In a stunning twist that’s sure to shake up the golf world — and the political world right along with it — the PGA Tour is expected to return to Trump National Doral in Miami for the first time in nearly a decade.
The event is slotted for the week of April 27 to May 3, 2026. It signals not just a homecoming for one of the tour’s historic venues, but a potential shift in the tour’s once-frosty relationship with President Donald Trump.
Five industry sources confirmed the news, and while details about the title sponsor and tournament operator remain under wraps, chatter is already suggesting the event could hold Signature status — a high-profile tier in the new tour structure.
From PGA Exile to Prime Time?
The move is a dramatic reversal. The PGA Tour pulled its long-running Doral event back in 2017 after 54 straight years, citing sponsorship challenges. But let’s not pretend politics weren’t in the mix. Trump’s growing political presence and eventual presidency made things complicated.
That void was quickly filled by LIV Golf, which hosted events at Trump Doral during each of its first four seasons. That is a partnership Trump loudly and proudly embraced as the Saudi-backed league clashed with the PGA Tour. But with Doral absent from LIV’s 2026 schedule, the door was wide open — and the PGA Tour appears ready to walk right through it.
A Truce in the Golf Civil War?
With President Trump vocally backing LIV and criticizing the PGA Tour over the past few years, this new event could be seen as an olive branch. Whether it’s a strategic play to cool tensions during ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s PIF, or simply a business decision to restore one of the sport’s premier venues, one thing is clear: Trump is back in the PGA Tour spotlight.
The timing is not subtle. The new Doral event will land between the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Truist Championship, with the PGA Championship just a week later. If it does become a Signature event, it would land right in the thick of golf’s most competitive stretch.
Major Schedule Shifts in the Mix
The Doral return isn’t the only shakeup. The CJ Cup Byron Nelson will move to later in May, syncing up with the Charles Schwab Challenge in back-to-back weeks in Texas — the first time that’s happened since 2018. Meanwhile, the WM Phoenix Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am are swapping spots, with Pebble Beach now designated as a Signature event, following the Phoenix Open.
Other key moves:
- The Rocket Mortgage Classic shifts from late June to July 30–August 2
- Corales Puntacana moves to Open Championship week in July
- The Wyndham Championship remains the final stop before the FedExCup Playoffs
The tour is also adjusting its early-season cadence, with the 2026 season starting on January 8 at The Sentry, slightly later than in 2025 to avoid an overlap with New Year’s Day.
What this all means is simple. The PGA Tour isn’t playing it safe. Between major schedule shakeups and the highly symbolic return to Trump Doral, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most politically charged, strategically loaded seasons in recent memory. And while the PGA Tour declined to comment, silence speaks volumes.
