The winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational used to receive a blue sportcoat, the tournament trophy (which used to be a sword!) and a chance to interact with Mr. Palmer.
With Mr. Palmer's passing in September 2016, the 2017 Arnold Palmer Invitational and the trophy ceremony will take on a different tone, at least for this first year without the tournament's namesake. Tournament officials decided that they should do away with the blue sportcoat that has gone to winners and they're replacing it with a different sartorial honor, one which recalls Mr. Palmer's fashion-forward style.
In the name of Arnie’s Army, Arnold Palmer’s iconic red cardigan will be bestowed upon his tournament champion. #LifeWellPlayed #APinv pic.twitter.com/q869RlYxOY
— apinv (@APinv) March 16, 2017
The winner of the 2017 Arnold Palmer Invitational and beyond will instead receive a red alpaca-wool cardigan sweater, similar to the style that Palmer wore and made famous starting in the 1950s. Palmer made the sweaters so popular that he is credited with changing how alpacas were bred, shifting from black-wool alpacas to almost completely white-wool varieties of the animal.
The winner will also continue to receive a trophy, which has since been changed to honor Mr. Palmer with his swing silhouette on top of the trophy.
