By: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter & LineStar Chat

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Tournament & Field 🏆

The PGA TOUR heads down to South Florida this week for the inaugural Cadillac Championship, hosted at the iconic Trump National Doral (Blue Monster Course) in Miami. This marks the first of two straight Signature Events leading into the PGA Championship, and while the field is slightly weaker than what we’ve seen at other elevated stops this season, there is still plenty of high-end talent in attendance. In total, 45 of the top 60 ranked golfers in the world will be teeing it up, headlined by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, along with a strong mix of proven veterans and rising stars looking to take advantage of a rare opportunity in a no-cut setting.

As a Signature Event, this tournament will feature a limited 72-player field with no cut in play, meaning all golfers are guaranteed four rounds barring disqualification or a withdrawal. There is plenty on the line as well, with a $20 million purse, $3.6 million going to the winner, and 700 FedEx Cup points up for grabs. With several notable names opting to sit this one out in favor of rest ahead of next week and the PGA Championship, we do see a bit more volatility throughout the pricing tiers. That opens the door for some lesser-owned plays to make noise, especially in the mid-to-lower salary ranges.

This will be the first PGA TOUR event held at Doral since 2016, bringing back the infamous “Blue Monster” – a course that has historically favored elite ball-strikers and longer hitters. With no cut and plenty of scoring opportunities across four rounds, lineup construction becomes a bit more flexible this week. You can comfortably lean into aggressive builds in tournaments, while a more balanced approach remains viable for cash formats given the depth of playable options throughout the field. Let’s dive in and see if we can capitalize on a unique setup this week. Best of luck!

The Course Preview ⛳

Trump National Doral (Blue Monster)

Par 72 | 7,700+ Yards
Greens: Bermuda

The PGA TOUR makes its return to the iconic “Blue Monster” at Trump National Doral, a venue that will immediately stand out as one of the longest courses on the schedule. This Par 72 stretches out to over 7,700 yards, making it the longest track these golfers will see all season. While advancements in distance have helped neutralize some of the difficulty compared to a decade ago, make no mistake – this is still a demanding test that will heavily favor players who can consistently gain strokes off the tee.

Unlike many tighter Florida courses, Doral features relatively wide fairways that encourage players to unleash the driver. However, that doesn’t mean it’s forgiving. There is water in play on well over half the holes and more than 100 bunkers scattered throughout the course, so errant drives can still lead to big numbers in a hurry. With several Par 4s stretching beyond 450 yards – and a handful pushing 470+ – distance off the tee becomes a massive advantage, especially when it allows players to attack from shorter approach ranges or avoid trouble altogether.

The Par 3s will also provide a stiff test, with three of the four holes measuring over 215 yards. Combine that with a pair of extremely long Par 5s – including a massive 660+ yard hole – and it’s clear that long iron play will be heavily relied upon this week. In many cases, players will be hitting mid-to-long irons or even fairway woods into greens, which places an added emphasis on approach play from distance. Golfers who generate a higher ball flight should have an easier time holding these firm Bermuda greens, which are expected to run at a moderate pace around 11–11.5 on the stimpmeter.

Despite the importance of distance, this isn’t purely a bomb-and-gouge setup. With so many hazards in play, precision still matters, and players who can combine power with solid ball-striking will be best equipped to contend. Around-the-green play should also come into play more than usual, as missed greens are inevitable on a course of this length and difficulty.

Historically, Doral has rewarded elite ball-strikers and longer hitters, and there is little reason to expect that to change. While scoring can vary depending on conditions, a winning score in the 10–13-under range feels like a reasonable expectation. All in all, this sets up as a challenging but fair test that should reward the most complete players in the field.

Weather & Tee Times ⛅

Click the images above to view the most up-to-date forecasts.

⚖️Weather Verdict: Conditions look very manageable overall this week. Winds will generally sit in the 5–10 mph range across the first two rounds, with only a slight uptick into the 10–15 mph range (20 mph gusts) during Saturday afternoon before calming back down on Sunday. Temperatures will be hot and humid, climbing into the mid-to-upper 80s, but no major weather concerns are expected outside of a chance for some showers during Sunday’s final round. With this being a no-cut event, any minor wave edge is largely negligible, and there’s nothing in the forecast that should significantly impact scoring. Overall, this sets up as a fairly straightforward weather week.

Cadillac Championship Tee Times

Key Stats to Consider 📊

Each key stat is paired with a weighted percentage (based on stat importance) for DFS model purposes.

1. Strokes Gained: Off the Tee – 25%

2. Strokes Gained: Approach – 25%

3. Long Iron Accuracy (200+ Yards) – 15%

4. Par 4 Scoring Average – 15%

5. Bogey Avoidance – 10%

6. Par 5 Birdie or Better % – 5%

7. Strokes Gained: Around the Green – 5%

PGA Tour Stats Page

Cadillac Champioonship DFS Model Standouts 🏅

Below are the top 25 ranked golfers in both my overall model and my key stats model. Below that are the top 25 leaders in average finishing position over the last five and last ten starts. The players ranked on these lists do not necessarily mean they are the top golfers I’m targeting for this week's event, but many of these guys should no doubt be favorable DFS options.

Overall Model Rank: A golfer’s ranking (within the current field) in my personal DFS model, which weighs all of the key stats listed above in this newsletter, as well as factors like course history, recent form, recent average fantasy scoring results, and odds to win.

Course Fit / Key Stats Rank: Provides a golfer’s overall rank (within the current field) in my "key stats only" model, which considers only the key stats listed in the section above with the specified percentage weights allocated towards each statistic.

Cadillac Championship DFS Cheat Sheet 📑

Click the Cheat Sheet above for the higher-quality direct image link

Alternative Cheat Sheet Direct Image Link

That will do it for our PGA preview! Best of luck this week and, once again, feel free to hit me up in the LineStar chat or on Twitter/X @Ryan_Humphries with any questions.