Arnold Palmer Invitational 2015: Tee Times, Dates, TV Schedule and Prize Money

There are few feats more rewarding than winning a tournament hosted by one of golf's most iconic figures. Such is the case at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

A 62-time winner on the PGA Tour, Palmer is one of the sport's most beloved heroes, and the world's best players pay homage to his legendary career by flocking to Orlando, Florida, to compete in his event. But the field won't have it easy at historic Bay Hill.

The challenging 7,300-yard track demands accuracy, as narrow, tree-lined fairways are accompanied by well-placed bunkers, numerous water hazards, sharp doglegs and changes in elevation leading up to well-protected greens. Putting up a low number is no easy task here.

One of the biggest storylines of the 2015 edition of this tournament is the absence of eight-time winner Tiger Woods, who continues to strive to elevate his game to a level he deems "tournament ready," according to Kyle Porter of CBSSports.com.

Despite the absence of Woods, Bay Hill will play host to an extremely talented field, which includes world No. 1 Rory McIlroy. So before this year's participants attempt to navigate 72 holes in Orlando in an effort to be crowned Palmer's champion, let's take a look at the tournament's essential viewing information, prize money and some notable Thursday tee times.

2015 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Dates: Thursday, March 19 - Sunday, March 22

Where: Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida

Purse: $6.3 million (winning share: $1.134 million)

FedEx Cup Points: 500 to winner

TV Info:

• Thursday and Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
• Saturday and Sunday: 2:30-6 p.m. ET, NBC

Notable Thursday Tee Times

Golfer	Tee Time (ET)
Chris Kirk	8:11 a.m.
Brooks Koepka	8:11 a.m.
Bubba Watson	8:11 a.m.
Adam Scott	8:11 a.m.
Brandt Snedeker	8:23 a.m.
Henrik Stenson	8:23 a.m.
Keegan Bradley	8:35 a.m.
Jason Day	12:56 p.m.
Rory McIlroy	12:56 p.m.
Rickie Fowler	12:56 p.m.
Zach Johnson	1:08 p.m.
Hunter Mahan	1:20 p.m.

Tee times can be viewed at PGATour.com.

Stars to Watch

David Cannon/Getty Images

The 2015 Arnold Palmer Invitational boasts a star-studded cast; however, one particular early grouping will surely draw the attention of most onlookers, as McIlroy, Jason Day, and Rickie Fowler will be playing the first 36 holes at Bay Hill together.

McIlroy will be making his final start before the Masters, so he'll be looking to gain some momentum at Bay Hill. The world No. 1 has played only twice in America this season with mixed results. He struggled through the difficult conditions at the Honda Classic, eventually missing the cut; however, he rebounded nicely in the WGC-Cadillac Championship, earning a top-10 finish.

While the Northern Irishman always draws a big crowd, he may be more closely watched than ever this week due to the recent cover change of a popular video game, via EA Sports PGA Tour:

With McIlroy replacing Woods as the game's central figure, he'll have plenty of motivation to thrive at Bay Hill and earn a handshake from Palmer after 72 holes.

Fowler, the world's No. 11 player, is heralded as McIlroy's rival due to the duo's brilliant clashes at the 2014 Open Championship, PGA Championship and Ryder Cup. However, while McIlroy continued his success into the 2015 season, his American counterpart began to struggle.

In Fowler's first four tournaments this year, he managed to finish no better than tied for 41st. He slowly found his game and just missed out on a top-10 finish in the WGC-Cadillac Championship, however. Given the steady improvement in his play of late, Fowler cannot be counted out at Bay Hill.

Rounding out the trio is Day. 

Interestingly enough, Day decided to make a big change in his bag prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, swapping out all of his irons and wedges. A drastic move like that is generally reserved for the offseason, but according to an interview with Ben Everill of Stuff.co.nz, Day is happy with the increase in distance he's getting from his new sticks:

"

I just felt like I was hitting my old clubs a little too high, getting too much spin on them and wasn't hitting them as far as I should be. You don't typically change now, usually in the offseason, but my mindset behind the changes was to sacrifice a bit of ball flight and get more distance.

Funnily it didn't bring down the flight much but I am hitting it further, and that's a good combination to have not only this week but going to Augusta. You need some height and length around there to attack certain pins and get an edge.

"

We'll see if the move pays off for Day when he reaches Augusta.

The world's No. 5 golfer has already put together a phenomenal start to his 2015 campaign, winning the Farmers Insurance Open and earning top-five finishes at both the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. He'll be aiming to keep that momentum going at Bay Hill.