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WGC Cadillac Championship In Doral Off To A Great Start

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DORAL (CBSMiami) – The 2015 Cadillac Championship at Trump National is in full swing.

Only the top 50 golfers in the world compete in the event, and it's a tournament that draws thousands of fans and celebrities.

"We're having record crowds and people love it," said Donald Trump. "The weather's beautiful; the course is the best it's ever been. It's brand new and it's the best you can get."

Trump was accompanied by Miss Universe, Paulina Vega, who's no stranger to coming away with hardware in Doral.

CLICK HERE to watch CBS4's Mike Cugno interview Donald Drump and Miss Universe

"I really love this place, its brand new, and [Doral is] where I won [the Miss Universe pageant] so of course it has a very special place in my heart," said Vega.

One golfer noticeably missing from this year's field is Tiger Woods.

A string of injuries has golf's biggest star on the sidelines and out of the Top 50. But Trump says his absence isn't affecting attendance.

"I love Tiger, and Tiger will be back. He's working on some things… but we're having record crowds," said Trump.

CLICK HERE to watch Mike Cugno's report

Fans at the event told CBS 4 that they weren't deterred by the lack of star power.

In fact, the younger players like Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed, and Rickie Fowler – to name a few – have the attention of the golf world.

Seventeen of the top 50 players in the world are under the age of 30 and have signaled a changing of the guard – as new and young has started to represent a sizeable chunk of the field.

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