Cadillac Championship is BACK in Miami! | Dave Mack on PGA Tour’s Return to Doral

Summary

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Tranquilo Sports Talk

Episode: Cadillac Championship is BACK in Miami! | Dave Mack on PGA Tour’s Return to Doral

Date: April 28, 2026
Host: Stay Tranquilo Network
Guest: David Mack

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Episode Overview

This week’s episode celebrates the much-anticipated return of top-level professional golf to Miami, as the PGA Tour’s Cadillac Championship comes back to the famed Blue Monster at Trump National Doral after a decade-long hiatus. Host and Miami native (unnamed in transcript) sits down on-site with David Mack, a key organizer, to unpack the tournament’s history, Miami’s role as an international sports hub, the unique fan and player experience at Doral, and how the event is embracing the vibrant culture of the city. Listeners get inside access to what to expect—on and off the course—during this signature event.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Significance of the Cadillac Championship’s Return to Doral

• Historic Comeback
  • The tournament holds over 55 years of PGA history in Miami (01:52), returning after ten years as a prestigious "signature event" for the world’s top 72 golfers.
  • “The anticipation is massive because this event has 55 years of history on the PGA Tour and we haven’t been back in 10 years.” (David Mack, 01:55)
  • Past champions include Adam Scott, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods (10:06).

2. The Challenge of the Blue Monster Course

• Iconic Difficulty
  • Noted for its toughness, especially in windy conditions.
  • “Jon Rahm once said that when it’s windy, this could be one of the hardest courses in the entire world...” (David Mack, 03:10)
  • The Blue Monster features expanded lakes, long par 3s, and the daunting 677-yard 12th hole (03:29).

3. Miami as a Sports & Cultural Epicenter

• Market Momentum & Diversity

  • Miami is at the center of multiple global events, including the World Cup, Formula 1, and the College Football National Championship (04:36).
  • “They recognize Miami as a can’t-miss market... I think it was kind of an easy decision for them to bring it back.” (David Mack, 04:58)

• International Influence

  • Doral’s local population is notably Venezuelan, Colombian, Cuban, and Puerto Rican, shaping both player and fan experiences (05:56).
  • “Miami’s the gateway to the Americas.” (David Mack, 07:00)

4. Representation & Growth of Golf in Latin America

• Player Spotlights
  • The event highlights Latin American pros like Camilo Villegas (Colombia), Jonathan Vegas (Venezuela), and Nico Echavarria (Colombia).
  • Villegas credits his breakout “spider man” green-reading pose to this very event (07:08).
  • “You see more of those guys. Like, we’ve spoken to Nico… talking about the growth of the game, especially in Latin America, you know, Hispanics here in the United States.” (Host, 09:22)

5. Fan Experience: Miami Style

• Culinary & Hospitality Focus

  • Diverse local food options with Miami Slice (Venezuelan), Sergio’s (Cuban-American), arepas, empanadas, croquetas, and, of course, Cuban coffee (08:03).
  • “We wanted to make sure that we had a variety of food to match the variety of people that are in this event.” (David Mack, 08:10)

• Vibrant On-Course Atmosphere

  • Family-friendly: Kids under 15 admission free, activities include crafts, science experiments, and putting challenges (11:45).
  • Military outpost for free entry and food for veterans/active military (12:00).
  • Regatta Grove, Cut Water bar, Mastro’s Dobel Tequila, Blackstone grill favorites: lively social/fan zones (12:39).

• Affordability & Accessibility

  • “A family of four can come on Wednesday for $80. Right. So you can’t even go to the movies with a family of four for $80 anymore.” (David Mack, 11:44)
  • Significant improvements to parking logistics via local partnerships (13:32).

6. The Unique Miami Golf Vibe & Anticipated Competition

• Tougher Field, More Drama
  • Aspiration for a hard-won, low-scoring battle—“kind of hope it’s like a five under, you know, winner.” (Host, 11:01)
  • “It is fun to watch the pros look human.” (David Mack, 11:24)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Miami’s Distinctiveness:
  • “Miami’s the gateway to the Americas, right? ...We lean into it.” (David Mack, 07:00)
• On Community Representation:
  • “Doral, they call it Dural.” (Host, 07:43)
• On Accessibility:
  • “A family of four can come on Wednesday for $80. So you can’t even go to the movies with a family of four for $80 anymore.” (David Mack, 11:44)
• On course difficulty:
  • “It is one of the most challenging courses on the PGA Tour.” (David Mack, 03:57)
• On creating a festival experience:
  • “Whether you’re a foodie, a family, a golf fan, a sports fan, or you just like coming to live events—we’re going to have something here for everybody.” (David Mack, 01:00 / 08:10)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:52] — Anticipation for the tournament’s return; history and significance
• [03:10] — The Blue Monster’s legendary difficulty and unique features
• [04:36] — Miami’s sports renaissance and why the PGA returned
• [05:56] — The power of Miami’s diversity and international following
• [07:00] — Local pros, Latin America’s golf energy, and “Dural” pride
• [09:22] — Inspiring the next generation of golfers from multicultural backgrounds
• [11:45] — Family-friendly access, youth zones, and military appreciation
• [12:39] — Miami party vibes: food, drink, and fan experiences
• [13:32] — Improvements in parking and event logistics

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The Bottom Line

If “cadillac championship is back in Miami” sounds like a homecoming party, it is. This episode immerses listeners in what makes the event—and the city—truly special: global flair, challenging golf, legendary history, affordable fun for every family, and Miami’s one-of-a-kind energy. Whether you’re in it for the PGA drama, world-class culinaries, or just to soak up the scene, as the host puts it, “Come on by. It’s going to be an incredible experience.”

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Transcript

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[David Mack]

Whether you're a foodie, a family, a golf fan, a sports fan, or you just like coming to live events, we're gonna have something here for everybody.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, you talk about Cuban coffee, this place is gonna be rocking.

[David Mack]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

On Saturday and Sunday of everyone drinking Cuban coffee.

[David Mack]

Not your typical. Not your typical PJ Tour event. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

All right. Welcome back to another special edition Stay Tranquilo episode. Tranquilo Tea time. Today we're joined with David Mack at the Doral Course here in Miami, Florida. Trump National Doral. Appreciate you for taking the time.

[David Mack]

Thank you for having me.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely. So, obviously, big week ahead. We are recording today. It is Thursday, the week before the tournament, a week out. Talk to us a little bit about the anticipation, the hype around what's coming into Miami.

[David Mack]

Yeah. This is called advance week, but believe it or not, the actual tournament week starts on Monday. I think the players are going to get in town, some of them on Sunday night. So we're just a few days away, and the anticipation is massive because this event has 55 years of history on the PGA Tour and we haven't been back in 10 years. So fast forward 10 years later, we're back in the form of a signature event, which means it's the top 72 players in the world coming here to. To do battle. It's going to be an amazing show.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, absolutely. I'm born and raised in Miami, so I've played the Blue Monster a few times in my life. And it is no joke. Right. I mean, obviously, I'M a wreck golfer. These guys are pro golfers. But even for them, it is a level of challenge. I know the greens are going to be rolling really quick. If wind plays a factor, it just makes it that much difficult. Ton of water, obviously why we have the Blue Monster. Right. So talk to us a little bit about the Blue Monster. Right. Obviously there's a lot of history, like you mentioned with this tournament, you know, but. But that course specifically, you have a variety of different courses here on Trump property.

[David Mack]

Sure.

[Podcast Host]

But the Blue Monster is very unique, very different, I think different than anything else on the floor to swing. Right. When we talk about Arnold Palmer, Panther National. Right. The, you know, players in tpc, obviously that's got its teeth too.

[David Mack]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

But the Blue Monster is unique.

[David Mack]

Well, yeah. Jon Rahm once said that when it's windy, this could be one of the hardest courses in the entire world. And that's a statement. So. From one of the best golfers.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[David Mack]

So I think that when it, when the wind is blowing, it makes it extremely difficult. You've got really long par threes that are 300 or, sorry, 230 plus yards.

[Podcast Host]

Almost.

[David Mack]

Almost 300. Hole number 12 is a par five that we lengthened over the last year. And it's now playing about 677 yards, which is like, if you think about it, it's like seven football fields stacked up against each other. They're supposed to get the ball in the hole in five strokes. Yeah. And then there's a lot of water. Right. And so over the last 10 years, we also expanded some of the lakes as if they needed more water, but that made it even more difficult. And like you said, the rough.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[David Mack]

And so there's so many different elements of this course that make it one of the most challenging courses on the PGA Tour.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely. And I think just from hearing a little bit of the temperature around the city, Right. In Miami, there's a lot of hype. Obviously, we talked offline. You got F1 coming this week. So as Miami, Right. When we look at Miami, we got the World cup coming this year to the city. Talk to me just about what Miami means to the Tour. Right. Like you said, it's been something that's been here in the past. It was here for 50 plus years. We've had kind of like a 10, 10 year break. Now we have a new tournament, the Cadillac Championship signature event. What does Miami mean to the Tour and why is this such a unique destination?

[David Mack]

Well, I think if you look at Miami, it's on fire right now. I mean, the World Cup, Formula one, the Cadillac championship, the college football national championship. It's just one of the hottest markets in the world. And so even the real estate, right. But look at all the people that are moving down from the northeast and to Miami. So I think they recognize Miami as a can't miss market. And the BJ door knows that this is going to be a great market for them to, you know, have a annual reoccurring event. And I think it was. It was kind of an easy decision for him to bring it back.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, no doubt. I think obviously there's a lot of boom around Miami, but I think something that's unique with Miami also is just the diversity that's down here, right? It's not. You got big cities, right? You got New York, you got Chicago's, you got LA's, right? And I think there's a lot of similarities between those cities. But when you look at Miami, right, so much international Presence, right. Obviously Miami F1 with their international presence, you know, across the globe and their fanhood, I think Miami provides a unique experience, especially from a fan perspective. And the fact that you're having a different type of fan, right, Compared to other tournaments. So how are you guys kind of thinking about that? Right. We're here in Doral, specifically. Right, right, right. Miami is a very large city, but when you look at Doral, ton of Venezuelans, ton of Colombians, right? And then in Miami, you just got Cubans, Puerto Ricans.

[David Mack]

Right?

[Podcast Host]

All this international influence.

[David Mack]

Sure.

[Podcast Host]

What does that do for this turn?

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[Alltrails Narrator]

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[David Mack]

I mean, Miami's the gateway to the Americas, right?

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[David Mack]

And so I think we really lean into it, and there's so much history at this event. But one of the golfers named Camilo Villegas, he's Colombian, and we were talking to him, he did an event for us a couple months ago, and he said that this Doral event, the WGC Cadillac, was actually what put him on the map. It was when he invented that little spider man pose. He got on the ground really low to read the green, and they had Colombian flags that they're waving. And the city of, you know, Doral really got behind them because big, you know, South American population here. And now we have Jonathan Vegas, who's Venezuelan.

[Podcast Host]

Yep. And you know, Doral, they call it Dural.

[David Mack]

Yes, exactly. And so there's going to be a lot of people, you know, rooting him on. And Nico Echeveria is going to be here as well. He's Colombian also, so we're really leaning into it now. We also partnered with a lot of different restaurants. And so Miami Slice, it's a Venezuelan owned company, Sergio's Cuban American Kitchen.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[David Mack]

We needed to have some empanadas and arepas here.

[Podcast Host]

Croquetas.

[David Mack]

Croquetas. So it's Cuban coffee.

[Podcast Host]

I love that.

[David Mack]

So we wanted to make sure that we had a variety of food to match the variety of people that are in this event. So I think it's really going to be a fantastic event. Whether you're a foodie, a family, a golf fan, a sports fan, or you just like coming to live events. We're going to have something here for everybody.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, you talk about Cuban coffee, this place is going to be rocking.

[David Mack]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

On Saturday and Sunday, if everyone's drinking.

[David Mack]

Not your typical PJ Tour event.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. You talk about Jonathan Vegas, Nico Echeveria. Right. Camilo Villegas. Right. All these guys. When we were at Panther National a couple months ago at the Skinscan. Cognizant. Right. Well, we were at the Skin, not Panther National. I'm sorry, PGA National. I was there though, too. I was at Panther national for skin scan.

[David Mack]

That was cool. That was cool.

[Podcast Host]

That course is sick. But we were there when Nico won. Right. And same thing. What do you see? Colombian flags all over the green.

[David Mack]

South Florida.

[Podcast Host]

Right. And, you know, I think leaning into that here is huge because you see more of those guys. Like, we've. We've spoken to Nico a couple times, had him, you know, kind of talking about the growth of the game, especially in Latin America, you know, Hispanics here in the United States. So I think there's just so much more that can be done, right. Like, how do we get more of these people introduced? And this right here is the perfect opportunity. Like, just come show up, see what this is all about. See the energy, see the talent. Because I think the next generation, right, of kids and, you know, even recreational golfers, right, can come out here, see this, and be like, damn, I got

[David Mack]

to come out to this 100%. And you saw that a lot with the Miami Open tennis event and Formula One.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[David Mack]

You see fans coming in from all over the world.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[David Mack]

And. And I think that's what makes this event kind of similar, where you have so many different nations represented from our player field, 100%.

[Podcast Host]

So I want to kind of lean back a little bit on the history of this tournament. Right. So many people. You talked about your dad, right. He came, he was born in Hialeah, brought you to this tournament back in the day. What was that like back then? And what are some of the changes we can expect to see, you know, come new tournament this week?

[David Mack]

I remember the. It was the Doral Rider Open, right. At one point, and I remember coming as a teenager, and then when I left. Sorry. When this event left in 2016, it was the WGC Cadillac. Adam Scott won the last time it was here. That's sick. But there's just so many winners that I remember. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger woods, you know, and all the biggest names in golf have been here before. So I think if you look at the history of this event, plus where it's going with. With this amazing field that we have coming in town next week, I think you're going to see a lot more stories written in history books.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, yeah, we're excited. And I think, you know, that's it. That's anticipated. Right. People, I think, have been wanting this to come back for a long time. So the fact that it's back, and not only back, back with the best of the best on the field. Right. Because this course is no joke. And we were talking to one of the guys inside, and we're like, I kind of hope it's like a five under, you know, winner.

[David Mack]

Amazing, Right. I mean, you think about your. Your friends, and they watch, you know, all these different tournaments, Masters, US Open, and they'd much rather see, you know, these pros be challenged. Right. And that's why everybody tunes into the US Open than watching, you know, a tournament where the winner is minus 26.

[Podcast Host]

Right, right.

[David Mack]

And so I think that's another reason why I think we'll get some A lot of eyes on this event because it is one of the more challenging events and it is fun to watch the pros look human.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely. So outside of golf, talk to me about what the experience is going to be like on the course. Right. Hospitality times.

[David Mack]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

You talked about the food, but what's the environment going to be like? Because in Miami, you know, people like a party a little bit.

[David Mack]

Sure, sure. Of course. Well, starting off with the family as all kids 15 and under are going to get in for free.

[Podcast Host]

Nice.

[David Mack]

And I think that's massive. A family of four can come on Wednesday for $80. Right. So you can't even go to the movies with a family of four for $80 anymore.

[Podcast Host]

That's true.

[David Mack]

And so we're going to have a lot of stuff for families and kids. We have a kid zone right off of the first tee where they'll be able to do arts and crafts, science experiments, putting challenges. So that's thanks to our youth partner, Griffin Catalyst. And then we're gonna have a kids autograph zone where they're gonna get up and close up close and personal with the biggest names in golf, which is gonna be awesome. And then we also have the military outpost for active military and veterans. So they're going to get into the event for free as well. And in the Patriots outpost, they'll receive free food and beverage, which is amazing. So we're gonna honor our troops in that way. In terms of the different fan zones that we're going to have out on the course, we partnered with Regatta Grove.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, cool.

[David Mack]

You know, from Coco Grove. And so we partnered with them. So there's going to be Regatta Grove out on the course. As I mentioned, Miami Slice, Sergio's Cuban American Kitchen. We also going to have the Cut Water bar, the Mastro's Dobel Tequila bar. We're also going to have Blackstone set up doing some, like, Latin favorites out there. They're just going to be on the grill, so there's going to be a lot of really cool things out on the course as well.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, that's great. Regatta in the Grove is a Friday stable.

[David Mack]

Huge.

[Podcast Host]

That's pretty cool. That's Tony Guerra and all them. I know them well, so that's really cool to see. No, I think we're super excited. Obviously, there's a lot of anticipation, a lot of hype around it. Something that Miami, I think, has been yearning for a long time. So it's great to see. And before we kind of wrap up here. Where can people get tickets? What's kind of that process? And. And parking? Where can people park?

[David Mack]

Absolutely. Great question. Great question. Because I know that wasn't always the easiest.

[Podcast Host]

Yes.

[David Mack]

Back in the day. But. So the parking experience has improved drastically. We actually partnered with a few amazing partners that are letting us borrow their lots. And so we've got parking at Doral, Central Park, Leon Medical center, downtown Doral, and then more parking lots space off of 87th Avenue. So parking is a lot closer, hopefully more convenient, which makes for easier ingress and egress. So we're happy that we. We made some improvements there.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I know. I know it's tough around here. So the fact that people in the area are willing to help out is only going to enhance the experience, which is great. But, David, appreciate the time. We're really excited here. The city of Miami is really excited. So whether you're going to F1, you got other options out here in Miami. You got the Cadillac championship here in Doral. Come on by. It's going to be an incredible experience. The best of the best on the field, and it's just going to be a good time celebrating the city of Miami.

[David Mack]

So I appreciate it. Look forward to seeing you guys out there.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely. All right, guys, cheers, and we'll see you guys next time.

[Liberty Mutual Announcer]

Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this ad for your morning commute to wake you up, which could help your driving. Science says that stimulating the brain increases alertness. So here's a pop quiz. How many months have 28 days? What gets wetter as it dries? What has keys but can't open? Locks. If you don't want to hear the answers, turn off this Liberty Mutual AD. Now. 12 months. A towel, piano. Enjoy being fully alert.

[Liberty Mutual Jingle]

Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.