Jhonattan Vegas Readies Pga Tour At Doral’s 18th Hole
Trump National Doral’s 18th hole has turned into the hardest test at the pga tour’s Cadillac Championship, playing exactly a half-shot over par through three rounds. The 486-yard par-4 has produced only nine birdies and has already moved the closing stretch into the center of the tournament.
Scottie Scheffler made one of those nine birdies and still moved into a tie for second entering Sunday, but the hole kept punishing the field around him. As it stood after Saturday, Doral’s closing hole would also rank as the hardest finishing hole on the PGA Tour this year.
Doral's 18th Hole
The layout explains why. Water runs along the entire left side, palm trees line most of the right, and the tee shot can squeeze balls traveling up to about 300 yards into a landing area that is only about 25 yards wide. Bigger hitters can open that up with a 320-plus-yard drive, but the margin remains thin.
Justin Rose said he had to ask his caddie how many balls they had left, and he pointed to the wind coming in off the left as the hardest version of the hole. Rose also described the fairway as only about 15 yards wide in that landing section, with the right-hand trees likely to come into play for a large portion of the field.
Vegas And Spieth
Jhonattan Vegas saw this coming before the tournament. He said the hole would play way over par, that players can make a massive number on it, and that they have to attack it very conservatively while trying to execute the best four shots they can. He also put a number on the danger, saying he expected it to play at least around 4.5.
Jordan Spieth added another blunt review on Friday, saying, “That was one of the harder holes I’ve played on the PGA Tour today.” Scheffler’s note was more technical, saying the green has a ton of pitch to it, which leaves little room once the ball is finally on the putting surface.
The hole has already lived up to those warnings. Doral last hosted a PGA Tour tournament 10 years ago, and the 18th played.425 strokes over par then; last year it played.574 strokes over par during a LIV Golf event at the same course. Through three rounds this week, it has settled at exactly half a shot over par, which tells the story of a finishing hole that is dictating scores rather than simply ending them.
Closing Stretch Pressure
That leaves the final round with a clear test attached to the last tee. Players who miss their number can still make bogey and survive, but Vegas’ warning about a massive number has already been borne out by the scoring, and the hole has made every late swing a little more expensive.
