When a sitting president stops mid-press briefing to ask who’s winning on his golf course, you know something special is happening. The 2026 Cadillac Championship brought the PGA Tour back to Trump National Doral after a 10-year absence. Jordan Spieth arrived at the Blue Monster course and wasted no time reminding everyone what he is capable of at his best.
President Donald Trump, stuck in the Oval Office, could only ask about the scores. The moment turned into one of golf’s most talked-about stories of the week. A president, a course he owns, and a golfer he once publicly criticized were suddenly sharing the spotlight.
Trump’s Oval Office reaction said it all
A president who loves golf could not hide his excitement when he heard Spieth’s name near the top of the leaderboard. Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Thursday that he had no time to watch television. He admitted he had been asking aides who was winning at Doral.
Upon learning that Spieth had taken an early lead, Trump replied, “Oh, that’s good. He’s good. Great guy. Good putter to put it mildly, right?” The comment was short but loaded with warmth. Trump then joked that if reporters ended the press session early, he would sneak in a few minutes of Cadillac Championship coverage before getting back to the economy.
The Blue Monster roars back to life
The 2026 Cadillac Championship is a Signature Event carrying a $20 million purse, the fifth of eight on the PGA Tour calendar this season. The Blue Monster course stretches 7,739 yards and has tested the world’s best for over six decades. The winner takes home $3.6 million from the total prize pool.
The course first hosted a PGA Tour event in 1962 and produced champions like Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. Its return to the schedule in 2026 marked the 56th time a Tour event was held at this iconic Miami layout. That is a number very few venues in the world can match.
Spieth’s round 1 was pure magic
Spieth opened with a bogey-free front nine, shooting 5-under 31 to start his week at Doral. The highlight of the round came at the par-5 eighth hole, where he holed out from 53 yards for eagle in a moment that felt like a throwback to his peak years. Two bogeys on the back nine were answered with four birdies to seal a superb scorecard.
He finished at 7-under, one shot behind first-round leader Cameron Young. Spieth said the key was resetting his mindset during the round. He told his caddie, Michael Greller, to treat the back nine as a fresh start and go birdie hunting rather than playing defensively. It worked.
Little-known fact: The name “Doral” is a combination of the names of the club’s original founders. Alfred and Doris Kaskel created the resort in 1962, and the surrounding town eventually took its name from the couple, too.
A history with Trump that runs deep
In 2016, after Spieth’s famous collapse at the Masters, where he blew a five-shot lead on the back nine, Trump publicly called him a choker during a campaign speech. He compared Spieth to Republican nominee Mitt Romney in comments that spread across sports media. It was a sharp moment that neither side forgot quickly.
Trump later reversed course in a big way. After Spieth won the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale, Trump said he was “in with Tiger and Jack.” The president compared Spieth directly to Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in terms of major championship pedigree. That was quite a turnaround from the choker comment just a year earlier.
Spieth’s career makes the praise feel earned
Spieth has won three major championships, claiming the Masters and US Open both in 2015 and then adding the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale. He won the 2015 FedEx Cup and spent 26 weeks as the world’s No. 1-ranked player. He became the second-youngest Masters champion of all time, behind only Tiger Woods.
He turned professional in 2012 and by age 23 had already accumulated nine PGA Tour wins. Spieth needs only the PGA Championship to complete the career Grand Slam. Only the PGA Championship stands between him and golf immortality. That context makes his form at Doral feel like much more than a regular tournament.
Little-known fact: Spieth won the US Junior Amateur Championship in both 2009 and 2011, making him only the second player ever to win the title twice. The first was Tiger Woods.
The Trump connection goes beyond golf
Trump-owned courses also remained part of LIV Golf’s schedule, keeping his properties visible in both PGA Tour and LIV storylines. From the Oval Office, he boasted about having both tours playing his courses in consecutive weeks. No other golf course owner in the world can claim that kind of dual-tour presence in a single month.
Trump also used his Oval Office session to push for a full reunification of PGA Tour and LIV Golf players. He expressed a clear desire to see all the best golfers compete against each other, regardless of which tour they currently play on. His comments came on the same day reports emerged that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund may stop funding LIV Golf beyond 2026.
What comes next for Spieth at Doral
After two rounds of play, Spieth sat at 8-under par, five shots behind runaway leader Cameron Young who reached 13-under. Young had extended his advantage with a second-round 67 to open up a commanding lead on the field. Spieth remained in solid contention and was set to tee off in the penultimate pairing during round three on Saturday.
His position at Doral carries real significance beyond this tournament. Sitting at No. 50 in the world, Spieth needs strong results to secure his spot in the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills. His 10-year exemption from winning at Chambers Bay expired in 2025, meaning he must earn his way back into that field on ranking points alone.
TL;DR
- President Trump praised Jordan Spieth as a “great guy” and a “good putter” after learning Spieth was near the top of the leaderboard at Doral.
- The 2026 Cadillac Championship marked the PGA Tour’s first return to Trump National Doral in 10 years, with a $20 million purse at stake.
- Spieth shot a 7-under 65 in round one, highlighted by an eagle chip-in from 53 yards on the par-5 eighth hole.
- Trump and Spieth have a complicated history dating back to 2016, when Trump publicly called Spieth a choker after his Masters collapse.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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