Good news - we hit another winner last week. Even better news? We broke the dreaded Golf Digest Expert Panel Headline Curse, as we called our shot with the Fitzpatrick bros. Bad news? There is no bad news.
Special shoutout to Ryan Noonan, who was the only member of the panel to select the red-hot Fitzpatricks and picked up his second win of 2026. Ryan has proven to be an excellent addition to the squad. Now the rest of us have to pick up the slack, starting this week at Doral, an old friend of the PGA Tour schedule. It's long. It's hard. It's water-logged. It's Florida.
The Golf Digest betting panel is comprised of Pat Mayo of Underdog/Mayo Media Network, Andy Lack of the Inside Sports Network, Ryan Noonan of Betsperts, your two authors and Keith Stewart, the CEO of Read The Line.
RELATED: Cadillac Championship picks 2026: Our DFS expert is backing this young bomber ready for his next big win
Scroll down for our complete betting analysis of the 2026 Cadillac Championship:
Cadillac Championship picks 2026: Our Experts’ Outright Predictions
Pat Mayo, Underdog/Fantasy National, Mayo Media Network analyst: Hideki Matsuyama (31-1, DraftKings) — Hideki’s number has drifted enough where gambling on his driver being any good is worth it. His approach play remains elite, he’s still one of the best in the world around the greens (especially off tight surfaces), and his putter has been remarkably good in 2026. As a bonus, he’s third in the field in approach inside 15 feet from 200-plus yards, an approach bucket which is over indexed this week. Just pray he stays dry off the tee.
Keith Stewart, PGA, Read The Line: Collin Morikawa (20-1, Bet365) — The first player I looked for on property at Trump National Doral was Collin Morikawa. Since returning from his Players WD, Morikawa has finished T-7 and T-4. Is Collin healthy? Not only did he swing beautifully, but his driver speed looked fast, much quicker than in his last two starts. If you need one player to hit a 200-yard approach, I’m picking Morikawa. If Morikawa was contending with injury concerns, imagine how confident he will be swinging now that he feels good.
Ryan Noonan, Content Manager 4for4/Betsperts: Cameron Young (+1250, DraftKings) — Young’s game is built for venues like this. He leads the PGA Tour in Total Driving, mixing distance and accuracy, which is a key metric for me this week. Young also ranks among the top 10 in nearly every other category for me this week. Long courses with difficult scoring conditions. Difficult to gain off the tee and hit fairways. 200-plus yard approach shots when it’s difficult to gain on approach. All of it. Another key handicapping element for me this week is performance on and around the green on Bermuda grass. We’ve made it through “overseed” season, with Doral being the first true Bermuda grass test on the 2026 calendar. And if you’ve never played on Bermuda, it’s different, and the splits are worth exploring. Dating back to the start of 2025, Young ranks third in SG/Short game on Bermuda, gaining 1.22 strokes per round on the field. There’s a lot to like here.
Stephen Hennessey, Golf Digest managing editor: Cameron Young (+1250, DraftKings) — The Players champion continues to be on an absolute tear: In his past five starts, all majors or signature events, he’s gained more than 45 strokes to the field. He’s top 10 in distance and an elite scrambler—all the components to contend for another win in Florida.
Christopher Powers, Golf Digest senior writer: Russell Henley (28-1, Bet365) — Put this man in Florida and watch him go. In his last five starts in the Sunshine State, dating back to the 2025 Cognizant, Henley has gone T-6, WIN, T-30, T-6, T-13. A Damn Good Georgia Bulldog who loves Gator Country. And while Doral is a little long for a short hitter like Henley, his accuracy off the tee will be rewarded. How fitting would it be to end my cold streak with the guy I last won with? Russ Henley Country, Let’s Ride.
Andy Lack, Inside Sports Network: Tommy Fleetwood (33-1, BetOnline) — This is purely a number play for me. I know that Tommy Fleetwood was disappointing at the RBC Heritage, but he just had one bad round on Thursday, and he shot 10 under through the rest of the tournament. Fleetwood has an incredible resume on Bermuda golf courses, and his lone win on the PGA Tour last year came on the bomber-friendly, Bermuda head-to-toe, East Lake.
Past results: We have our third winner of 2026, with Ryan Noonan hitting his second outright as a member of the panel, correctly the Fitzpatrick brothers’ win at 12-1 to go with his Nico Echavarria 60-1 hit at the Cognizant Classic. Our third win, also a 60-1 cash, belongs to Stephen Hennessey, who nailed Justin Rose’s Farmers triumph.
Listen to Golf Digest's weekly betting podcast, "The Loop," (below) where we interview the industry's leading experts (and sometimes tour pros) to help you make your bets and pick your fantasy lineups. And be sure to subscribe to "The Loop" wherever you get your podcasts!
Cadillac Championship picks 2026: Sleepers/Dark Horses Who Could Win
Mayo: J.J. Spaun (60-1, Caesars Sportsbook) — Frankly, there’s very little difference between his form now than when he won a month ago. It’s all about flipping his putter. He was able to do it in San Antonio and has been unable to since. Still, he’s first in the field in approach over the past two months and sits top 20 in driving. These are the type of longshots you want to take. If he doesn’t putt, he’ll be near the bottom of the leaderboard, which is the same outcome as a T-3.
Stewart: Keegan Bradley (61-1, DraftKings) — Keegan Bradley is one of the best mid-to-long-iron players in the field. With the number of approaches around 200 yards during each round, Doral is playing right into the best part of Bradley’s game. A Southeast Florida resident, I don’t worry about the Bermudagrass or the short game. Twelfth at the RBC Heritage, Keegan has two top-eight finishes on the Blue Course in four starts. Bradley’s ball-striking is solid in the wind, which is another characteristic I’m focusing on this week.
Noonan: Gary Woodland (72-1, DraftKings) — The strong Harbour Town (T-8) finish just shows me that he’s building confidence because that’s certainly not a venue that suits his game well—he’d never even sniffed a top 20 there in four previous starts. Woodland has gained an average of 1.11 strokes ball-striking over the past 20 rounds, and of the six other players who have gained 1.1 or more in that time frame, Woodland’s 0.60 strokes gained putting is the best of the bunch.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Gary Woodland (72-1, DraftKings) — Woodland’s length will be a huge asset at Doral, and especially given he won in the last month in Houston where distance was a separator, he should continue his great play here.
Powers, Golf Digest: Shane Lowry (65-1, Caesars Sportsbook) — Like my pick to win, Russell Henley, Lowry is probably one of the few guys in this field thrilled that the tour is randomly headed back to Florida. This week is the Cog 2.0, a tournament Lowry had in his grasp before a few brutal swings down the stretch. This is a perfect chance to avenge that L and pick up some much-needed confidence heading into the meat of the season. Plus, after the post-Cog swoon, Lowry has quietly rounded back into form. The Irishman was two back after 54 holes at Augusta National before a shocking Sunday 80. That round, plus the MC alongside Koepka at Zurich, has given us quite the discount on this Florida demon.