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The Blue Monster Beckons: Round 2 Tee Times Set at the Cadillac Championship

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Golf Colors
·3 min read
The Blue Monster Beckons: Round 2 Tee Times Set at the Cadillac Championship

Return to the Blue Monster

There's something about Trump National Doral that makes you stand a little taller on the first tee. The Blue Monster—that legendary Dick Wilson design, reimagined by Gil Hanse in 2014—has a way of demanding your respect before you've even taken the club back. And as the field prepares for Friday's second round of the 2026 Cadillac Championship, there's electricity in the South Florida air.

I've walked these fairways during tournament weeks, felt the humidity cling to my skin as the afternoon shadows stretch across those famously intimidating water carries. This is a course that separates the technically brilliant from the mentally fragile. And this week, with a Signature Event title on the line, the Blue Monster is hungry.

Justin Rose: A Familiar Stage

When Justin Rose steps onto the 10th tee at 2:15 p.m. ET on Friday alongside Adam Scott, he'll be walking ground he's conquered before. His 2012 WGC-Cadillac Championship victory here remains one of the defining performances of his career—a week when everything clicked against a world-class field.

Rose arrives at Doral in fine form. His 2026 Farmers Insurance Open triumph in January marked the 13th PGA Tour victory of his distinguished career, and a T3 finish at the Masters in April confirmed that the Englishman's game is sharp heading into the season's middle stretch.

What makes this week particularly intriguing is the equipment change. Rose announced a new club sponsorship with McLaren Golf, and he's putting their irons into play for the first time at Doral. There's always risk in debuting new clubs during a Signature Event, but Rose has never been one to shy away from calculated gambles. The Blue Monster will tell us quickly whether the partnership is a winner.

The second round tee sheet reads like a who's who of professional golf. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Alex Fitzpatrick will be among those Rose needs to chase down—or hold off—by Friday evening.

Some notable groupings for Round 2:

  • 9:00 a.m. ET: Max Homa, Max Greyserman
  • 10:05 a.m. ET: Alex Fitzpatrick, Nico Echavarria
  • 10:35 a.m. ET: Andrew Novak, Sam Burns
  • 10:50 a.m. ET: Chris Gotterup, Hideki Matsuyama
  • 11:00 a.m. ET: Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland
  • 11:10 a.m. ET: Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler
  • 11:20 a.m. ET: Keegan Bradley, Shane Lowry
  • 2:15 p.m. ET: Justin Rose, Adam Scott

That Rose-Scott pairing is worth the price of admission alone. Two major champions, two silky swings, two players who understand what it takes to win at the highest level. When they walk off the 18th green Friday evening, we'll have a much clearer picture of who's truly in contention.

How to Watch

For those of us who can't be walking inside the ropes at Doral, Friday's coverage offers plenty of ways to follow the action. Golf Channel picks up live coverage from 3-7 p.m. ET, capturing the dramatic conclusion of the second round. But the real treat for dedicated fans is PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, which begins exclusive streaming coverage at 8:30 a.m. ET with featured group and featured hole coverage throughout the day.

There's nothing quite like watching the Blue Monster extract its toll on a full field. Those back nine water hazards have a way of turning comfortable leads into scrambling pars—or worse.

The Takeaway

The 2026 Cadillac Championship is shaping up to be a proper test of championship golf. Justin Rose's pursuit of a second Blue Monster title adds narrative weight to an already stacked field, and his new McLaren equipment introduces an element of unpredictability. With Scottie Scheffler, Alex Fitzpatrick, and a cast of major champions lurking, Friday's second round promises to be must-watch golf. The Blue Monster is awake, and she's not finished with this field yet.