2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
Bay Hill Club – Orlando, FL
Course Par: 72 | Yardage: 7381
Purse: $9,100,000
TOURNAMENT WINNER

Francesco Molinari climbed his way up the leaderboard during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday.

The Italian professional was bogey-free as he took on some of the biggest names in golf at the Bay Hill Golf Course. Molinari fired off four birdies on the front nine and four more after the turn, including a 44-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that sealed his third PGA Tour victory.​

Molinari carded 8-under 64 to finish just one-stroke shy of the final-round record (63), which was set by Gary Koch in 1984. He finished the weekend 12 under to knock out defending champion Rory McIlroy and English countrymen Tommy Fleetwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick, who each sat atop the leaderboard at one point this weekend. ​

What’s more is Molinari won with a new set of clubs.

“I don’t know, I’m just super glad,” Molinari said after his round, First week as a Callaway player, so happy to see that the switch I made wasn’t as crazy as some people thought. The clubs are good for me and I showed it this week.

“It’s great, to do it here, to get it done here at this place knowing that my wife and the kids were watching back home, it’s just a special, special one.

Molinari had to enter the clubhouse with his two-stroke lead while contenders were still well into their rounds. ​But, even he could feel this one was different. Molinari said it was his “best putting round ever.

“It’s high up there with the best wins I’ve had,” he added. “[Arnold Palmer] was a special player but most of all a special person and a global icon for the game. For someone like me coming from Italy, he and Jack [Nicklaus] were up there as gods, so to win here is truly special.

Rafa Cabrera Bello was one-stroke behind Molinari as he was approaching the 18th green. But, a gutsy shot landed on the rocks well short of the green and sullied his solo second finish. Cabrera Bello ended the tournament in a three-way tie for third place (9 under) with Sungjae Im and Fleetwood.
Im, who bounced around the top of the leaderboard, used back-to-back birdies on the 9th and 10th holes to help secure his top finish. The rookie, who has yet to win on tour, came awfully close after carding a total of six birdies for a round of 4-under 68.

After a birdie on the par-5 16th hole, the fourth-year pro parred his final two holes to get his best finish on tour. Fitzpatrick had a round of 1-under 71 to finish 10 under on the tournament.