Scheffler Faces Blue Monster Challenge as PGA Tour Returns to Doral
The PGA Tour is back at National Doral Golf Club for the first time in a decade, and Scottie Scheffler is getting his first look at the infamous Blue Monster. The world’s No. 1 player doesn’t need much time to understand what he’s up against this week.
“There’s not really many tricks to this golf course,” Scheffler said. “It’s just very, very difficult. It’s a flat piece of land. There’s just a lot of bunkers, a lot of water and the golf holes are long. So, with that combination, it’s going to be tough.”
Tough indeed. The $20 million Cadillac Championship brings a 72-player signature event to a venue most competitors barely know. The overwhelming majority of players haven’t competed at Doral since the PGA Tour’s last stop here in 2016.
The field includes 10 of the world’s top 15 players. That number would likely be higher if not for the packed schedule – this event sits in the middle of a brutal six-week stretch featuring five signature events or majors between the Masters and PGA Championship.
Notably absent is back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy.
“If I had it my way I would play every single week out here,” Scheffler explained. “But just with the nature of our sport and the demand on our time and everything, it’s not really possible. I have to set up my schedule in certain type of cadence.”
Doral’s history with the PGA Tour dates back to 1962. It hosted a World Golf Championship from 2007 until 2016 when the tour struggled to find a title sponsor. Now, Cadillac has brought professional golf back to the Blue Monster.
Adam Scott won the last PGA Tour event here in 2016, edging Bubba Watson by a single shot.
“Good memories for me,” Scott said. “Obviously winning the last time we were here, but I’ve always enjoyed playing this golf course. It’s a challenge. It’s called the Blue Monster for a reason. It’s a big golf course, very penal. The wind can blow, and that’s the biggest challenge out here.”
Scott is among just 18 players in this week’s field who have competed in PGA Tour events at Doral before. Another is Justin Rose, who claimed the 2012 WGC-Cadillac Championship – also by a single shot over Watson.
Rose remembers the course’s brutality well, particularly the infamous 18th hole. When seeing it again for the first time this week, he jokingly asked his caddie how many balls they still had in the bag.
The finishing hole plays dramatically different depending on wind conditions. Scheffler noted he might be hitting anything from a 4-iron to a wedge for his approach.
“You’re in the lap of the gods there in terms of the lie you get,” Rose said about the challenging 18th. “Just a very narrow tee shot, and then obviously hazards along the way. You’re trying to manage the risk really on that hole. To play it properly you have to stand up and make two great swings.”
