A congested portion of the PGA Tour calendar got even more crowded with the introduction of the newest signature event
By Patrick McDonald Apr 28, 2026 at 11:31 am ET • 5 min read 
Getty Images A venue that was a staple on the PGA Tour for a decade has since seen a decade pass since it last hosted a tournament on the circuit. That drought will come to an end this week, however, as the PGA Tour makes its return to the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral for the 2026 Cadillac Championship.
A new signature event on the PGA Tour schedule, the Cadillac Championship will see most -- not all -- of the best players on the PGA Tour tee it up on the par 72 that stretches to nearly a whopping 7,800 yards. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick are among the notables not in the field as they keep one eye on next week's signature event, the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow, and the other on the PGA Championship at Aronimink in two weeks' time.
In their place, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler returns to competition following his playoff loss to Fitzpatrick at the most recent signature event, the RBC Heritage. A runner-up finisher in his two most recent starts, Scheffler is starting to find his groove at an eerily similar time that he did in 2025 when he won in his final start before the PGA Championship (which he also won).
Scheffler could continue a run of champions at Doral that were (or ultimately became) champions at another golf course: Augusta National. Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Tiger Woods were the last four winners of the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
Alex Fitzpatrick makes his debut as a member of the PGA Tour following his win with Matt at the Zurich Classic with fellow Europeans Tommy Fleetwood, Rose, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka and Alex Noren all teeing it up.
Collin Morikawa took a week off after two strong starts in spite of a not so strong back and rounds out a field that includes Russell Henley, Hideki Matsuyama, Sam Burns and Chris Gotterup.
2026 Cadillac Championship schedule
Dates: April 30 - May 3 Location: Trump National Doral (Blue Monster) -- Miami Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,739 | Architect: Dick Wilson & Robert von Hagge Purse: $20 million
2026 Cadillac Championship odds
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
- Scottie Scheffler (+310): Despite some wanting more out of Scheffler, the world No. 1 is ahead of schedule compared to last season with a win already under his belt. In this field, he ranks No. 1 in total strokes gained, strokes gained tee to green and strokes gained around the green as his ball striking continues to trend in the right direction. On a golf course that will require execution and patience, Scheffler has both in spades. The driver has settled into a very comfortable spot the last two tournaments and will bleed into his iron play soon enough setting up a performance that will remind the world he is by far the best. That could very well come this week.
- Cameron Young (13-1)
- Collin Morikawa (22-1): The two-time major champion showed some chops the last couple of weeks as he battled to top 10 finishes at the Masters and RBC Heritage without a clean bill of health. If the week off brings certainty in his back and in his health, Morikawa will relish in the return to Doral given his proficiency with his long irons. He ranks No. 1 in this field in strokes gained approach in 2026.
- Tommy Fleetwood (25-1)
- Russell Henley (25-1)
- Sam Burns (27-1)
- Chris Gotterup (30-1): It is not like he has fallen off that much since his two wins early in the season. Gotterup nabbed a top 10 at the big ballpark that is Memorial Park before a top-25 finish in his Masters debut. He continued to flash brilliance at Harbour Town only to be undone by his short game. Everything is there for him to pick up win No. 3 this week, it will just be a matter of stringing four rounds together.
- Patrick Cantlay (30-1)
- Adam Scott (33-1): The last winner on the PGA Tour at Doral was ... Bueller? Bueller? Ding, ding, ding. Mr. Scott. The Australian was 10 years younger when he conquered the Blue Monster, but his game continues to look more and more of that of a young man. Sufficiently long off the tee with continued speed gains with the driver, Scott has seen his iron play take the next step in 2026. He is top 10 in driving distance, strokes gained tee to green and strokes gained approach -- that will play at this golf course.
- Justin Rose (33-1): It is not the first time Rose has made a head-scratching equipment move, but it is the first time he has done so in his mid 40s. The Englishman is now a member of the McLaren golf (?) team (not F1, although that would be a sight) and he will debut his new set of irons this week in Miami. We'll see what that brings as he is currently enjoying the second-best approach season of his career behind just 2013 when he won the U.S. Open.
- Maverick McNealy (33-1)
- Hideki Matsuyama (33-1)
2026 Cadillac Championship picks
Cameron Young Winner (13-1): There is not a better driver in this field than Young both from a statistical sense and from the all important eye test. The Players winner had it on a string around Augusta National off the tee and that should continue this week even after a relatively sluggish start at Harbour Town, which was to be expected. Less wedge opportunities in store should help his cause as well as it has been a minor pain point at certain points this season.
Jake Knapp Contender (35-1): Can't envision a world where Knapp bleeds 10 strokes to the field with the putter in hand like he did in Hilton Head. Before his brutal performance at Harbour Town, Knapp was rolling with seven top-11 finishes in his first eight starts of the season. The putter has been a major weapon to go along with his prodigious length and improving iron play. Only once a winner on the PGA Tour, Knapp looks keen on adding to the list of breakout winners in signature events this year.
Jordan Smith Sleeper (100-1): The 33-year-old rookie has acquitted himself quite nicely in his first stroll around the PGA Tour so much so that he has played his way into this signature event. Smith finished on the podium at the Valspar Championship and inside the top 20 at the RBC Heritage (his first signature event start in 2026). While he missed the cut at the Zurich Classic with Haotong Li, Smith's game looks as sturdy as ever. He's a terrific driver of the golf ball which should hopefully carry more weight this week than his around the green game which tends to lag behind.Who will win the 2026 Cadillac Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 17 golf majors heading into the weekend, including the past five Masters, and find out.
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