We’ve got some majors coming up, with the PGA Championship just a couple weeks away, followed by the U.S. Open. The PGA Championship will be at Aronimink. I actually remember being there around 2011 or 2012 when I was working for the Eagles – my brother came to visit, and we followed Nick Watney and Justin Leonard while watching Tiger Woods. That was a pretty cool experience.
There’s also been a lot happening in the golf world lately. LIV has been in the headlines again after last week’s news, and now the Louisiana event has been postponed – basically canceled. On the PGA Tour, Matt Fitzpatrick and his brother Alex won the Zurich Classic in Louisiana, which was a bright spot for an otherwise underwhelming tournament.
Looking ahead, we’ve got the Cadillac Championship this week – kind of a new event, but one with history at Trump Doral, which hosted a PGA Tour event every year from the 1960s through 2016. Now it’s back, and it seems like it’ll be sticking around.
I’ve got some plays this week and plan to be aggressive.
Let’s dive into Doral this weekend.
This is a tournament that hasn’t been played since 2016, but from 1962 to 2016, it was a staple. I was reading Sobel’s article today, and he noted that it went under renovation in 2014. Now, I can barely remember PGA events from five years ago, let alone events from 2014-15 at Doral, but I’ve watched enough YouTube golf on this course to know: it looks really hard.
One thing I noticed from those videos was that the wind was absolutely pumping. And depending on how they set up the tees, this is going to be one of the longest courses they play all season. It’s around 7,700 yards.
Right away, you’re looking at long hitters. The last two winners here were Adam Scott and Dustin Johnson. That tells you everything – you’ve got to be able to bomb it. I’m not looking at guys like Russell Henley in this event. I’m not taking flyers on Joel Dahmen. This is a big-boy course.
Now, Rory’s not here. Xander’s not here. Ludvig’s not here. Some guys whose games would translate really well just aren’t playing. Scottie’s the heavy favorite, but taking him at +300, or like -150 for a Top 10, just isn’t that appealing to me. I’m not doing that this week.
Not saying I won’t take him for the majors coming up, but not here. The flow of the season feels a little weird right now. I don’t feel great about picking an outright winner, but I do like some placement plays.
2026 Cadillac Championship Best Bets
Cam Young Top 10 (+125) and Jake Knapp Top 10 (+250) are auto-hammers for me. Both guys are long, both are having great seasons, and they’re coming in with momentum. If you want to take Cam Young outright at around 13-1, no issue there. I’ve already got a bet on him for the PGA Championship at 22-1. He’s an auto-bet for me in majors this year.
Another guy I’m a little more conservative on: Gary Woodland. If you want to bet him to finish Top 10, fine. If you want to get aggressive with a Top 5, I don’t hate it either. But I’m going with Top 20 (+165) on Hard Rock Bet.
He’s been playing unbelievable since going on the Golf Channel and opening up about his PTSD and surgery. He’s been balling. I watched him at The Masters – he was playing really well before falling apart on Saturday. Still, the form is there.
If I’m taking a flyer on a winner with longer odds, I’ll go Keegan Bradley at 60-1.
Florida golf is different. Guys from places like Dallas, Scottsdale, or Vegas don’t always translate. Keegan’s been living in Florida for 15+ years. He knows this style, he’s comfortable on the grass, and he hits it plenty far. You can also look at him around +500 for a Top 10 finish.
Middlekauff’s Cadillac Championship Picks Recap
- Cam Young Top 10 (+125)
- Jake Knapp Top 10 (+250)
- Gary Woodland Top 20 (+165)
- Keegan Bradley Outright (+6000)
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