The best golfers in the world will make their way to Miami, Florida and the Doral Golf Resort this week for the World Golf Championships – Cadillac Championship. The first of the year’s four World Golf Championships has a limited field made up of the world’s best players and there will be plenty of cash up for grabs with a $9.5 million purse.
Event Details
Event: World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship
Category: PGA
Date: March 3-6
Location: Doral Golf Resort, Miami, Florida
First held in 1999 and known as the American Express Championship, the Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship has undergone some extensive changes over the years as an event that visited Spain, Ireland and England. Now it has been given a permanent home at Doral (since 2007). This year it will be Dustin Johnson who will defend his crown as the defending champion and one of the betting favorites at +1050 odds.
Past Five Winners
2015 – Dustin Johnson -9
2014 – Patrick Reed -4
2013 – Tiger Woods -19
2012 – Justin Rose -16
2011 – Nick Watney -16
What To Know About The Course
Doral has been one of the most popular courses on the PGA Tour since it first hosted the Doral Open in 1962. The TPC Blue Monster has been a lot more difficult to navigate since it was reworked prior to the 2014 tournament and it shows when you compare the winning scores for the last two event winners compared to the previous three. The wind-affected Bermuda course will challenge the top golfers in the world with Greens In Regulation among the key stats to keep an eye on. Johnson ranked first in Greens In Regulation when he won this event a year ago and it will be just as important this time around. At 7,500 yards long, Doral is also a course where length has always been an asset. Last year’s first three home ranked first, second and third in Driving Distance and there is no doubt it will factor again heavily this week.
The Field
Johnson is the defending champion but at +1050 odds he ranks behind Rory McIlroy at +805 and Bubba Watson at +1050 among the betting favorites for the Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. The Honda Classic winner and new world No. 1 Adam Scott is listed at +1050 as well. It’s telling that Jordan Spieth can be found further down the list at +1400 according to some sportsbooks. Spieth struggled at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am before a missed cut at the Northern Trust Open but it is never easy to completely overlook him. Patrick Reed is certainly an intriguing play worth noting as well based on his form at this tournament as he is listed as a long shot to win at +2550 odds.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Bubba Watson over Rory McIlroy
The fact that McIlroy placed 20th at the Northern Trust Open and then missed the cut at The Honda Classic hasn’t scared the sportsbooks away from making him the betting favorite to win this week. McIlroy has the length to contend here and has finished inside the top-10 in four of the last five years but his recent form suggests he could struggle to continue that trend this weekend. Meanwhile, Watson is a big hitter that has finished inside the top-three at this tournament in three of the last four years. This course suits him perfectly and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is at or near the top of the leaderboard at the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Sunday.
Top Five Prediction: Patrick Reed
The 2014 winner is listed at +2550 odds to win this tournament outright and while he will be in tough against a loaded field of competitors there is a very good chance he finds a way to remain in contention. Reed has the length to succeed and he has proven that he can win at this course in the past. The 25-year-old followed up a sixth-place finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a missed cut at The Honda Classic but he should be motivated to get back on track with a strong performance this weekend.
Top 10 Odds To Win World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship
Rory McIlroy +805
Jordan Spieth +1015
Jason Day +1050
Dustin Johnson +1050
Bubba Watson +1050
Adam Scott +1050
Rickie Fowler +1550
Justin Rose +2250
Henrik Stenson +2250
Patrick Reed +2550
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