The direct oxidative esterification of methacrolein (MAL) with methanol in the presence of molecular O-2 at low temperature and ambient pressure to methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out over a novel hydrophobic styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer (SDB) supported palladium catalyst, and the results were compared with conventional hydrophilic catalysts over SiO2 and gamma-Al2O3. Among the catalysts studied, SDB supported palladium catalyst showed higher activity than the conventional catalysts. The Pd/SDB catalyst was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). A systematic investigation was carried out for the oxidative esterification of MAL with methanol over SDB supported catalyst. The effects of catalyst loading and alcohol/aldehyde molar ratio were studied. The reaction kinetics was studied, and the result showed that the fitting results agreed well with the experimental data. On the basis of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood adsorption model, the probable mechanism was suggested.