Last week, the Tour traded individual scorecards for matching headcovers at the Zurich Classic, and the storyline practically wrote itself. Matt Fitzpatrick, fresh off his playoff win over Scottie Scheffler at the RBC Heritage, teamed with his younger brother Alex to win the only team event on the schedule. After setting a tournament record with a 15-under 57 in Saturday’s better-ball, the Fitzpatricks somehow lost a four-shot lead on Sunday’s back nine before Matt stuck a 35-yard bunker shot to 14 inches at the par-5 18th, leaving Alex a tap-in birdie to finish at 31-under and beat two teams by a single stroke.
The win gave Matt his third title in his last four starts, solidified his World No. 3 ranking, and, maybe more importantly, handed Alex a two-year PGA Tour exemption along with a spot in next month’s PGA Championship.
Now the Tour heads to Miami for the inaugural Cadillac Championship at the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral, April 30–May 3. This is a Signature Event on a course the Tour hasn’t visited in a decade and arrives during one of the most loaded stretches on the calendar, with majors and the heart of the summer schedule approaching. This preview breaks down the field, what the Blue Monster rewards and punishes, and the betting board.
The Setup: Tournament Stakes, Field, and Storylines
The Cadillac Championship offers a $20 million purse, with $3.6 million to the winner, along with 700 FedExCup points. The field is limited to 72 players in a no-cut format, guaranteeing every player four rounds and a paycheck. Adam Scott, who won the last Tour event here in 2016, returns to the field. Justin Rose, a 2012 Doral winner, is also back and making his first start since a T3 finish at the Masters.
The headline storyline, though, is who is not here. Several top names are skipping Miami, including Masters champion Rory McIlroy, along with World No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Robert MacIntyre, and Ludvig Åberg. The reason appears more structural than dramatic. This is the first of two consecutive Signature Events, followed by the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow and then the PGA Championship at Aronimink from May 14-17. That stretch creates a demanding run, and some players have opted to manage their schedules accordingly. It also has a downstream effect on the betting board, tightening odds with fewer elite names in the field.
Even with some notable players absent, this is still a strong group. Scottie Scheffler is here, along with seven of the top 10 in the FedExCup standings, including Cameron Young, Collin Morikawa, Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman, Akshay Bhatia, and Si Woo Kim.
The Course: What It Demands and What It Punishes
The Blue Monster is listed at par 72, 7,608 yards. Originally designed by Dick Wilson in 1962, it was reworked by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner in 2014, adding deeper bunkers, repositioned hazards, and, most notably, a peninsula green at the par-3 15th. It’s a long, Bermuda-grassed Florida brute with water in play throughout, a defining feature that many point to as the origin of its nickname.
The challenge here is true two-way trouble. Length matters, with multiple reachable par 5s and several demanding long par 4s, but accuracy is the separator. Water is in play on a majority of holes, the thick Bermuda rough turns approach shots into guesswork, and the par-4 18th remains one of the more volatile finishing holes on Tour. With water running the entire left side and cutting in front of the green, it has produced its share of both collapses and late heroics. Wind across the flat South Florida terrain only sharpens those decisions.
Who Fits Here: Player Archetypes and Names to Know
The cleanest fit is the bomber-with-control profile: enough length to shorten the par 5s and long par 4s, paired with the discipline to keep the ball dry. That’s Scottie Scheffler in one sentence. He’s coming off runner-up finishes at the Masters and the RBC Heritage, yet still sits as World No. 1. Doral is a tee-to-green test that plays directly into his strengths. Cameron Young is also worth a long look. He’s already won at THE PLAYERS this season, added a T3 at the Masters, and his combination of distance and tee-to-green control aligns with what firm, fast Florida setups demand.
The second archetype is the elite iron player who can manage off the tee. Collin Morikawa fits that mold and arrives on a run of five straight top-10 finishes, excluding his withdrawal at THE PLAYERS. Russell Henley belongs in this tier as well. He’s been quietly consistent all year, finishing T20 or better in seven of nine starts in 2026, and that steady profile translates well to a course few in the field know competitively.
Then there’s the course-history wild card. Adam Scott won here in 2016 and has made every cut this season, including a solo fourth at Genesis. Justin Rose won here in 2012 and arrives off a T3 at Augusta. They’re not near the top of the betting board, but on a track with so many first-timers, prior reps carry weight.
Sam Burns and Chris Gotterup also fit the firm, fast setup. Gotterup enters with two wins already this season, and Burns brings the kind of ball-striking that holds up on demanding setups like this one. With no cut, expect a more measured approach to pay off, where the goal should be to avoid the one or two costly mistakes and let the field come back over four rounds.
Betting Board: Odds, Angles, and Smart Plays
Odds checked April 28, 2026 at 11:15 a.m. CT.
On DraftKings, Scottie Scheffler is the heavy favorite at +315, followed by Cameron Young at +1275, Collin Morikawa at +1950, and Tommy Fleetwood at +2325, the only players shorter than +2500. After that, Russell Henley checks in at +2500, with Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, and Si Woo Kim at +2800.
On FanDuel, the board is similar with Scheffler at +290, Young at +1200, Morikawa at +2000, with Henley and Gotterup both at +2500.
With a no-cut format, a demanding layout, and a slightly thinner top tier than usual, this sets up as a week where elite ball-strikers separate over four rounds. Longshots can hang for a day or two, but sustaining mistake-free golf here is a different challenge.
Henley at +2500 stands out as a consistency play. He’s been a top-20 fixture throughout 2026, and in a field where many of the top names lack competitive reps at Doral, his floor carries added value. If you’re looking a tier down with some course history, Adam Scott at +3300 is a reasonable look. He’s the most recent winner here and arrives in solid form.
One-and-Done / Season-Long Strategy
Because this is a $20M Signature Event with no cut and a slightly thinned-out top tier, the One-and-Done math gets interesting. Scottie Scheffler is the obvious play if you still have him. The number is short, but his floor on a course like this is as high as it gets. The tradeoff is that he will also be a top option in the next two events you might want to save him for, including his PGA Championship title defense.
If you’ve already used Scheffler, Cameron Young may be the best pivot based on recent form and course fit. Collin Morikawa is also in play. He’s been trending well since his win at Pebble, and if the driver holds up, his iron play gives him a real path over four rounds.
What I’m Watching When the First Tee Shot Flies
I’m watching whether Scottie Scheffler can finally close. Two straight runner-up finishes are not the norm for the World No. 1, who won six times in 2025. Doral is demanding, but it can reward a player knocking on the door rather than expose him.
I’m also watching how the first-time Doral players (Cameron Young, Collin Morikawa, and Chris Gotterup) handle Hanse’s wide but punishing fairways and the peninsula green at the par-3 15th when the wind picks up.
And I’ll be focused on the 18th early in the week. If the wind off the water shows up on Thursday, the leaderboard could separate quickly.
Wrap: The Takeaway + Next Stop Tease
The Cadillac Championship is a Signature Event at a place rich with history, but effectively starting with a clean ledger and a slightly thinner top tier than a typical $20M field. The course is the focal point, and the player who manages wind and water over four rounds will earn it.
From here, the Tour heads to Quail Hollow for the Truist Championship, followed by one more stop in Myrtle Beach before the PGA Championship at Aronimink. Major season is here. Enjoy what’s coming.
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