Sports
Several marquee names skipping PGA's return to Trump National Doral
Rory McIlroy tees off on the fourth hole during the third round of the 2026 Masters. Credit: Grace Smith-Imagn Images The PGA Tour is making its return to Trump National Doral following a 10-year hiatus this week, but even a signature event’s $20 million purse at the famous “Blue Monster” wasn’t enough to prevent several marquee names from opting out.
The Cadillac Championship is the fifth of eight signature events this season, featuring a $3.6 million winner’s check. The field is limited to only 72 players and without a cut, meaning every competitor is guaranteed at least $36,000.
However, it also comes three weeks after the Masters and two weeks after the fourth signature event at the RBC Heritage. Another signature event is on tap at next week’s Truist Championship, which is followed by the second major of the year at the PGA Championship.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy is skipping his second consecutive signature event since repeating at the Masters. No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick, who played the Masters before winning the RBC Heritage and last week’s Zurich Classic, is also taking the week off.
So, too, are No. 9 Xander Schauffele, No. 12 Robert MacIntyre and No. 14 Ludvig Aberg.
Fifth-ranked Justin Rose will be on hand to tackle the Blue Monster, where he won in 2012. But that only comes after skipping the RBC Heritage following a tie for third at the Masters, where he held the lead on the back nine on Sunday.
Despite the massive purses and elevated FedEx Cup points on the line, the string of three signature events and two majors in a six-week span is forcing players to make some tough scheduling decisions.
“I looked at this period coming up and I think something had to give, for sure,” Rose said. ” … I felt like I knew what was coming, I knew what a big run of events were coming, obviously with PGA Championship being on the back of (these) three.
“When you’re having to miss great events to prepare for other great events, it’s not ideal. Obviously this event was added late in I guess the structure of the sort of elevated event structure that we had. This is obviously a new edition, so it had to fall somewhere.”
The makeup of the 2027 PGA Tour schedule and beyond has been an ongoing topic of discussion. After rumors of a massively revamped schedule began circulating earlier this year, the expectation is now for a first iteration of changes in 2027 followed by more in the following year.
The consensus seems to be that while the elevated purses are attractive — and difficult to walk away from — there are only so many events players can commit to over a short span. Adam Scott, who won the most recent PGA Tour event at Doral in 2016, said this year is stacking up as an exception rather than a new normal for the schedule.
The Cadillac Championship wasn’t announced as an addition to the 2026 schedule until last August.
“Ideally, this wouldn’t be the way,” Scott acknowledged. “It’s one event we’re talking about, so it makes that much of a difference adding one, it makes that much of a difference taking one away. I think we’ve got to get through this year and hopefully the schedule looks a little more balanced next year.”
Rose was asked what he believes the impact will be if a future schedule features fewer events that are all on an equal level.
“What the PGA Tour’s trying to do is create the best possible product and the best possible tournaments in the most appealing time of the year,” Rose said. “The players go, ‘That’s my job, this is the season, this is time to knuckle down and get down to business.’
“If that means that that flow of events suits you, then that’s what you have to commit to, to kind of give your best performance on the best courses or the courses that suit you the best, in order to accumulate the right amount of points to win the Fed(Ex) Cup. That’s the goal.
“Everybody’s going to have a slightly different recipe of how that’s done”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alex Fitzpatrick: Whirlwind launch to PGA Tour 'doesn't feel real'
Apr 26, 2026; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Alex Fitzpatrick walks on the green on hole 18 during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Alex Fitzpatrick is still adjusting to a major life change that “doesn’t feel real” after the Englishman officially joined the PGA Tour coming off an emotional victory alongside his brother, Matt, in last week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
“I sat down with my caddie on Monday morning, we had breakfast together, and we looked at some of the events and it was like, wow, this is crazy, this doesn’t feel real,” Fitzpatrick told reporters at Tuesday’s press conference for this week’s 2026 Cadillac Championship. “And even walking on to the range yesterday morning was, yesterday afternoon, was like, it feels weird to be here. This is something I’m not used to.”
Fitzpatrick turned professional in 2022 after his collegiate career at Wake Forest, he secured his first major individual professional victory at the 2023 British Challenge.
Currently ranked 140th in the Official World Golf Ranking, the 27-year-old won his maiden DP World Tour title at the Hero Indian Open in March.
His win at Zurich in the two-man team event with his brother earned him full status as a PGA Tour member through the 2028 season, including entry into the remaining 2026 Signature Events, the 2026 PGA Championship and the 2027 The Players Championship, bringing a sense of security Fitzpatrick acknowledged Tuesday.
“There’s a lot of stress with this game, it can really bring you down to earth at any time,” he said. “So being able to kind of plan my schedule and figure out where I’m going to be is amazing and, yeah, it definitely takes a lot off your plate, that’s for sure.”
Despite the stability his PGA Tour membership offers, Fitzpatrick said he’s still awed by some of the changes it involves.
“I don’t have a clue what’s going on, I’m not going to lie to you,” he said, “… playing against the best players of the world all of a sudden and even like the purses are obviously much bigger.”
But Fitzpatrick expressed confidence that his game is ready even if his mindset is still adjusting.
“I feel like my game is in a good shape. I feel like I played really nicely last week and over the past couple months my game’s improved a lot. So hopefully I can kind of continue the form and see where that takes me this week,” Fitzpatrick said.
“But, yeah, I have no expectations. Especially this week I think it’s going to be a whirlwind and my head’s going to be everywhere, but hopefully that calms down after this week and I kind of settle in, hopefully settle in nicely.”
The 2026 Cadillac Championship, the fifth of eight Signature Events this season, kicks off Thursday at the Trump National Doral (Blue Monster) in Miami, Fla.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Golf Glance: PGA Tour returns to Trump National Doral; Champions hit 2nd major
Apr 18, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Scottie Scheffler drives the ball on the third hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images The PGA Tour returns to Trump National Doral following a 10-year hiatus for a signature event, the LPGA Tour is in Mexico and the Champions hit their second major of the year.
PGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: Cadillac Championship, Miami, April 30-May 3
Course: Trump National Doral, Blue Monster (Par 72, 7,739 Yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $3.6M)
Defending Champion: Inaugural Event
FedEx Cup Leader: Matt Fitzpatrick
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: Noon-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @Cadillac_Champ
NOTES: The PGA Tour returns to Miami for the first time in 10 years, with LIV Golf having held events at the Donald Trump-owned Doral from 2022-25. While the tour held an event at the Blue Monster from 1962-2016, the Cadillac Championship is a new tournament and will not carry the years of previous tour events. … This is the fifth of eight signature events this season. However, world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick and No. 9 Xander Schauffele are not playing this week. The 72-player field does include 37 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. … Five players are in the field via the Aon Swing 5: Ricky Castillo, David Lipsky, Matt Wallace, Alex Smalley and Chandler Blanchet. … The most recent PGA Tour event at Doral in 2016 was won by Adam Scott, who is in this week’s field. … Alex Fitzpatrick will make his first start as a PGA Tour member following last week’s win in New Orleans. … Joel Dahmen will make his second signature event start of the season. Other sponsor exemptions include Max Greyserman, Max Homa and Keith Mitchell.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+320 at DraftKings) is coming off a runner-up at the RBC Heritage and has 29 consecutive top-25 finishes on tour. … Cameron Young (+1300) has a win at The Players among his three top-three finishes in his past four starts. … Collin Morikawa (+2000) has five consecutive top-10 finishes. … Tommy Fleetwood (+2400) is looking to rebound from a T33 at the Masters followed by a T52 at the RBC Heritage. … Justin Rose (+3900) won the 2012 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral and is coming off a T3 at the Masters. … Jacob Bridgeman (+4300) won the Genesis earlier this year and posted a T5 at The Players while reaching as high as No. 17 in the world rankings.
Last Tournament: Zurich Classic of New Orleans (Alex Fitzpatrick, Matt Fitzpatrick)
Next Tournament: Truist Championship, Charlotte, May 7-10
LPGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: Mexico Riviera Maya Open, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, April 30-May 3
Course: El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba (Par 72, 6,583 Yards)
Purse: $2.5M (Winner: $375,000)
Defending Champion: Chizzy Iwai
Race to CME Globe Leader: Nelly Korda
HOW TO FOLLOW:
TV: Thursday-Friday: 10-12 p.m. ET; Saturday: 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Streaming: Thursday-Friday: 12-1 p.m. ET; Saturday: 4:30-5:30; Sunday: 12-1 p.m. (GolfChannel.com)
X: @LPGA
NOTES: Iwai won by six strokes in last year’s inaugural event for her first LPGA Tour victory. … Korda has two wins and three runner-ups while playing in the final group of all five of her events so far this season. She is the only player in the top-10 of the world rankings in this week’s field.
Last Tournament: The Chevron Championship (Korda)
Next Tournament: Mizuho Americas Open, West Caldwell, N.J., May 7-10
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
THIS WEEK: Regions Traditions, Birmingham, Ala., April 30-May 3
Course: Greystone G&CC (Par 72, 7,249 Yards)
Purse: $2.6M (Winner: $390,000)
Defending Champion: Angel Cabrera
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart Cink
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 12-2:30 p.m. ET; Saturday: 2:30-3 p.m.; Sunday: 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: This is the second major of the Champions season and has been held in Alabama since 2011. … Three-time event champion Steve Stricker and Mark Hensby withdrew and were replaced by Billy Andrade and Shane Bertsch. … Former LIV Golf member Pat Perez is not eligible for the event since it is run by the PGA Tour. Perez is serving a one-year suspension from PGA Tour events.
Last Tournament: Mitsubishi Electric Classic (Retief Goosen)
Next Tournament: Insperity Invitational, The Woodlands, Texas, May 8-10
DP WORLD TOUR
THIS WEEK: Turkish Airlines Open, Belek, Antalya, April 30-May 3
Course: National GC (Par 72, 7,287 Yards)
Purse: $2.75M (Winner: $458,333)
Defending Champion: Martin Couvra
Race to Dubai Leader: Patrick Reed
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 6-10 a.m. ET; Saturday: 6:30-11 a.m.; Sunday: 6-11 a.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @DPWorldTour
NOTES: Turkey’s national open is the final event of the four-tournament 2026 Asian Swing. The player with the most points at the end of each Swing earns a $200,000 bonus, while the top three points finishers will earn spots in next month’s PGA Championship. Jordan Gumberg currently leads the Asian Swing Rankings, followed by Alex Fitzpatrick, who earned his PGA Tour card last week, and Bernd Wiesberger … The first player who breaks Bernd Ritthammer’s course record of 6-under 66 set in 2014 will earn a $40,000 bonus. … The 156-player field includes players from 32 different countries.
Last Tournament: China Open (Wiesberger)
Next Tournament: Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, Barcelona, May 7-10
LIV GOLF LEAGUE
THIS WEEK: OFF.
2026 Season Leaders: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: Ripper GC
Last Event: LIV Golf Mexico City (Individual: Rahm; Team: Legion XIII)
Next Event: Trump National DC, May 7-10
–Field Level Media
Sports
LIV Golf officially postpones New Orleans event from June
Apr 6, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; The LIV Golf logo is on display along the 10th hole during the second round of LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images LIV Golf and the state of Louisiana have postponed the league’s golf event in New Orleans that was slated for June but left the door open for a different version of the tournament later this year.
The official announcement Tuesday came one day after reports emerged that LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil and Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development Susan Bourgeois agreed to postpone the event in the wake of reports that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was preparing to pull funding from LIV.
“Secretary Bourgeois spoke with LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil on Friday and was informed that the organization seeks to postpone its June 2026 event in New Orleans to explore a potential event this fall,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement Tuesday.
Landry’s statement confirmed Monday’s reports that Louisiana has so far paid $3.2 million of a $7 million agreement. LIV “is expected to return all state incentive funds” totaling $1.2 million; the other $2 million was spent on improvements to the golf course, Bayou Oaks in City Park.
“We appreciate LIV’s good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year,” Landry said. “We are grateful for the work of our local partners and the collaboration that supported this effort.”
LIV Golf Louisiana was slated for June 25-28, and in the near term, its postponement leaves a gap on the 2026 schedule between LIV Golf Andalucia in Spain (June 4-7) and LIV Golf UK (July 23-26).
It also marks the first canceled or postponed tournament since it was reported earlier this month that the Saudi Arabia PIF planned to end its funding for the league it helped launch in 2022.
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil had promised employees in an email that the league was safe and the current season would go “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.”
NOLA.com reported Monday that LIV was exploring a smaller, “exposition-style” event in New Orleans in the fall. The league’s team championship in late August is the last event currently scheduled, with the LIV Golf Louisiana event now listed at the bottom of the website’s schedule page without a date.
Field Level Media has reached out to LIV Golf for comment.
–Field Level Media
Alex Fitzpatrick: Whirlwind launch to PGA Tour 'doesn't feel real'
Golf Glance: PGA Tour returns to Trump National Doral; Champions hit 2nd major
