Cadillac Championship 2026 preview, picks & analysis

Another week and guess what? Yet another Signature Event. This time it is the Cadillac Championship, which returns to the Blue Monster Course at Doral owned by a certain Donald Trump.

This is a brand new tournament on a course you will recognise. The Cadillac Championship will actually mark the 56th playing of a PGA Tour event at the Blue Monster having previously hosted the Tour consecutively from 1962 to 2016. The venue has seen 14 World Golf Hall of Famers win 24 titles, including Tiger Woods, who has four victories (2005, 2006, 2007, 2013) at the venue.

As a Signature Event, the Cadillac Championship will play host to a limited-field featuring 72 players made up of top performers from the previous and current season, allowing Tour members several different avenues to play their way into one of the biggest events. But Masters champion Rory McIlroy has chosen to sit this one out, having also given the RBC Heritage a miss.

"We’re excited to welcome our fans, players, community partners, and volunteers back to the historic Blue Monster for the Cadillac Championship," said Cadillac Championship Executive Director Dave Mack. "It’ll be a vibrant week featuring incredible golf and an electric atmosphere, and we can’t wait to celebrate the Tour’s return to Miami alongside the community."

All of the above is all well and good but it has to be said that the rank and file are getting a pretty raw deal just now. There was obviously a limited field at The Masters, another limited field at the RBC Heritage and the same again at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. 

Not that any of that is a concern for the world’s leading players, who are once again competing for huge sums of money while no doubt spending the entire week wondering if the US President is going to turn up and attempt to steal the show.

I have to say that I cannot see past Scottie Scheffler this week. The world number one is having an incredibly frustrating season by his own incredible standards. As we head into May he still only has one victory to his credit. 

He kicked off the campaign by winning the American Express and it all looked like service as normal. Then came the Phoenix Open where he was tied third but put himself behind the eight-ball with an opening round of 72. Then there was the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he was tied fourth after starting with a 72. Next came the Genesis. This time he kicked off with a 74 and again gave himself too much to do, ending the week in a tie for 12th. The Arnold Palmer Invitational was even worse - he failed to break 70 in all four rounds and was tied 24th.

Then came the Players Championship. Scheffler started with rounds of 72 and 73 and was never anywhere close to being in contention, ending the tournament in a tie for 22nd place.

He gave himself a mountain to climb at The Masters with opening rounds of 70 and 74 before storming through the field at the weekend, rounds of 65 and 68 seeing him end up one behind McIlroy. In truth, though, he never really looked like winning.

And his latest disappointment came at the RBC Heritage, where he played superbly with rounds of 68, 67, 64 and 67. It left him in a tie with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and most people expected him to win the playoff, but Fitzpatrick had other ideas.

I am utterly convinced that Scheffler simply cannot keep knocking on the door without smashing it down very soon and the Blue Monster is tailor-made for his game. It should be said that his "disappointing"season has so far seen him pick up $8.4m in prize money and lead the FedEx Cup standings. Goodness knows what happens when he starts winning again.

The Course:

The Blue Monster at Doral measures 7,608 yards and is a par 72. It features several challenging water features, lots of well-placed bunkers and undulating greens and although the rough can be thick the fairways are generous. Expect to see a low winning score - and birdies galore!

Form Guide:

By his own high standards, Scottie Scheffler has made a stuttering start to the season but his recent form looks ominous for his rivals - and this course is made to measure for him.

Prize Money:

Total prize money is $20m, with $3.8m to the winner.

How to Watch:

Thursday, April 30, Friday, May 1, Saturday, May 2, Sunday, May 3, Sky Sports Golf, 4pm.

To Win:

Scottie Scheffler. Frustrated

Each Way:

Justin Rose. Contended once again at the Masters

Each Way:

Viktor Hovland. Showing glimpses of his best form again

Five to Follow:

Scottie Scheffler. Drought must end soon

Justin Rose. Remarkably determined competitor

Viktor Hovland. Produced fireworks on the Sunday at Augusta

Alex Fitzpatrick. Now part of the PGA Tour

Tommy Fleetwood. Mr Consistent