WGC-Cadillac Championship Preview

The world's best golfers are in Florida this week for the second World Golf Championship event of 2014. Tiger Woods defends the WGC-Cadillac Championship over the Blue Monster, Trump National Doral but is struggling with a back injury.

Tiger Woods defends WGC-Cadillac Championship (Getty Images)

Lowdown: The world's best golfers are in Florida this week for the second World Golf Championship event of 2014. Tiger Woods defends the WGC-Cadillac Championship over the Blue Monster, Trump National Doral but is struggling with a back injury.

With a field of just 69, this event is open to the top-50 ranked players on the Official World Golf Ranking, together with a selection of leading golfers from various money lists across the globe. Due to the limited field, there is no 36-hole cut.

Since it was first hosted in 1999, Tiger Woods has won this event seven times, most recently last season when he finished two clear of Steve Stricker. Tiger withdrew from last week's Honda Classic with recurring lower back spasms, so his participation this week could be in doubt.

All 18 holes have a new measurement - eight are shorter than previously and 10 are longer - the total yardage is up to 7,481 yards. The idea is that the course will now present more of a test for the world's best. In recent seasons the winning total has been around the 20-under-par mark, but that looks likely to change this year.

Player Watch: Rory McIlroy - He's proved in the past he can bounce back from disappointing results - see 2011 Masters and U.S. Open. He's clearly on great form and, when playing his very best, few can live with him.

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?