The Bay Hill Golf Course will see some enthralling action this season as the biggest stars on the PGA Tour return to compete on it. Some of them will also dare to drive over the lake on the iconic par-5 6th hole (read Rory McIlroy). However, there will be a few who won’t get the opportunity to do so at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational, even if they want to have a go at it.

We are looking at three big names who won’t be playing the Signature event this week. So let’s get right to it.

Brooks Koepka

After an excellent finish at the PGA National Champion Course, Brooks Koepka has finally announced himself upon his return on the PGA Tour. The former LIV Golf pro ended the 2026 Cognizant Classic at T9, seven strokes off the champion. However, that wasn’t enough to help him earn a shot at the $20 million Signature event this week.

Considering his popularity, he could have very well received a Sponsor Exemption to play in the event. But the terms of his return clearly state that he is not allowed to accept them for five years. That means he could only rely on automatic qualification to make the Bay Hill field.

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Koepka could have made it into the tournament through the Aon Next 10 and the Aon Swing 5 rankings. Nicolai Hojgaard made the tournament with his consistency and finishing at the top of the second category after missing the trip to Pebble Beach. However, his top-10 finish at home wasn’t enough to help him get into those ranks. Hence, Koepka will not be playing in the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week.

Max Homa

Unlike Koepka, Max Homa is still to find his form for 2026. And he has already played twice more tournaments. Homa came close to a good finish after ending the Cognizant Classic at T13. He was just 1 stroke behind Koepka.

However, the 35-year-old didn’t do enough to get into the qualification rankings. After finishing outside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup last season, he has struggled to maintain consistency this year as well. He is currently ranked 64th in 2026. Unfortunately, that is not enough to get him a ticket to Bay Hill.

Marco Penge

Marco Penge absolutely dominated in Europe last season. He won three DP World Tour titles and was one of the best players on the continent. That was enough to help him make it to the field for the first couple of Signature events of the season.

However, Penge couldn’t make the cut for the field at Bay Hill Golf Course. His last in the Genesis Invitational ended with a T16 finish. That was his best run of the season in a PGA Tour event.

The Englishman is sitting at 86th on the FedEx Cup leaderboard and way outside the qualification criteria for the $20 million Signature event this week. He’s not even around the Aon Next 10 and the Aon Swing 5. Hence, Penge won’t be traveling to Florida to compete in the tournament.