Almost every golf tournament has a trophy. For instance, there’s the Claret Jug, the Masters Trophy, the Wanamaker Trophy, the Ryder Cup Trophy, and more. Yet, there are a few events that have a symbol. Think of the iconic Green Jacket at the Masters or the Blue Jacket at the CME Group Tour Championship. The Arnold Palmer Invitational has a symbol, too.

It’s the red cardigan given to the winner.

The tournament traditionally awarded a blue blazer. However, it has changed since 2017.

Organizers made this change in memory of Arnold Palmer, who died in September 2016. Organizers scrapped the blazer and introduced the red cardigan.

“There are going to be some special things that happen on 18,” said Arnold Palmer Invitational COO, Marci Doyle, in 2017.

“One of them will be a red sweater that’s going to be presented to the champion, which will replace the jacket that we have always presented, because that’s something that Mr. Palmer made famous, certainly with his fashion sense. It personalizes the occasion much more that the champion’s now going to be wearing a red cardigan alpaca sweater, similar to Mr. Palmer’s.”

The red cardigan was the 62x PGA Tour winner’s power garment. Something similar to Tiger Woods’ Sunday red. While he owned cardigans in many colors, the red alpaca version became the most iconic.

He even wore a red cardigan in a famous Norman Rockwell portrait.

The sweater from the portrait still sits on display in the 7x major champions’ office. It has such a strong association that when a golf fan sees a red cardigan, they immediately think of Arnold Palmer.

The tournament gives the winner a similar cardigan made of Peruvian alpaca wool. It’s just like the 62x PGA Tour winners’ real-life wardrobe. He popularized alpaca knitwear in the 1950s and 1960s.

In fact, he reportedly influenced changes in alpaca breeding to achieve the desired wool color.

The cardigan awarded to the winner includes a champion patch. It incorporates Palmer’s umbrella logo and references “Arnie’s Army.”

Besides the red cardigan, the winner gets a trophy and a $4 million paycheck of the $20 million purse.

Ever since the tradition started in 2017, it has become a coveted prize in the golf world. Winners consider it a great respect and speak highly of it.

Winners of the red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

Marc Leishman was the first to receive the red cardigan. Arnold Palmer’s grandson, Sam Saunders, presented it to him.

Since then, Rory McIlroy won it in 2018, Francesco Molinari in 2019, Tyrrell Hatton in 2020, Bryson DeChambeau in 2021, Scottie Scheffler in 2022 and 2024, Kurt Kitayama in 2023, and Russell Henley in 2025.

Every winner was proud to receive something associated with the veteran golfer.

“To honor him was huge. And it was the first time I won a tournament with my family here. It’s all come together,” March Leishman said about winning the first red cardigan.

Bryson DeChambeau, who won it in 2021, said that it’s “beyond my wildest dreams.”

Rory McIlroy, who won it in 2018 after a near miss in 2017, has placed his red cardigan with all his other trophies.

“I think it’s one of the coolest trophies that we have in golf,” McIlroy acknowledged.

He even admitted that it would have been the icing on the top if Arnold Palmer himself had been around him on the 18th green when he won.

The most recent winner, Russell Henly, even asked his wife if he should wear it on their date.

The growing praise from red cardigan winners shows how quickly the garment has become one of the most meaningful honors in professional golf. It’s not just a prize; it keeps Arnold Palmer’s legacy visible at Bay Hill every year.