Scheffler the Heavy Favorite as Doral’s Blue Monster Hosts Tour Golf for First Time in a Decade
After a 10-year absence, PGA Tour golf is back in South Florida. The inaugural Cadillac Championship — the new Miami stop on the Tour calendar — tees off Wednesday, April 29 at Trump National Doral’s legendary Blue Monster Course, with the final round set for Sunday, May 3.
This is the fifth of eight Signature Events on the 2026 PGA Tour schedule, meaning a limited 72-player field, no cut, a $20 million purse, and a $3.6 million top prize for the winner — along with 700 FedExCup points. Doral, of course, is no stranger to big-time golf. The Blue Monster hosted a Tour event every year from 1962 to 2016, including the WGC-Cadillac Championship from 2011 to 2016, and 14 World Golf Hall of Famers have lifted trophies there over the decades. Tiger Woods alone won at the venue four times.
The Field: Stars and Notable Absences
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines the field in what will likely be his final start before defending his PGA Championship title in two weeks. Joining him are reigning FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Adam Scott, and Cameron Young, among others.
There are some notable names sitting this one out, however. Masters champion Rory McIlroy is skipping his second straight Signature Event. World No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick — fresh off his win at the RBC Heritage — is also passing, along with Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg, and Robert MacIntyre. Brooks Koepka is the first alternate.
The Course: Why They Call It the Blue Monster
The Blue Monster checks in at par 72 and 7,739 yards. It earned its nickname honestly — water comes into play on the majority of holes, and the course has historically been one of the more demanding tests on Tour. Driving accuracy and ball-striking off the tee have been key indicators of past success at Doral, with strong iron play and scrambling rounding out the recipe.
Betting Odds to Win the Cadillac Championship
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, here’s how PGA betting odds at the top of the board are shaping up if you are gambling heading into the week:
- Scottie Scheffler +295
- Cameron Young +1475
- Collin Morikawa +2100
- Tommy Fleetwood +2250
- Russell Henley +2250
- Sam Burns +2500
- Patrick Cantlay +2700
- Si Woo Kim +3100
- Hideki Matsuyama +3100
- Viktor Hovland +3300
- Maverick McNealy +3300
- Justin Rose +3300
- Adam Scott +3400
- Chris Gotterup +3500
- Jake Knapp +3700
- Jordan Spieth +4000
Mid-tier value plays include Min Woo Lee (+4100), Harris English (+4100), Rickie Fowler (+4200), Akshay Bhatia (+4500), Ben Griffin (+4600), and Jason Day (+4700). Longer shots worth a look: J.J. Spaun (+5200), Shane Lowry (+5500), Sepp Straka (+5500), Keegan Bradley (+5500), and Justin Thomas (+5600).
Betting Angles
The favorite: Scheffler at +295 is the kind of price that’s become familiar in 2026 — short, but for good reason. He’s the World No. 1, he’s playing, and McIlroy isn’t. With several other top-15 players skipping the event, the path is cleaner than usual at the top of the board.
The fade case on Scheffler: Despite his dominance, Scheffler has zero competitive rounds at the Blue Monster. Doral’s quirks — the wind, the water, the firm Bermuda — historically reward course knowledge, and several players in the field have LIV Miami reps at the venue or remember the WGC days.
Value to consider: Cameron Young at +1475 has been trending in the right direction and has the length to attack Doral. Russell Henley (+2250) is a steady ball-striker in good form. Among the longer numbers, Sam Burns at +2500 stands out for a player with this much firepower in a limited field.
Tee Times & TV
The tournament runs Wednesday, April 29 through Sunday, May 3, with full coverage across Golf Channel and CBS over the weekend. The Pro-Am kicks things off Wednesday, with first-round play getting underway Thursday morning.
After a decade away, big-time Tour golf is back in Miami — and with Scheffler in the field and a stacked top-15 atop the betting board, the inaugural Cadillac Championship has all the makings of a marquee week on the calendar.
