Ten years feels like an eternity with all that has transpired in professional golf. But the Blue Monster is back, and the PGA Tour returns to Trump Doral and this tournament is now fueled by elite signature event status and a $20 million purse. The Cadillac Championship is set to usher in a new era for the PGA Tour in Miami with an elite field on tap to compete in this 72-player no-cut event.
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Awaiting them will be the longest golf course on the PGA Tour this season, with water lurking on 14 holes, and one of the most demanding closing stretches of holes that you can imagine. This course is a literal monster. We saw low scoring become increasingly more difficult in the three years after a substantial renovation by Gil Hanse, demanding precision and testing nerve at every corner.
This week will be about survival. Between the blistering heat and unforgiving nature of the golf course, this tournament feels like it could become a major-championship level challenge for the competitors.
Read The Line's Joe Idone and John Haslbauer break down the longshot bet they love for the 2026 Cadillac Championship:
Here are the 10 players most likely to be holding the trophy amidst the Doral sunset at the 2026 Cadillac Championship.
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The Blue Monster is not a fit for most. It rewards prodigious power, requires exacting approach play and demands the sheer guts to take on the hazards and force execution. You can draw direct lines on all three of those elements to Kurt Kitayama.
Kitayama ranks top 10 in the field in Driving Distance, he’s gained strokes on Approach in 20 consecutive starts and has shown the ability to persevere on water-laden courses like Bay Hill and TPC Twin Cities. This combination allows him to maximize birdie opportunities and avoid disastrous mistakes, suggesting that he has the upside to be a prime dark-horse candidate and ideal course fit for Doral.
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The last time this tournament took place in Doral, in 2016, Jason Day was the No. 1-ranked player in the world. Upon its return 10 years later, Day has shown revitalized form and could be trending toward a return to the winner’s circle. Back-to-back noteworthy results at the Houston Open and Masters has me optimistic that he has another run in him.
His superpower remains his ability to scramble around the greens. Day is still one of the best bunker players on tour, and the deeply carved sand traps around Doral historically have given players fits around the greens. He’s a sneaky option further down the odds board and presents value given his current form and history at this venue.
The format of these no-cut, shortened field tournaments suit aggressive players with high ceilings, making Akshay Bhatia worthy of serious consideration. His victory earlier this season that took place a few hours north of Doral at the API stands proof that he possesses the game and mind-set required to win on ultra-demanding Florida layouts.
The emphasis for Bhatia is elite iron play, which he often parlays into making substantial birdie-runs while other players are holding on for dear life. He’s certainly a compelling fit given his resume this season as Bhatia looks to knock off another signature event in the Sunshine State.
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Viktor Hovland has spent much of 2026 on a quest for consistency. There have been flashes of pure brilliance, when he produced a Sunday charge at Augusta or got off to a red-hot start in Hilton Head, but he’s struggling with damage control on occasion to keep himself in contention on days where he simply doesn’t have it.
Doral does offer some width off the tee, which should be inviting for Hovland. If he gets it in play, he’s proven that he remains one of the best in the world with an iron in his hands. If Hovland can exercise patience and find a hot putter, he’s a player that is on the precipice of a win this season.
Elite-level speed and power is one of the key attributes that Doral emphasizes, and it’s something that Jake Knapp produces effortlessly on a regular basis. His comeuppance in 2026 might go overlooked by some being void of victory, but I see a player that is prime for a breakthrough on a big stage.
Knapp has become a much more well-rounded player this season, showing vast improvement with his wedge-play and putting. Ultimately, his consistency facilitates confidence, and Knapp can produce spike rounds when he’s less concerned about making it through a cutline. Doral feels like an excellent venue to make his statement amongst the best in the game.
If not for the back injury, a literal sore subject for Collin Morikawa, his consistency from tee to green would make Morikawa an optimal target. It’s a legitimate concern, but we went from uncertainty of whether he could even finish the Masters, to recording a T-7.