Welcome back, golf fans. After somewhat of an off week for the top players in the world, we now head to the Blue Monster for the Cadillac Championship and the fifth signature event of the 2026 season. It marks the first time the PGA Tour has made a stop at Trump National Doral since the 2016 season, when the Cadillac Championship was a WGC event. The field is strong, but with two signature events back-to-back, followed by a major, there are a few top names taking the week off. That list is headlined by Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg, and Robert MacIntyre.
In this article, we are going to break down the course, look at the top stats and trends that matter, and then provide five players who we should be targeting this week. Let’s get started.
Create a fantasy golf commissioner league, invite your friends and “master” your draft this season (no green jacket required). Our FREE PGA fantasy golf league manager is the most customizable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich platform in the industry.
The Course: Trump National Doral (Blue Monster)
The PGA Tour returns to the Blue Monster for the first time since 2016, when Adam Scott won the WGC-Cadillac Championship. It played long (7,543 yards) and tough (+.9 strokes over par) in 2016 and even tougher in 2015 and 2014. We should see much of the same this time around as the Par 72 is stretched out to a massive 7,739 yards in 2026.
That “Monster” scorecard includes three of the four par 3’s coming in at 216-236 yards, six of the par 4’s exceeding 450 yards, and two of the four par 5’s exceeding 600 yards! Distance is not the only defense of the course, as water comes into play on 17 of the 18 holes, 11 of which challenge the tee shot. Players not only need to be long off the tee but also somewhat accurate, as well. On approach, precision is also needed as the water is in play on 14 holes. As the longest course on tour, long iron proximity will be very important this week. With that, it also likely produces a lower GIR rate, which also enhances the importance of scrambling.
Stats & Trends That Matter: Finding the 2026 Cadillac Championship Champion
Top Stats:
- Strokes Gained: Off the Tee/Driving Distance – The course is over 7,700 yards so distance is a huge factor, but I also want to see some accuracy with all the danger lurking.
- Strokes Gained: Approach/Long Iron Proximity – A strong iron game is always at the top of my model, but it can definitely set players apart this week with a projected low GIR rate. Honing in even further, it will be very important to have a strong long iron game.
- Strokes Gained: Around the Green – With a low GIR rate comes a huge boost in the importance of scrambling. A lot of the holes will become “grab a par and run to the next hole” this week.
- Signature Event History – In these signature events with small, elite fields, it is important to look at who has performed well under the immense pressure.
Collin Morikawa (+2050 Outright / +345 Top 5)
Scottie Scheffler is once again in a tier of his own this week, coming off back-to-back runner-ups, and has a really short but deserved number in the outright market. With that, I like going down into the next tier with a couple of players, starting with Morikawa. There are zero signs of the back injury that had him WD from the Players as he returned to the Masters, finishing T7, and followed that up with a T4 at the RBC Heritage with some elite ball striking, and if not for an unexpected cold putter, he likely would have won. He not only has a Top 10 in five straight events overall, but he is also the only player in the field to finish Top 10 in all four signature events in 2026. He may not be the prototypical bomber, but he is accurate off the tee and is a Top 25 player when looking at long iron proximity. He will be at the top of my bet card this week.
Cameron Young (+1500 Outright / +270 Top 5)
After a slow start to the season (T22, T41, T55), Cam Young has been a major factor at some of the biggest events of the season. After a disappointing T55 at the first signature event of the season at Pebble Beach, he picked up back-to-back Top 10’s at the Genesis and Arnold Palmer before winning the Players Championship. He followed that up with an excellent showing at the Masters, finishing 3rd. The tee to green game was there at the RBC Heritage, but a cold putter (-3.8 SG:P) led to a T25. He is also one of the better course fits here at the Blue Monster, starting with his elite Total Driving as he and Scheffler are the only two players in the field to rank Top-20 in both distance and accuracy off the tee. Long irons have been great as he ranks 4th and 16th in Proximity from 175-200 and 200+ yards, and he ranks Top 10 in both Bogey Avoidance and Birdie or Better %. I wrote Young up in the preseason, calling for multiple wins, and I think he could get the second one as early as this week.
Jake Knapp (+3700 Outright / +260 Top 10)
Knapp was a letdown at the RBC Heritage after losing a career-high 10.5 strokes putting, but I am not concerned. First of all, he is one of the best putters on the PGA Tour (6th in SG: Putting) and is a terrific course fit this week. He is Top 5 in this field in driving distance, Top 20 in SG: Approach, 25th and 10th in Proximity from 175-200 and 200+ yards, and leads the field in Par 5 scoring. While his last signature event showing was a dud, he had tallied Top 10 finishes at the Genesis and Pebble Beach. If the putter comes back to life, he should have a good shot at winning, and I also like Top 5 and Top 10 markets this week.
Harris English (+275 Top 10)
With Trump National Doral off the PGA Tour schedule for the last 10 years, not many players come into the week with positive course history. English is one of them, as he finished 10th in 2016 and 16th in 2014 in his two trips to the Blue Monster. It is not shocking that he performed well here, as he is also Top 10 in my model, looking at long courses with difficult scoring. While he has yet to show winning upside in 2026, he has been very consistent, finishing 28th or better in seven of eight tournaments. He is Top 20 in Total Driving with a nice balance of distance and accuracy, and has been riding a white-hot putter ranking 7th on Tour in SG: Putting. I don’t think he wins this week, but I like adding a Top 10 to my betcard.
Sudarshan Yellamaraju (+570 Top 10 / +220 Top 20)
He is coming off a disappointing T54 at his first signature event at the RBC Heritage but is a terrific course fit this week, so I am expecting a rebound. Yellamaraju has been one of the surprises on tour this season, working a nine-event cut streak, making 10 of 11 on the season with two Top 10’s and five Top 25 finishes. Statistically, in this field, he ranks Top 20 in both SG: Off the Tee and Approach, is 9th in Driving Distance, 1st in Proximity from 200+ yards, 10th in Par 4 Scoring, 14th in Bogey Avoidance, and 7th in Birdie or Better %. That is a formula for success around the Blue Monster, and I will have exposure to both the Top 10 and Top 20 bets this week.
Fantrax is one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites in the fantasy sports industry, and we’re not stopping anytime soon. We are the most customizable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich platform in the industry, offering the greatest fantasy experience for your dynasty, keeper, redraft, and best ball leagues. Fantasy sports doesn’t sleep, and neither does Fantrax, with seasons running 365 days a year. Take your fantasy leagues to the next level now at Fantrax.com!
