McIlroy Certain Starter In New $20m Event Where He Once Made A ‘Blue Monster’ Splash.

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News that Cadillac is returning as a 2026 tournament sponsor on the PGA Tour rekindled memories of an incident I witnessed first hand just over 10 years ago during the hosting of the WGC – Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral in suburban Miami.

It was a Rory McIlroy splash for all the wrong reasons when his frustration boiled over and he hurled a $200 Nike Vapor 3-iron into the depths of one of the many lakes on the Blue Monster layout at Trump National Doral.

The then World No. 1 ranked McIlroy was playing the eighth hole on day two of the event.

“Felt good at the time,” said McIlroy, who had just pull-hooked his approach shot to the par-5 eighth hole way left and into the water after hitting a super 302-yard drive to put himself in position.

“I don’t feel good about it now. It’s frustrating when you feel your game is close and you keep hitting shots like that in the water, things I rarely do”.

Fair play to Rors as a great majority of golfers could share having probably done the same.  This writer can and more than once (smiling).

Though wait as there’s more as then we witnessed the bizarre sight a day later of the 2017 USA Presidential candidate Donald Trump having first arranged for a diver to collect the club and then in true Trump manner, making a fanfare in returning the club to McIlroy ahead of his third round.

Trump and McIlroy were observed chatting for a few minutes ahead of the future USA President patting McIlroy on the back and returning back outside the ropes.

To his credit McIlroy was very apologetic to all he spoke with over the incident, so much so that that well post the tournament he revealed the initial PGA Tour sanctioned $25,000 fine had been cut to just $5,000 given his forgiving manner.

McIlroy went onto to finish T9th but then three events later he captured the Cadillac Match-Play Championship and among four victories in season 2015.

The week was also notable as I bumped into Gil Hanse and designed of the Craighead Links course at Crail in Scotland and where I have been a proud member now for 25-years.

Moving on and Cadillac’s return as a Tour sponsor is good news as they’ve been a good supporter of golf and this announcement also heralds one of the $20 million signature events in 2026 that s

The Cadillac Championship will be held the first weekend in May on the course once dubbed the “Blue Monster.”

Doral first became part of the PGA Tour schedule in 1962, and it was held each year through 2016 until becoming a World Golf Championship under various names.

Brian Rolapp, the CEO of the PGA Tour, referred to Trump National Doral as a “legacy venue on our schedule.”

“We appreciate the support of Cadillac as we bring a new era of the PGA Tour to our fans in Miami,” Rolapp said in a statement.

Cadillac was the title sponsor of the WGC at Trump National Doral from 2011 through 2016. But the automaker chose not to renew its contract, the PGA Tour could not find a replacement sponsor for Doral in 2016 when President Donald Trump was the presumptive Republican nominee and the WGC event was moved to Mexico City.

Doral is among eight courses that has held a regular PGA Tour event for at least 50 years – the others are Riviera, Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines in California; Colonial (Texas), Waialae (Hawaii), Harbour Town (South Caroline) and Muirfield Village (Ohio).

It returned to the golf landscape in 2022 by hosting a LIV Golf event each of the last four years until returning to the PGA Tour schedule for 2026.

The tour designated Trump National Doral a signature event before it signed Cadillac as the title sponsor.



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