4 choose our favorite expert

Welcome to our weekly PGA Tour betting tips column, featuring picks from GOLF.com’s expert prognosticator, Brady Kannon. A seasoned golf bettor and commentator, Kannon is a host and frequent guest on SportsGrid, a syndicated audio network dedicated to sports and sports betting, and is a golf betting analyst for CBS Sportsline. You can follow Brady on Twitter at @LasVegasGolferand you can read his picks below for the 2026 Cadillac Championship, which starts Thursday in Miami.

It’s great to be back at the Blue Monster at Trump Doral. For the first time in 10 years, the PGA Tour is returning to South Florida for what used to be the heart of the circuit, which dates back to 1962 and was then known as the Doral Open, the Ford Championship, and most recently, the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

Trump National Doral was originally designed by Dick Wilson but received the renovation treatment of Gil Hanse in 2014 and now it is truly a “beast” and is about 7,800 yards and plays on a par 72. The fairways are on the wide side, the greens are large areas, more than half of the 18 holes include water hazards, there are near golf hazards, and the golf bullfly is wall to wall Bermudagrass.

The truth is, this is not all a bed of roses, in my opinion. It was earlier this month that we just finished the first major tournament of the season. We then went to Airport City for the Signature Event and then to New Orleans last week for the Zurich Classic. Okay, okay. No problem. But now we have another Signature Event at Doral, followed by another at Quail Hollow (Truist Championship), and then on to Aronimink for the second major of the season, the PGA Championship.

It’s no surprise that Matt Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and others skipped this week on Tour and it’s possible that many will skip next week as well in preparation for another major tournament. These will be the fourth, fifth, and sixth Signature Events of the season and two majors all strung together over six weeks on the PGA Tour calendar. I love the fact that the guys are back in Doral but something needs to be fixed here to avoid this high profile event happening within such a small window.

We go ahead – and try to cash the tickets, because that’s what we’re here for.

Since we haven’t been to Doral in 10 years, the handicap may be a little gray, but we know that Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and the closer you get the bigger it gets. Driving distance isn’t a requirement but it doesn’t hurt if you’re trying to tackle 7,700+ yards. Long iron play will be important as most approach shots, including par 3s, will measure 200 yards or more. Finally, let’s not forget Scrambling. The greens are big but hitting them fair will be a challenge, so getting up and down to save value will be the difference. Driving Perfection, Ball Hitting, and Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) is also a good skill set to include in a handicap.

Let’s also be clear that this is a limited field of only 72 players and there is no cutoff for 36 holes (which, in addition to other scheduling issues, is another problem I have with many Signature Events).

It is interesting to note that the last winners here were Masters champions, Adam Scott in 2016, Dustin Johnson in 2015, Patrick Reed in 2014, and Tiger Woods in 2013. Tiger has won here seven times in total. Two-time Masters runner-up Justin Rose won at Doral in 2012. Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson finished second at Doral.

Besides Augusta National, I also looked at Quail Hollow (Tournament of Trust), Torrey Pines (Farmers Insurance Open), and Bay Hill (Arnold Palmer Invitational) as related courses. I also used the big boy venues that we have seen host recent major tournaments, Royal Portrush, Oakmont, Valhalla, and Los Angeles Country Club. Note that Gil Hanse also did major renovations at LACC and Oakmont.

Scottie Scheffler (+325)

This is my maiden Scheffler trip in 2026 but I think this is the time. In the absence of Rory, Xander, etc., Scheffler is clearly the best player in the field and this golf course should suit his game very well – in terms of Total Driving, long iron approach, and Scrambling. And while Scheffler’s game may have taken a bit of a hit earlier this season, he has finished second in his last two appearances. Won at Bay Hill twice, Portrush once, Quail Hollow once, and Augusta twice. It would be hard to swallow such a short price but this seems like the right time to do so.

Sam Burns (30-1)

Burns has been trending well as of late and has recently seen a top-10 finish at the Masters and a top-10 finish at the US Open at Oakmont last year. His last four starts on Tour have resulted in finishes of 13-21-7-16 and in each, he’s found strokes on the fairway with his approach and putter. He has an off-the-tee game to handle the Monster. If the performance game is always right, the time can be right.

Viktor Hovland (35-1)

Hovland finished third at the PGA Championship at Valhalla, third at the US Open at Oakmont, and third at Quail Hollow, and tied for second at Torrey Pines and Bay Hill. I will add this to the Total Driving and long iron game, a few places where he is one of the best. His short game has improved as he is ranked 51st on the Tour in Scrambling and 83rd on the Tour in SG: Putting. Hovland finished first on Sunday at the Masters and then held the lead for two rounds at the RBC Heritage. He has what it takes here if he can find that groove in all four days.

Harris English (45-1)

The best year of his career was last year when he won at Torrey Pines and finished second at Royal Portrush and Quail Hollow. English also finished second at Bay Hill in the past and was eighth in the LACC at the 2023 US Open. He hasn’t reached those levels yet this season, but his last three games have resulted in a 21-30-4 finish, including a fourth-place finish three weeks ago at Harbor Town. He is ranked 35th on Tour in SG: Off the Tee, eighth in SG: Putting, and 17th in Scrambling. He also has long iron chops, ranking 33rd on the Tour in Hole Proximity from 200-225 yards and 14th from 150-175 yards. English is ranked 27th on the Tour in Total Driving.