Good news – we hit another winner last week. Even better news? We broke the dreaded Golf Digest Expert Panel Headline Curse, as we called our shot with the Fitzpatrick bros. Bad news? There is no bad news.
Special shoutout to Ryan Noonan, who was the only member of the panel to select the red-hot Fitzpatricks and picked up his second win of 2026. Ryan has proven to be an excellent addition to the squad. Now the rest of us have to pick up the slack, starting this week at Doral, an old friend of the PGA Tour schedule. It’s long. It’s hard. It’s water-logged. It’s Florida.
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The Golf Digest betting panel is comprised of Pat Mayo of Underdog/Mayo Media Network, Andy Lack of the Inside Sports Network, Ryan Noonan of Betsperts, your two authors and Keith Stewart, the CEO of Read The Line.
Scroll down for our complete betting analysis of the 2026 Cadillac Championship:
Cadillac Championship picks 2026: Our Experts’ Outright Predictions
Pat Mayo, Underdog/Fantasy National, Mayo Media Network analyst: Hideki Matsuyama (31-1, DraftKings) — Hideki’s number has drifted enough where gambling on his driver being any good is worth it. His approach play remains elite, he’s still one of the best in the world around the greens (especially off tight surfaces), and his putter has been remarkably good in 2026. As a bonus, he’s third in the field in approach inside 15 feet from 200-plus yards, an approach bucket which is over indexed this week. Just pray he stays dry off the tee.
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Keith Stewart, PGA, Read The Line: Collin Morikawa (20-1, Bet365) — The first player I looked for on property at Trump National Doral was Collin Morikawa. Since returning from his Players WD, Morikawa has finished T-7 and T-4. Is Collin healthy? Not only did he swing beautifully, but his driver speed looked fast, much quicker than in his last two starts. If you need one player to hit a 200-yard approach, I’m picking Morikawa. If Morikawa was contending with injury concerns, imagine how confident he will be swinging now that he feels good.
Ryan Noonan, Content Manager 4for4/Betsperts: Cameron Young (+1250, DraftKings) — Young’s game is built for venues like this. He leads the PGA Tour in Total Driving, mixing distance and accuracy, which is a key metric for me this week. Young also ranks among the top 10 in nearly every other category for me this week. Long courses with difficult scoring conditions. Difficult to gain off the tee and hit fairways. 200-plus yard approach shots when it’s difficult to gain on approach. All of it. Another key handicapping element for me this week is performance on and around the green on Bermuda grass. We’ve made it through “overseed” season, with Doral being the first true Bermuda grass test on the 2026 calendar. And if you’ve never played on Bermuda, it’s different, and the splits are worth exploring. Dating back to the start of 2025, Young ranks third in SG/Short game on Bermuda, gaining 1.22 strokes per round on the field. There’s a lot to like here.
Stephen Hennessey, Golf Digest managing editor: Cameron Young (+1250, DraftKings) — The Players champion continues to be on an absolute tear: In his past five starts, all majors or signature events, he’s gained more than 45 strokes to the field. He’s top 10 in distance and an elite scrambler—all the components to contend for another win in Florida.
Christopher Powers, Golf Digest senior writer: Russell Henley (28-1, Bet365) — Put this man in Florida and watch him go. In his last five starts in the Sunshine State, dating back to the 2025 Cognizant, Henley has gone T-6, WIN, T-30, T-6, T-13. A Damn Good Georgia Bulldog who loves Gator Country. And while Doral is a little long for a short hitter like Henley, his accuracy off the tee will be rewarded. How fitting would it be to end my cold streak with the guy I last won with? Russ Henley Country, Let’s Ride.
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Andy Lack, Inside Sports Network: Tommy Fleetwood (33-1, BetOnline) — This is purely a number play for me. I know that Tommy Fleetwood was disappointing at the RBC Heritage, but he just had one bad round on Thursday, and he shot 10 under through the rest of the tournament. Fleetwood has an incredible resume on Bermuda golf courses, and his lone win on the PGA Tour last year came on the bomber-friendly, Bermuda head-to-toe, East Lake.
Past results: We have our third winner of 2026, with Ryan Noonan hitting his second outright as a member of the panel, correctly the Fitzpatrick brothers’ win at 12-1 to go with his Nico Echavarria 60-1 hit at the Cognizant Classic. Our third win, also a 60-1 cash, belongs to Stephen Hennessey, who nailed Justin Rose’s Farmers triumph.
Cadillac Championship picks 2026: Sleepers/Dark Horses Who Could Win
Mayo: J.J. Spaun (60-1, Caesars Sportsbook) — Frankly, there’s very little difference between his form now than when he won a month ago. It’s all about flipping his putter. He was able to do it in San Antonio and has been unable to since. Still, he’s first in the field in approach over the past two months and sits top 20 in driving. These are the type of longshots you want to take. If he doesn’t putt, he’ll be near the bottom of the leaderboard, which is the same outcome as a T-3.
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Stewart: Keegan Bradley (61-1, DraftKings) — Keegan Bradley is one of the best mid-to-long-iron players in the field. With the number of approaches around 200 yards during each round, Doral is playing right into the best part of Bradley’s game. A Southeast Florida resident, I don’t worry about the Bermudagrass or the short game. Twelfth at the RBC Heritage, Keegan has two top-eight finishes on the Blue Course in four starts. Bradley’s ball-striking is solid in the wind, which is another characteristic I’m focusing on this week.
Noonan: Gary Woodland (72-1, DraftKings) — The strong Harbour Town (T-8) finish just shows me that he’s building confidence because that’s certainly not a venue that suits his game well—he’d never even sniffed a top 20 there in four previous starts. Woodland has gained an average of 1.11 strokes ball-striking over the past 20 rounds, and of the six other players who have gained 1.1 or more in that time frame, Woodland’s 0.60 strokes gained putting is the best of the bunch.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Gary Woodland (72-1, DraftKings) — Woodland’s length will be a huge asset at Doral, and especially given he won in the last month in Houston where distance was a separator, he should continue his great play here.
Powers, Golf Digest: Shane Lowry (65-1, Caesars Sportsbook) — Like my pick to win, Russell Henley, Lowry is probably one of the few guys in this field thrilled that the tour is randomly headed back to Florida. This week is the Cog 2.0, a tournament Lowry had in his grasp before a few brutal swings down the stretch. This is a perfect chance to avenge that L and pick up some much-needed confidence heading into the meat of the season. Plus, after the post-Cog swoon, Lowry has quietly rounded back into form. The Irishman was two back after 54 holes at Augusta National before a shocking Sunday 80. That round, plus the MC alongside Koepka at Zurich, has given us quite the discount on this Florida demon.
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Lack: Sepp Straka (65-1, BetOnline) — Sepp Straka was right in the mix at the RBC Heritage through three rounds before a disastrous Sunday derailed him. Still, Straka has the exact ball-striking profile that I am looking for, as well as some great finishes at a few of the comparative courses I am looking at, including Bay Hill, Oak Hill, and TPC Southwind.
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Cadillac Championship picks 2026: Players We’re Fading
Mayo: Jake Knapp (29-1, DraftKings) — Good player. Just can’t fathom betting this price.
Stewart: Russell Henley (28-1, Bet365) — What has happened to Russell Henley’s approach game? One of the most reliable accuracy mavens on tour, Henley seems to have lost his proximity control. Russell has lost strokes with his irons against the field in five of his last seven starts. I know Henley has still managed some decent results, but with that level of inconsistency on approach, I don’t think he is winning on the Blue Monster.
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Noonan: Justin Rose (33-1, BetRivers) — I’m sure McLaren’s clubs are excellent. They aren’t in the business of making average or below-average products. And I’m sure Rosey has been practicing with them for months to get comfortable with them, but tournament play is a whole different animal. I’m going to sit this one out and see how it goes.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Min Woo Lee (24-1, Caesars Sportsbook) — Min Woo was red-hot up through Houston, and perhaps another venue where he can use his length as an advantage will be a good get-right spot, but at this price there are other more tempting players.
Powers, Golf Digest: Justin Rose (33-1, BetRivers) — Noonan nailed it. Don’t have to add much else. First tournament with new clubs … made by a car manufacturer. Pass.
Lack: Sam Burns (25-1, Bet365) — While Sam Burns’ Bermuda resume is intriguing me, I’m just not sure if I trust his ball-striking on a tee-to-green course that is so demanding. Putting has historically not moved the leaderboard at all at Doral, and I would much rather deploy Burns on courses where the flat stick is more heavily valued.
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Cadillac Championship picks 2026: Matchups
Mayo: Akshay Bhatia (+100) over Min Woo Lee (Coolbet) — On paper, any bomber track should favor Min Woo. Except ones with a ton of water around the grounds.
Stewart: Sam Burns (-110) over Jake Knapp (Bet365) — Jake Knapp had an awful week with the putter in Hilton Head. I doubt that trend will continue, but Knapp also looked off on the practice range at Doral. He has been on an incredible run for four months. If Jake is starting to slide, now is the time to grab a quick H2H against him. Sam Burns is coming off four straight top-21 results. Burns’ trend is one to take advantage of, even odds in a matchup where the recent form is far from equal.
Noonan: Rickie Fowler (-110) over Ben Griffin (BetOnline) — Fowler modeled very well for me at Betsperts Golf this week, and while I don’t have the appetite for an outright win pick, I want to find a way to lean on his solid recent form. He’s been very good on long courses over the past calendar year, and I’m sure he’s motivated after not qualifying for this year’s Masters. This is a good spot for him in DFS, too.
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Hennessey, Golf Digest: Maverick McNealy (-110) over Adam Scott (Bet365) — McNealy has quietly picked up a ton of distance, ranking 20th in this field, so he’s not giving up a ton there. He’s also a top 10 putter on Bermudagrass over the past 36 rounds, whereas the Aussie is losing strokes on Bermuda.
Powers, Golf Digest: Maverick McNealy (-128) over Justin Rose (DraftKings) — Going to put my money where my mouth is and actually attack Justin Rose and his McLaren clubs this week. He very well could prove me wrong since he’s a world-class player and has no doubt done extensive work with these irons, but Doral just doesn’t feel like the right place to ease into these new sticks. Let’s roll with Mav, who has made nine of his last 10 cuts and has finished no worse than T-32 in that stretch.
Lack: Rickie Fowler (-110) over Ben Griffin (BetOnline) — I think Rickie Fowler is one of the sneakier better plays this week given his recent ball-striking. Fowler is coming off a top-10 finish at the Heritage where he gained over three strokes on approach, and he finished top 10 at Bay Hill earlier this year. Ben Griffin still appears to be struggling from an approach standpoint.
Matchup Results from the Zurich Classic: Stewart: 1 for 1 (Fitzpatrick/Fitzpatrick (-110) over Koepka/Lowry); Powers: 0 for 1; Lack: 0 for 1; Mayo: 0 for 1; Hennessey: 0 for 1
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Matchup Results from the 2026 season (Wins-Losses-Pushes): Stewart: 10-2-2 (up 6.88 units); Powers: 10-5-0 (up 3.91 units); Noonan: 8-5-1 (up 1.75 units); Lack: 7-7-1 (down 1.24 units); Mayo: 6-8-1 (down 1.69 units); Hennessey: 6-9-0 (down 3.6 units)
Cadillac Championship picks 2026: Top 10s
Mayo: Chris Gotterup (+265, DraftKings) — He was pretty lousy at Heritage until he went scorched earth in the final round. Always good when the last time on the course was a massive positive after some terrible play. He’s plenty long, good enough with his irons, and is generally quite good from greenside. Plus, he’s one of, if not, THE best wind player on tour right now. While incredibly difficult, Doral can be lit up with a good round which can mask a lot of mistakes from mediocre days. Something which Gotterup has done a lot in 2026. He’s one of five players to gain five-plus strokes on the field in over 10 percent of his rounds.
Stewart: Justin Rose (+340, FanDuel) — Listening to Justin Rose in his press conference, you could not mistake how confident the Englishman is about his game. A winner in 2026, he returns to a venue that has been very good to his career resume. Ranked third in the field for SG/approach and fifth for SG/tee-to-green, Rose may have switched his equipment, but the work ethic has not changed. Take the 10 places for this horse on Doral’s Blue Course.
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Noonan: Chris Gotterup (+265, DraftKings) — Gotterup has easy distance off the tee, and has shown an ability to flight his ball in different windows, which I like this week in case the wind kicks up. He continues to impress, showing that last year’s improvements are real. Over the past 12 months, no one’s gained strokes off the tee at a higher rate than Chris Gotterup. Gotterup has gained three-plus strokes in ball-striking on long or very long courses in 20.9 percent of his rounds, which is the third-highest rate in this week’s field.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Viktor Hovland (+310, Bet365) — Hovland is still struggling to put four rounds together, as we saw him fade being in the final group on Saturday at the RBC Heritage. But his irons remain at an elite level, and one bad round won’t cost him a top 10 in a smaller field.
Powers, Golf Digest: Ben Griffin (+500, FanDuel) — Benny Booms (are we still calling him that?) has now finished T-33 or better in four straight starts, including a T-10 last week alongside Andrew Novak, after missing three consecutive cuts during the Florida swing. That might keep you away now that we’re back in Florida, but I want to buy low on Griffin before he fully returns to his 2025 form. This is a guy who has 12 top-15 finishes in his last 25 tour starts, and you can get him at 60-1 to win, 5-1 to top 10, in the state he now resides in.
Lack: Daniel Berger (+800, BetOnline) — Daniel Berger finished solo second this year at a long, Florida, Dick Wilson designed course already this year at Bay Hill, and he boasts an incredible resume on Bermuda courses, with two wins at TPC Southwind.
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Top-10 results from the Zurich Classic: Powers: 1 for 1 (Reitan/Ventura +300); Everybody else: 0 for 1
Top-10 results from the 2026 season: Mayo: 5 for 15 (up 11.15 units); Noonan: 4 for 15 (up 2.3 units); Stewart: 4 for 15 (up 0.85 units); Powers: 4 for 15 (up 0.75 units); Lack: 3 for 15 (down 0.65 units); Hennessey: 2 for 15 (down 6.65 units)
About our experts
Pat Mayo is an award-winning video host and producer of long and short-form content, and the host of The Pat Mayo Experience daily talk show. Mayo helped create the golf stats and research website Fantasy National along with the Race for the Mayo Cup One and Done contest. Mayo won the 2022 Fantasy Sports Writing Association Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year and is a finalist for three FSWA Awards in 2023 (Best Podcast, Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year, Golf Writer of the Year). His 27 FSWA nominations lead all writers this decade and are second-most all-time. Follow him on Twitter: @ThePME.
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Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest. Stewart is a co-founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the PGA Tour, LPGA and TGL. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter for the industry’s best betting narratives. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_.
Ryan Noonan is the Betting Content Manager for 4for4 and Betsperts Golf, writing articles and hosting multiple shows under the Betsperts Group umbrella, including Move The Line and our Betsperts Golf Betting Show. Find him on Twitter: @RyNoonan.
Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster from New York City who now resides in Los Angeles. Andy is the founder and CEO of Inside Sports Network, a website devoted to the predictive quality of advanced analytics and golf course architecture. He came to Golf Digest’s betting panel after previously writing for Run Pure Sports, RickRunGood.com, the Score and GolfWRX. In his free time, Andy can likely be found on a golf course. Follow him on Twitter: @adplacksports.