Daniel Berger held a two-shot lead at 13-under par through 15 holes when the third round of the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational was suspended due to darkness. Akshay Bhatia trails at 11-under through 16 holes, while Cameron Young, Sepp Straka and Collin Morikawa sit at 9-under. Rory McIlroy withdrew before his tee time due to back spasms.
The third round of the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida, faced interruptions from weather and darkness on March 7. Play began at 9 a.m. ET but was halted at 2:53 p.m. ET due to heavy rain and thunderstorms, which dumped nearly a quarter-inch of water on the back nine in 15 minutes. Grounds crews used squeegees to clear standing water from greens and fairways. Action resumed at 4 p.m. ET after a 67-minute delay, softening the dormant Bermuda greens and adding friction to putts, as described by Scottie Scheffler: "The rain created a little bit of friction to where your ball was more rolling instead of kind of skidding."
Daniel Berger, starting with a five-shot lead, played even par through 15 holes, including two birdies on par-5s and two bogeys. He faces a 35-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th when play resumes at 8 a.m. ET on March 8. Akshay Bhatia closed the gap with a birdie on 16 from a bunker, reaching 11-under through 16 holes. Cameron Young shot a bogey-free 67 with four straight birdies on the back nine, tying for third at 9-under alongside Sepp Straka (66) and Collin Morikawa (70). Young, who has ties to Arnold Palmer through Wake Forest, noted the course's difficulty: "It went from what we know Bay Hill for on the weekend to just a notch below that."
Rory McIlroy withdrew about 30 minutes before his 12:55 p.m. tee time, citing muscle spasms in his back after warming up. It marked his first withdrawal in 13 years. Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1, struggled with a 3-over front nine but made five birdies in six holes on the back, only to double bogey 18 after his approach from rough found water, finishing even par 72 at 4-under. The round will conclude Sunday morning before the final round starts at 9:30 a.m. ET. This signature event offers a $20 million purse, with $4 million to the winner.
