With the Cadillac Championship, the PGA Tour Returns To Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster for the first time since 2016
The PGA Tour has announced that Cadillac will return as a title sponsor, backing the newly minted Cadillac Championship, a Signature Event scheduled for spring at Trump National Doral near Miami in what officials described as a multi-year agreement. The tournament, set for April 27 through May 3, 2026, will be played on Doral’s storied Blue Monster course and televised across CBS and Paramount+, with additional coverage on Golf Channel and the Tour’s in-house platforms, including PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, SiriusXM, and the Tour’s World Feed.
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“We are pleased to welcome back Cadillac, a world-class brand whose partnership with the PGA Tour is synonymous with Trump National Doral, a legacy venue on our schedule,” Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour’s chief executive, said in a statement.
Cadillac’s golf partnership goes back decades
Cadillac’s ties to professional golf, and to Doral in particular, run deep. The automaker became the umbrella sponsor of the World Golf Championships in 2010 and later lent its name to the WGC-Cadillac Championship, a limited-field invitational that was contested at Trump National Doral from 2011 to 2016, reinforcing the venue’s status as one of the Tour’s marquee stops. While the previous incarnation was part of the World Golf Championships series, the 2026 tournament, staged as a Signature Event, carries a $20 million purse.
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Yet Cadillac’s ties to the game stretch back even further. In the 1970s, long before corporate sponsorship became a defining feature of professional golf, Cadillac dealers were already underwriting marquee events like The Masters, with stars such as Arnold Palmer lending their names and their credibility to the brand.
Doral: A South Florida staple
Before Donald Trump bought it in 2012, the property was known as the Doral Resort & Spa, and is well-known for its golf courses, especially the Blue Monster. Not surprisingly, the course earned its moniker from its abundant, strategically placed water hazards built on what was once swampland. The golf club was founded by New York real estate developer Alfred Kaskel, who opened the Doral Hotel and Country Club in 1962 at a cost of $10 million, naming it for himself and his wife, Doris. The Doral Resort & Spa had gone through several owners, including Morgan Stanley, before entering bankruptcy and being acquired by the Trump Organization.
Trump National Doral Miami
The PGA Tour’s 55-year history at Doral ended when it pulled out following the 2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship, when Cadillac ended its sponsorship. Finding a new sponsor proved difficult due to the polarizing political rhetoric of owner Donald Trump. The event was moved to Mexico, angering Trump, who criticized the PGA Tour as “disloyal” and characterizing the Tour as “stupid.” No doubt his opinion will change his tune with the PGA Tour’s return to Doral. “We are excited to welcome Cadillac back – an iconic brand and a longtime friend – for the Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral, one of the most celebrated golf destinations anywhere in the world,” said Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization.
Final thoughts
Other automakers are heavily involved with golf partnerships, including Mercedes-Benz, Genesis, and Honda/Acura. Cadillac has once more rejoined this exclusive corporate fraternity. “The Cadillac Championship builds on our legacy with the PGA Tour while connecting with luxury customers through culturally significant events,” said John Roth, global vice president, Cadillac. Those events include Monterey Car Week and Cadillac’s reinvigorated racing program.
Trump National Doral is one of three Florida properties owned by Donald Trump, two of them clustered in Palm Beach County. It’s an unusually dense footprint that speaks to the intersection of real estate, branding, and geography that’s home to many Cadillac buyers and intenders.
