It has been nearly a decade since Arnold Palmer passed away. But his legacy still lives on and is strong through his legacy. The Arnold Palmer Invitational reminds the young PGA Tour pros of his contribution to the sport. And Gary Player just shared an emotional message encouraging them to play the event in the spirit of The King.

Player shared an Instagram story with a caption that read, “Arnold played golf the way one should live their life, with boldness and conviction. He was never afraid to take on a shot that others might hesitate to attempt. That aggressive spirit forced everyone around him, including me, to think carefully about how we approached competition.”

Palmer’s aggressive style of play revolutionized golf in the 50s and 60s. His ‘go big or go home’ approach focused on hitting long drives and aiming for the cup on the green. He didn’t rely on the defensive strategy his peers preferred to save strokes. That is what helped him secure 62 PGA Tour wins, including seven major titles.

Player hopes the young PGA Tour pros play the Signature event this week in the same spirit.

“It is indeed an honour for all the professionals this week to play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational to keep his spirit alive. Arnold will forever mean so much to our game. GP”

The challenges of the Bay Hill Club have been quite demanding for many pros. Justin Thomas has already paid the price for it after he crashed out with a 14-over par. However, Daniel Berger has lived up to Palmer’s spirit at the other end of the leaderboard. He shot a 13-under par in 36 holes to lead the field by 5 strokes. That would probably please Player.

But that’s not the only kind of aggression Player & Co. have seen at Bay Hill Club so far. Things have gotten a little too intense for some other top players on the field.

The pros at Bay Hill are certainly showing their aggressive spirit, but probably not the way Gary Player wanted

The competition at the Bay Hill Club is quite intense. While Daniel Berger might be running away with the title, everyone else is still giving their best to make something happen. And the challenges of the course are getting the best of them.

Justin Thomas faced the worst of it as he made one mistake after another. That ended his horrid return to the PGA Tour early as he missed the cut. Other big names not to make the weekend were Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Ben Griffin, and the reigning U.S. Open champion, J.J. Spaun.

Even the world #1 isn’t having the best time on the green at Bay Hill. After a frustrating Friday round, Scottie Scheffler was seen losing his cool on the 18th hole. He missed a 10-footer on the final hole before conceding a bogey. That got the best of him as he threw the ball into Lake Tibet.

The aggression was certainly on display on the course. But that is probably not the spirit Gary Player was hoping the PGA Tour pros would display. Especially when he was talking about The King, Arnold Palmer.