The return of top names trying to redeem their performance has rocketed hopes for the fourth signature event. The event is going to be a genuine delight for the fans. With the top names’ participation, the speculations for the event have already begun. Earlier, Johnson Wagner shared suggestions for Scottie Scheffler considering his performance. Now, Xander Schauffele has shared his experience with the course.

The world no. 2 has been away from the course after debuting at the Sentry due to his rib injury. With the great 2024 season having two major victories, he was even in contention for the PGA Tour Player of the Year award with Scottie Scheffler. But with the injury, he had a long break from the course. However, despite the break, his great experience at the course will work to his advantage for him. Schauffele has featured three times at the Bay Hills and has a shocking revelation for fellow golfers.

During the pre-match press conference of the event which carries a $20 million prize purse aka the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the 31-year-old was asked, “Just some comments about how the course is looking, I know we got a little bit of rain.” Responding to the same, the golfer shared, “Yeah, it’s not the, I wouldn’t call it like the dream place to come back to, to be completely honest, on short reps, I’m going to have to go to a special place mentally.” Schauffele, in the last three appearances, had a decent finish with T24 in 2020, T39 in 2023 and T25 in 2024. However, for him, getting back after the recovery to the “brutally difficult” course as per most of the players isn’t going to be easy.

He even spoke about the course, pointing out the difficulty. “Everyone kind of knows what Bay Hill gives you, it takes a lot more than it gives, and you have to earn every par or birdie or bogey that you make. It’s a tough place,” the world no. 2 said. Well, it was his experience at the course speaking, given in 2023, he voiced out similar take about the course saying, “absolutely horrendous.”

Further in the press conference in 2023, he also pointed out, “Every time you miss the fairway, you’re sitting underground or trying to, like, find a bunker you can hit your next ball into, or if you can cover a hundred yards over a hazard or you name it.” The tough relationship with the course will be a challenge to overcome. But not just for Schauffele, as after his revelation, other professionals are also in worry.

They also asked Scheffler about the difficulty and weather dependency. For which the 28-year-old said, “A lot of it is weather dependent. Usually at this tournament, the conditions of the golf course are so difficult and that’s what makes it challenging.” As mentioned, the first day is expected to have 30 mph gusts, making the day even tougher. To add to it, Todd Lewis shared about the weather conditions and predicted, “Even par will be a strong score today.”

Apart from the top two, the weather and the course combination has brought worry for fellow pros as well, with the concerning update for the first day at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

After Xander Schauffele, other pro shares worry about Bay Hills

Ludvig Aberg, who has recently won the Genesis, was among the pros who voiced concerns about the course. Aberg said, “Yeah, it’s hard, it’s firm, the greens are firm.” With the current condition shared, it will be a challenge for the golfer to hold the greens as the ball will move fast, and with the wind, it will even become difficult to find the ideal landing.

Further, he even shared, “You can’t really bail out. You’re going to get a lot of tee shots over water, a lot of cool second shots over water.” Take the example of hole 6 where the precision and trajectory could be the beneficiary, but if missed, it could lead to being in the water. As per the PGA Tour stats since 2002, the success of finding greens is 24.5%. It showcases how difficult it would be for the golfer with the adverse weather conditions.

Ahead of him, Nick Dunlap has also shared his worry about the weather. He said, “Yeah, this place is hard (laughing). Especially if it continues to blow like this.” For the first day, rain and wind are going to be the partners for the golfers. Even Smylie Kaufman shared a course update on Tuesday. He posted on X sharing the difficulty being 10/10, with greens being firm and fast.

Now with the challenge of adverse weather and difficult course layout. Who will be the one to adapt and overcome? Who is your pick for the first round? Let us know in the comments below.