2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational leaderboard: Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy in position

The Bay Hill leaderboard is stacked entering the final 18 holes on Sunday

If the leaderboard at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational looks familiar, it's for a good reason. Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland head into the final round one stroke off Kurt Kitayama's lead at 9 under following a tumultuous Moving Day at Bay Hill. Battling it out a season ago at this exact tournament, Scheffler and Hovland will go at it again Sunday as members of an elite chasing the top spot on the leaderboard.

Hovland rode a bogey-free 6-under 66 to pole position. Beginning the day seven strokes off the pace of overnight leader Kitayama, the Norwegian secured the clubhouse lead early only to be caught when Scheffler charged up the leaderboard with five birdies in his final seven holes and surpassed when Kitayama made birdie on two of his final three holes.

Suggesting those three are the only ones in contention would be doing an injustice to this leaderboard. Tyrrell Hatton, the 2020 champion at Bay Hill, sits just two strokes off the lead after a bogey-free 66. Rory McIlroy has  alsoclimbed back from the depths of a poor first round to sit at 6 under alongside a resurgent Harris English. American duo Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth check in at 5 under with Presidents Cup teammates Max Homa and Cameron Young just one stroke worse at 4 under.

In total, 10 players stand within five strokes of the man at the top of the API leaderboard. They will aim to post low scores and wait for the leaders to enter the clubhouse late Sunday as many champions of the past have done so effectively throughout the years.

The leader

1. Kurt Kitayama (-9): You can't help but appreciate the guts of Kitayama. After hitting his tee shot on the par-5 fourth out of bounds, he seemed rattled, and it looked as if the wheels would completely fall off. Instead, the Las Vegas resident kept a calm head while those around him made their charges. Absorbing their blows, Kitayama scored four birdies on the back nine, climbing back to the same position where he began the weekend -- atop the leaderboard.

Other contenders

T2. Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler (-8)
4. Tyrrell Hatton (-7)
T5. Rory McIlroy, Harris English (-6)
T7. Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Pierceson Coody (-5)
T10. Max Homa, Cameron Young (-4)

It was Hovland who entered the final day with the lead in 2022 before a Sunday 74 was his undoing. Scheffler converted a number of clutch par saves down the stretch in 2022 as Bay Hill gradually baked out, but it probably would have never gotten to that point if Hovland's short game held up -- a reality not lost on him this year. 

"I just got to keep doing what I've been doing. I've been hitting a lot of fairways and greens," said Hovland. "Last year ... I didn't quite hit it as good as I did earlier in the week. But even then, I still feel like I should have won last year if I had a half decent short game last year. I still hit it good enough to play a little bit better, but I feel like this year I'm stroking it well. My speed on the greens is not quite where it should be; I'm leaving a lot of putts short. But I really do feel like my short game technique has gotten a lot better, even though it hasn't really shown that this week."

McIlroy in contention?

After a disappointing 73 to start the API, McIlroy rebounded with two rounds of 68 to get within striking distance of the lead going into Sunday's final 18 holes. He's driving the hell out of the ball (no surprise there), but his short game is the reason he's scoring low and avoiding bogeys over the last couple days. McIlroy has just one bogey in his last 36 holes, and he's 13 of 14 in scrambling over those two days. Now, he's in a comfortable position where he could feasibly take over a golf tournament at which he's finished no worse than T13 over the last five years.

Rory said the course is playing like a U.S. Open venue -- Rickie Fowler said it could get even crazier on Sunday -- and that everything outside of his tee-to-green play has buoyed him.

"Limit the mistakes out here," said McIlroy. "If you can hit fairways and greens and take advantage of the par 5s, that's basically what I did today. And then have a really good short game. I up-and-downed it really well this week, chipped it well. Bunker play has been good. Holed out well for the most part. So, just do sort of everything well and then when one aspect of your game since firing on all cylinders you have to rely on other things."

If McIlroy or Scheffler wins Sunday, that means the first four designated events will all have been captured by the top three players in the world.

Anybody's game

As good as the first few designated events have been, none hsa been this wide open. There are currently 10 top-20 players in the world at or within six strokes of the lead going into Sunday's final round.

"It's great. You have Scottie Scheffler and Rahmbo in Phoenix. You had Rahmbo and Max Homa in L.A. You've got a ton of big names up here," said McIlroy. "It's great to see the big names playing well and playing well all at the same golf courses in the same tournaments. I think, for a player, for us to get that thrill of getting up, going up against each other like week after week, that's really cool."

How hard is golf?

Jon Rahm looked like he was going to win his third designated event on Thursdy after shooting 65 with six birdies and an eagle. Twelve bogeys, a double and two 76s later, and he's fallen out of the top 40 and won't sniff the title on Sunday. The lesson? It's not that something is suddenly wrong with Rahm. It's that golf, and it's difficulty, is completely undefeated.

Amateur not just surviving but thriving

Ludvig Aberg continues to hover among the world's best as the second-ranked amateur signed for a 1-over 73 on Saturday to drop into a tie for 12th at 3 under. He came into this week looking to get some competitive reps under his belt on the professional stage and perhaps extend his lead in the PGA Tour U standings. Now, Aberg may be imagining sneaking inside the top five -- or perhaps even into the red cardigan -- by the end of Sunday. We aren't all too far removed from an amateur contending on the PGA Tour as Michael Thorbjornsen finished solo fourth at the 2022 Travelers Championship last summer.

Rick Gehman is joined by Greg DuCharme to break down Round 3 of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational odds, picks

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

• Scottie Scheffler: 19/10
• Viktor Hovland: 18/5
• Kurt Kitayama: 6-1
• Rory McIlroy: 13/2
• Tyrrell Hatton: 13/2
• Justin Thomas: 20-1
• Jordan Spieth: 25-1
• Harris English: 25-1

Thomas at 20-1 entering the final round is interesting. I lean that direction given his ability to strike the ball if wind and weather become a factor Sunday. Hatton at 13/2 is nice as well. He's won here before and should stay in it until the end. McIlroy at that same price is probably the pick, though. Third-best player in the world on a course where he kicks ass and hasn't even been lights out with the putter yet this week. Yeah, let's side with McIlroy at 13/2 entering Sunday.

[Mar 4, 2023 at 5:39 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Kitayama hanging tough

The overnight leader may have a chance to steal the top spot on the leaderboard from Hovland and Scheffler who are in the house at 8 under. On the green in regulation on 17, Kitayama faces an outside birdie bid before heading to the 18th where birdies have been had.

[Mar 4, 2023 at 5:13 pm ET · Kyle Porter]

How good is this board?

It turns out that when you have all the best players in the same events, you get monster leaderboards over and over again. This week's Arnold Palmer Invitational field is not that different from last year's Arnold Palmer Invitational field, but the fact that the Tour has marked it as a designated event and the reality that this is one of just 13 non-major weeks on the season in which all the big dogs will be in attendance has made a real difference in the gravity of this tournament.

[Mar 4, 2023 at 5:03 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Scottie's fast finish puts him in driver's seat to successfully defend

The world No. 2 made birdie on five of his last seven holes to scream up the leaderboard and into a share of the lead at 8 under. Scheffler and Hovland finished 1-2 last year and will more than likely begin the final round atop the leaderboard unless Kurt Kitayama makes a couple birdies coming in.

[Mar 4, 2023 at 4:46 pm ET · Kyle Porter]

Jon Rahm falls to T44

Rahm on Thu: 65 with 6 birdies and an eagle to lead the best field of the year. 

 Rahm on Fri/Sat: 76-76 with 12 bogeys and a double to fall out of the top 40. 

 Golf, friends, is forever undefeated.

[Mar 4, 2023 at 4:28 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Harris English will have a chance tomorrow

It has been a steep climb back to relevance for Harris English following hip surgery. Yet here he is at 6 under and only two strokes behind Viktor Hovland. It was just a couple years ago that English won twice on the PGA Tour, contended at the U.S. Open and was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup Team. It's good to see him playing well.

[Mar 4, 2023 at 4:05 pm ET · Kyle Porter]

Rory shoots 68

Rory destroys at Bay Hill, and he's been nearly perfect over the last two days after a disappointing 73 in the first round. He shoots 68 to get in the house at 6 under, two back of Hovland going into the final round on Sunday.

[Mar 4, 2023 at 3:56 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Hovland gets in at 8 under

Last year's runner up turned in a bogey-free round of 6-under 66 to catapult up the leaderboard. Hovland had his ball striking humming on Saturday, gaining roughly six strokes tee to green and missing only two greens in regulation. 

[Mar 4, 2023 at 3:38 pm ET · Kyle Porter]

Spieth putting update

Spieth hasn't necessarily putted bad this week, but to contextualize how good his ball-striking has been, only one other player in the top 12 (Cam Young) has putted it worse on the week.