The PGA Tour announced today that Trump National Doral’s iconic Blue Monster course, owned by President Donald Trump, will make a triumphant return to its schedule in 2026 as a Signature Event, marking its first appearance since 2016.
The newly established Miami Championship, scheduled for April 30-May 3, 2026, will be the ninth Signature Event on the PGA Tour’s 35-event FedExCup regular season, featuring a $20 million purse and a limited field of the tour’s top golfers.
The Blue Monster, a 7,510-yard par-72 layout known for its punishing design and Miami’s unpredictable winds, hosted PGA Tour events from 1962 to 2016, including the Doral Open and WGC-Cadillac Championship. Its absence followed the Tour’s 2016 decision to move the event to Mexico City after losing title sponsor Cadillac, compounded by political controversy surrounding then-candidate Trump’s campaign rhetoric.
At the time, the PGA Tour cited Trump’s comments as inconsistent with its commitment to inclusivity. However, the 2024 election proved that Trump’s brand of common-sense politics resonated far more with the American public than corporate entities like the PGA Tour had anticipated, prompting a pivot. The Tour has now publicly embraced Trump’s return to power, aligning with the renewed prominence of his brand to bring Doral back to its schedule.
The Miami Championship, yet to secure a title sponsor but expected to do so soon, will feature a no-cut format and award 700 FedExCup points to the winner, joining the ranks of eight other Signature Events: The Sentry, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Mastercard Invitational, RBC Heritage, Truist Championship, the Memorial Tournament, and Travelers Championship.
The event will attract the top 50 players from the prior season’s FedExCup standings, plus qualifiers through the Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5, setting the stage for stars like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Xander Schauffele to compete.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp expressed enthusiasm for the return, stating, “We’re thrilled to bring world-class golf back to one of the sport’s most storied venues. Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster has a rich history with the PGA Tour, and we’re excited to create new memories with the Miami Championship.”
The Blue Monster’s comeback follows its recent use as a LIV Golf venue, hosting events since 2022, with Marc Leishman winning in 2025. The course, part of Trump’s 90-hole Doral resort alongside the Red Tiger, Golden Palm, and Silver Fox layouts, boasts a legacy with 24 victories by 14 World Golf Hall of Famers, including Tiger Woods’ four titles. Adam Scott claimed the last PGA Tour win at Doral in 2016.
President Trump’s influence in golf remains significant, with his Scotland property hosting an event for both the DP World Tour and European senior tour earlier this month. It will also host a 2026 LIV Golf event in Virginia. While his earlier attempts to broker a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund fell short, the Tour’s decision to return to Doral signals a pragmatic shift in its stance toward Trump’s properties.
The Miami Championship will be Florida’s fifth PGA Tour event in 2026, joining the Cognizant Classic, Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players Championship, and Valspar Championship. Positioned between the Masters and PGA Championship, it creates a grueling six-week span of two majors and three Signature tournaments (the only non-Signature event during this stretch is the team-based Zurich Classic). The move relegates the VidantaWorld Mexico Open to the FedExCup Fall schedule.
The Miami Championship marks both a nostalgic return and a strategic alignment with Trump’s resurgent influence, setting the stage for a blockbuster addition to the PGA Tour’s 2026 season.
