In The Absence Of Rory And Matt Fitz … Can Scottie Tame The ‘Blue Monster’ On Debut?

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In the absence of Rory McIlroy and also Matt Fitzpatrick a big question heading into this week’s Cadillac Championship must be can the game’s current No. 1 ranked golfer in Scottie Scheffler tame the famed ‘Blue Monster’ course on his debut.

Scheffler is making a ninth start of the season and his debut this week at the Trump National Doral course, affectionately known as the Blue Monster.

The Texas enters the week after being relegated into playing second fiddle in his last two PGA Tour starts finishing runner-up in back-to-back starts – the Masters and RBC Heritage.

It’s the first time in Scheffler’s career he’s had to settled for this stat and the winner of 20 PGA Tuor clearly does not look to make it three in a row.

And should Scottie succeed he would become the second player this season to finish runner-up and then win the next week (Matt Fitzpatrick: 2nd/THE PLAYERS Championship, 2on/Valspar Championship).

It’s not been the start to a new season we’ve come to expect from Scheffler with just the one victory in 2026 and that being the American Express all of three months ago in the last week of January.

For the record, Scheffler’s finished T3 or better 45 times in 158 starts on TOUR while he’s won 20 of those to be 2nd (12), and 3rd (13)/

As well, has 29 straight top-25 finishes on TOUR; last finish outside the top 25: 2024 BMW Championship (T33).

The the 2024 FedExCup champion holds the TOUR’s current longest streak of consecutive made cuts and that being 72.

Of note, Alex Fitzpatrick and the younger brother of Matt Fitzpatrick is making his debut at Doral in his first event as a fully exempt PGA Tour champ following last Sunday’s brilliant triumph in New Orleans.

Cadillac Championship notes:

  • Following a 10-year hiatus, the TOUR returns to Miami and the City of Doral for the inaugural Cadillac Championship (the event will not carry the history of previous PGA TOUR events contested at Doral)
  • The Cadillac Championship will mark the 56th playing of a TOUR event at the famed Blue Monster having previously hosted the TOUR consecutively from 1962 to 2016
  • The Blue Monster is one of nine current venues to appear on the 2026 TOUR schedule with more than half a century of history, joining Waialae Country Club, Torrey Pines Golf Course, Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Riviera Country Club, Augusta National Golf Club, Harbour Town Golf Links, Colonial Country Club and Muirfield Village Golf Club
  • Fifth of eight Signature Events of the season and includes 37 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, headlined by seven in the top 10: Scottie Scheffler (No. 1), Cameron Young (No. 4), Justin Rose (No. 5), Collin Morikawa (No. 6), Tommy Fleetwood (No. 7), Rusell Henley (No. 8), J.J. Spaun (No. 10).
  • Of the 72 players in the field at the Cadillac Championship, 18 have played in previous PGA TOUR events held at Trump National Doral, including two players with wins at the venue: Daniel Berger, Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Harris English, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, Russell Henley, David Lipsky, Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, Alex Noren, Justin Rose (2012 WGC-Cadillac Championship winner), Adam Scott (2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship winner), Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jhonattan Vegas, Gary Woodland
  • Additional field features:
    • 45 of the top 50 in the 2026 FedExCup standings, led by No. 2 Scottie Scheffler
    • 57 of the 72 players in the field have won on TOUR, led by Scottie Scheffler (20) and Justin Thomas (16)
    • Sponsor exemptions (4): Joel Dahmen, Max Greyserman, Max Homa, Keith Mitchell

 

 



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