About this episode

Dan Evans shares an insider's perspective on the Arnold Palmer Pro-Am and his experience playing at Bay Hill with Viktor Hovland.

Dan Evans takes listeners inside a side of PGA Tour week that most golf fans never get to see. After getting a special invite into the Arnold Palmer Invitational pro-am through Mastercard, Dan and the crew break down how the player-selection draft actually works, which stars were already off the board, why Rory McIlroy being available was such a surprise, and how the group ultimately ended up playing Bay Hill with Viktor Hovland. The episode also gets into what it feels like to step into that world for the first time: Dan’s first trip to Bay Hill, his first PGA Tour pro-am, the 7:10 a.m. tee time that came with getting Hovland, and the pressure of showing up on-site before sunrise for one of the most iconic weeks in golf. From the weirdness of pro-am pace to the reality that players are still treating it like a final practice round before the tournament starts, this is a true behind-the-scenes golf story with access, nerves, and a look at how tournament week really works. Presented by: Sports Illustrated

People in this episode

Host: Dan Evans

Guest: Viktor Hovland

Topics covered

• PGA Tour
• Arnold Palmer Pro-Am
• golf
• Viktor Hovland
• Bay Hill
• behind-the-scenes

Keywords

• Arnold Palmer Invitational
• PGA Tour
• Viktor Hovland
• Rory McIlroy
• Bay Hill
• pro-am
• golf

Sponsors

Sports Illustrated

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mastercard, PGA Tour

Places: Bay Hill

More episodes of The Dan Evans Show

• Frederik Kjettrup Opens Up About Getting Relegated From LIV | Dan Evans Show #95 · April 3, 2026 · 56 min
• Why David Andrews Passed on One of Golf’s Best Invites | Dan Evans Show #94 · March 26, 2026 · 42 min
• Jerry Kelly Lost 6 Times at Q School—And Kept Going | Dan Evans Show #93 · March 18, 2026 · 26 min
• Is Rory McIlroy Starting to Break Down? | Dan Evans Show #92 · March 16, 2026 · 1h 28m
• Why Florida Trusts Jack Turner in the Biggest Moments | Dan Evans Show #92 · March 12, 2026 · 52 min
• The Genesis golf story nobody explains | Dan Evans Show #90 · March 5, 2026 · 31 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Dan Evans Show podcast page.