Memorable PGA Tour Moments at Trump National Doral's Blue Monster

I’ve loved the Blue Monster Course at Trump National Doral for as long as I can remember. Not because of its design merits — I’ll leave that analysis to my more well-suited colleagues — but for two other reasons: I played the hell out of it as a kid on video games and because the PGA Tour events at Doral delivered exciting finishes.

The Tour first visited the Blue Monster Course in 1962, when Billy Casper rallied from four shots down with just eight holes to play to win by one. Raymond Floyd chipped in from off the green on the second playoff hole in 1980 to beat Jack Nicklaus for one of his three titles at Doral. Speaking of three wins, who could forget Greg Norman’s performance in 1990, when he fired a final-round 62 to force a playoff, then chipped in for eagle on the first extra hole to beat Paul Azinger, Mark Calcavecchia, and Tim Simpson for his first of three victories in six years. There was the Scott Hoch Monday playoff in 2003. Craig Parry’s hole-out for eagle from 176 yards to win a playoff against Scott Verplank. Patrick Reed declaring himself a top-five player in the world after a one-shot win over Bubba Watson and Jamie Donaldson in 2014. The list goes on.

The Blue Monster was a staple on the Tour’s schedule from 1962 to 2016 before a 10-year hiatus in the wake of resort owner Donald Trump’s presidential bid. I’ve been feeling nostalgic ahead of the Tour’s return to Doral this week for the Cadillac Championship, and two events stand out from the pack as the best in the tournament’s history.

We’ll start with 2016, when Adam Scott overcame a six-shot deficit with 13 holes to play, and then somehow survived tournament-ending trouble with consecutive swings on the 72nd hole. "I was so lucky for it to stay up inside the hazard line," Scott said of his approach to the 18th green from behind a tree that nearly found the water. "When you're that lucky, you better get them up and down."

Scott did precisely that, chipping to six feet and rolling in the par putt to secure a dramatic second win in as many weeks.

I’ll also never forget the 2005 Duel at Doral featuring Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Lefty held a two-shot lead entering the final round, but couldn’t hold on as Tiger shot 66 to his 69. It was a back-and-forth day that came down to the wire. On the 17th, Tiger made a clutch birdie from 30 feet, then watched with bated breath on No. 18 as Phil missed a chip that just burned the edge that would’ve forced a playoff.

"What a day," Woods said after the round. "If you're not nervous on a day like this, you're not alive." The victory was the start of Tiger’s three-peat at Doral from 2005 to 2007 and returned him to the top of the world ranking.

The fifth of eight signature events this season, the Cadillac Championship field includes 37 of the top 50 players in the world, setting the scene for more history.