(Trump National Doral)
On tap this week is the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami Florida. The Tournament Players Club at Trump Doral, dubbed the “Blue Monster,” will be the course the PGA Tour will call home this week. In 2014, after the $200 million redesign, this was the toughest course outside of a major championship.
Since the Cadillac Championship came to Doral in 2007 some of golf’s biggest names have tasted victory in this event. The short list includes the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, and Justin Rose. When you think of Doral and a weekend of top tier golf it doesn’t get much better outside of Augusta. There is no cut this weekend which is a nice (or sad if you are playing horrible) change for the players. 48 of the top-50 players in the World Golf Rankings are here and ready to play.
The Blue Monster actually lived up to its name after the redesign with the seventh, 14th and 18 finishing in the top-30 hardest on tour over the last couple of years. The course boasts one of the toughest holes on tour and one of Golf Magazines Top-100 Holes in the World, the 18th. This 476 yard, par-4 has water down the entire left side which is a factor on the monster par four finisher, one of the best the players will play all year.
Dates: March 3 -6 2016
Course: Trump National Doral
Stats: Par 72, 7,528 yards
Television Coverage (Times):
Thursday: Golf Channel 2:00 – 6:00 PM EST
Friday: Golf Channel 2:00 – 6:00 PM EST
Saturday: Golf Channel 12:00 – 3:00 PM EST, NBC 3:00 -6:00 PM EST
Sunday: Golf Channel 12:00 – 2:00 PM EST, NBC 2:00 – 6:00 PM EST
Purse: $9.50 million total purse, $1.62 million winner share
2016 WGC Cadillac Championship Predictions, Picks | Trump National Doral Three Holes To Watch
Hole No. 7 – Par 4, 471 Yards
Traditionally this was a challenging hole but they found a way to test the player’s even more. This hole used to come with trees that protected some balls from a watery grave but now, those trees were removed as part of the update and now the water is in play. The layout of the hole shifted to the right and added fairway bunkers to challenge player’s tee shot. Factor in with the current theme, the green shifted right as well. The revamp did everything it could to bring the water into play aside from giving the player’s a boat. There could be more double-bogeys or greater here than birdies this week.
Hole No. 14 – Par 4, 484 Yards
A monster of a par got worse with the revamp of the course. The previous design was tough but the fair bunker complex was not to problematic for the length of today’s players. Enter a change that created a diagonal look that also brings portions of those bunkers right into the player’s trouble zone. The biggest change came at the green which was backed up and raised to create eminent danger with the expanded lake. It is all be a certainty that this hole will play a half-stroke over par.
Hole No. 18 – Par 4, 476 Yards
The playability of 18 has not changed to much due to the revamp but honestly this was a monster before the change. Water is a challenge down the left side of this hole and players will find the drink without a doubt. The one change that matters is the addition of trees on the right side that may seem benign. However, the placement of these trees affects an area that player’s would bail out to in case of fear of the watery grave. You are hard pressed to find a more stunning and challenging finishing hole in all of golf.
2016 WGC Cadillac Championship Predictions, Picks, Sleeper | Trump National Doral Selections
The strongest field of the year is in town and that makes things even more challenging when attempting to predict a 2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship winner. With 48 of the top-50 in the World Golf Rankings pegging a tee in the ground, the fire and pressure will be prevalent for all players as the run to the Masters and the spring swing begin. Let’s take a look at three players that I would predict to be right in the hunt coming down the stretch on Sunday at the 2016 WGC Cadillac Championship. Two players will seem more logical than the other but I am adding a player that just might surprise, basically a sleeper for success at the 2016 WGC Cadillac Championship Predictions, Picks | Trump National Doral
| Top Players | Remarks |
| Dustin Johnson | In his last four starts at the Cadillac, Johnson finished second in 2011 and tied for fourth in 2014 at the redesigned track, and stepped up yet again last season firing three rounds in the 60s culminating in the title. He is clearly a win candidate at the revamped Doral where his length will come into play. Johnson can be predicted as a logical win pick this week at the WGC-Cadillac Championship as the defending champion coming in off a fourth place finish in his last start. |
| Patrick Reed | Reed is an interesting choice but logical nonetheless. He won the Cadillac Championship two years ago and will be on the short list. The interesting part is if you look at his season to date be seems to be on a top-10 then poor performance cycle if you toss the WD. If you go back to December, he finished second at the Hero, second at the Hyundai, and tied for sixth at Pebble Beach. He missed the cut at the Honda this last week and comes to a course that he shown success. He is a candidate if on form. |
| Sleeper | Remarks |
| Russell Knox | Keep in mind that the idea of a true “sleeper” is a bit adjusted based on the requirements in order to make the field for the Cadillac Championship. The concept for this event is more geared towards current standings than name recognition. Knox is 33rd in the world and that will meet the intent. He won his first career event in a WGC event at the HSBC Champions in November. He has a couple of top-30 finishes sandwiched around a couple of cuts but has the swing profile and game that could enjoy the Blue Monster. He has proven that when he is on he can go low and if he finds the form he could land at high number. |
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