Elite field competing at Bay Hill for Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO: The top five golfers in the world rankings--and 47 of the top 50 -- are gathered at Bay Hill Club & Lodge for the Arnold Palmer Invitational starting this Thursday in Orlando, Fla.

- 

Considering the stated goal of the PGA Tour's signature events was to ensure the best players were competing against one another more often, mission accomplished. Most elite golfers feel a special connection to Palmer, whose family still runs the event, and nobody is going to turn down their share of a $20 million purse.

"Arnold would write me a letter pretty much every year from when I was eligible to play the event I think in 2010, and I didn't make it here until 2015," World No. 2 Rory Mcllroy said Wednesday. "I think there was one point where he said he was going to break my arm if I didn't come, so eventually I did."