Cadillac Championship DFS picks 2026: This young bomber is ready for his next big win
The 2026 Cadillac Championship marks a return to a familiar pro golf venue, as the Blue Monster Course at Trump National Doral in Miami reclaims its place on the PGA Tour schedule with a $20 million signature event featuring a limited field of the game’s top players.
First opened in 1962, the Blue Monster built its legacy by hosting the Doral Open and later the WGC-Cadillac Championship from 2007-2016, becoming synonymous with dramatic finishes and major-caliber leader boards. More recently, it hosted the final event of the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2022 and a regular season event in each of the subsequent three seasons.
Stretching over 7,700 yards as a par 72 following Gil Hanse’s 2014 renovation, the course remains a demanding test defined by water hazards on numerous holes, penal Bermuda rough, and large, grainy green complexes. Success at Doral typically hinges on a blend of power and precision—length off the tee to handle its long par 4s, controlled iron play into well-protected greens, and the ability to manage ever-present South Florida winds.
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The tournament is headlined by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, reigning FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young, Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley, and Chris Gotterup. While the field is strong, there are also several notable absences, led by Masters champion Rory McIlroy, marking the second consecutive Signature Event he has skipped. World No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick is also out after winning in consecutive weeks. Ludvig Åberg, Robert MacIntyre, and Xander Schauffele have also elected to sit out.
Here are my favorite plays and fades in each price range for the 2026 Cadillac Championship.
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$9,000+ range Play: Patrick Cantlay, $9,400
Kevin C. Cox
As the calendar turns toward the year’s second major, Patrick Cantlay appears to be rounding into form. He followed a T-7 at the Valspar with a T-12 at the Masters and a T-8 at the RBC Heritage, showing steady improvement in recent starts. While his ceiling can feel limited at times, his well-rounded game consistently translates on long, difficult layouts, where he ranks among the top 10 in this field over the past three years. He has also been remarkably reliable on wall-to-wall Bermudagrass courses, finishing T-17 or better in each of his past 11 appearances, including three top-five results.
Play: Chris Gotterup, $9,300
Chris Gotterup brings a skill set that fits a demanding venue like Doral as well as anyone in the field. He has more than enough length off the tee, his iron play is consistently solid, and he’s reliable around the greens. In 2026, he’s been one of just a handful of players to gain five or more strokes on the field in over 10 percent of his rounds, showing a ceiling few can match.
Under the hood, the profile only gets stronger. Gotterup has gained strokes on approach in nine straight starts and ranks as the ninth-best putter on Bermuda greens over the past two years gaining 0.50 strokes per round. That surface is particularly relevant, given that two of his four career wins have come on similar Bermuda setups at Myrtle Beach and Waialae. Compared to many of the other bombers who will draw attention this week, Gotterup stands out for having far fewer weaknesses, making him one of the most dangerous all-around threats in the field.
Fade: Jake Knapp, $9,500
Out of all the players in this upper tier, over the past three years, Knapp ranks the worst by far on both all-Bermuda layouts and on difficult courses with strong fields. In his past 18 tournaments since 2024 that meet both of those criteria, he doesn’t have a single top-10 finish.
SG over the last three years on courses with Bermuda greens and rough.
$8,000+ range Play: Adam Scott, $8,400
David Cannon
Over the first four months of the 2026 season, Scott has been the fourth-best player in the world with his irons, gaining 0.85 strokes per round. From the critical 200-plus-yard range, he’s been even better, ranking first in proximity to the hole—an advantage that becomes even more significant at a venue expected to play beyond 7,700 yards. At 45 years of age, his ball speed is amazingly the highest it’s been in his career at 184 mph while his distance off the tee is eighth best in the field.
In a field filled with players making their first trip to Doral, Adam Scott brings a rare level of experience and success at the venue. The Aussie not only captured the final PGA Tour event held at the Blue Monster, but also compiled an impressive run leading into that win, recording finishes of sixth, 13th, third and fourth over a five-year stretch.
Read The Line's Joe Idone and John Haslbauer break down the longshot bet they love for the 2026 Cadillac Championship:
Fade: Min Woo Lee, $8,600
After a hot stretch to start the year, Lee isn’t coming in with the greatest recent form after missing the cut at the Masters and finishing T-60 at the RBC Heritage. Similar to Knapp, over the past two years he has struggled in strong-field events with difficult scoring conditions, losing 0.34 strokes per round, seventh worst in this field.
$7,000+ range Play: Keegan Bradley, $7,500
Kevin C. Cox
Bradley is my favorite golfer in the $7,000 range due to his positive comp course history on similar long and difficult courses, his total driving skills, and his elite long-iron play. His recent form is trending up, finishing T-21 at the Masters followed by a T-12 at the RBC Heritage.
$6,000+ range Play: Corey Conners, $6,900
Maddie Meyer
Conners stands out as one of the clearest pricing inefficiencies in the field. His ability to consistently find fairways and pair that with elite iron play is exactly the profile that tends to thrive at the Blue Monster. With less emphasis placed on short game this week, his usual weakness in that area becomes far less damaging. In a no-cut format, that combination of ball-striking and guaranteed four rounds only raises his ceiling. Alongside players like Max Homa and Max Greyserman, he provides the kind of upside that makes it easier to build lineups around multiple high-end options.
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Ron Klos ( @PGASplits101 on X ) is a PGA Tour data analyst for Betsperts Golf.
