from 2028 onwards, and is expected to include either 23 or 24 tournaments. 

The Championship Series will include the The Players Championship, all four majors, and the PGA Tour playoffs. 

The status of other current PGA Tour Signature events, including the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and the RBC Heritage, is yet to be determined, but it's widely expected that the Tour's other two invitational events, the Tiger Woods-hosted Genesis Invitational and Jack Nicklaus's Memorial Tournament, will both put their names forward for inclusion in the Championship Series.

Each Championship Series event will feature minimum $20m prize fund at each event but will have tougher restrictions on qualification, with Tour players required to earn and work to keep their Championship Series status for the following year. Only the top 90 players in the series will retain their status for the following season.

Players who drop off the Championship Series will instead play in a new Challengers Series, which will sit between the current PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry tour and provide an additional tier, as well as a minimum $4m prize pool at each tournament, for lower-ranked players.

A number of "last chance" competitions will take place in the autumn, giving players facing relegation the chance to preserve Championship status.

As part of the revamped schedule, the Tour Championship will also shift to a match-play format, with an individual tour champion crowned in a tournament that concludes the PGA Tour playoffs.