World Golf Championships- Bridgestone Invitational Preview & Groups To Watch
The top players in the world are at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. The biggest pre tournament news? Tiger Woods makes his return from a 12 week layoff to an event he has won seven times, the most recent in 2009. If he's going to reclaim glory in Akron, he's going to have defeat the 2010 champion, Hunter Mahan and a talented field.
(Tiger will have a different look than here in 2009. Photo: Cleveland.com)
The return of Tiger has certainly taken a lot of the attention but players like Luke Donald, number one in the OWGR and WGC- Accenture Match Play champion, will be looking to steal some of the comeback thunder. Steve Stricker, the top ranked American golfer (4th in the OWGR) has two wins on the year and will be looking for number three. He didn't have a good showing at the British Open but his play in the U.S. has been outstanding.
Other big names in the event include Nick Watney who won the WGC- Cadillac Championship earlier this year and the AT&T Championship. If not for missing the cut at the U.S. and British Opens he would certainly be ranked higher than 9th in the world. Lee Westwood will be out to prove something after missing the cut at the British Open. It's one of the few blemishes on the his 2011 resume. He has held stead as the second ranked golfer in the world for a while now and will be hungry to get back to number one.
Five Groups To Watch at The Bridgestone Invitational
5. Darren Clarke & Tiger Woods: I know I don't talk about Tiger a lot but I am curious to see how he plays this week. A 12 week layoff but a golf course he knows how to win at. Maybe a new caddie will re-energize him. I don't expect big things from Darren Clarke but he's now a British Open champion and has won this event before. He has to be lose and despite a big win, there are still no expectations.
4. Phil Mickelson & Jason Day: After finishing second at the British Open I expected Mickelson to go on a run. He followed it up by missing the cut at the Greenbrier. It's the first missed cut of the season for Mickelson and I think he will rebound with a top 10 finish. Is it time for Jason Day to break through? Second at the Masters and the U.S. Open has everyone waiting to see when he's going to win a big event. He could pull it off this week but I like him at the PGA Championship more than here.
3. Rory McIlroy & Hunter Mahan: McIlroy gets my attention because of what he did at the U.S. Open. He clearly doesn't mind the heat or the big pressure events. With Tiger coming back and stealing headlines, it could be a good time for him to show he wants to be the boss. Mahan is the defending champion here and Tiger has proved it's possible to win this back to back. It hasn't been a great year for him but returning to an event he won might spark something.
2. Adam Scott & Dustin Johnson: This is the group I'm most interested in watching. Like my top group, I won't be surprised if these guys are posing with a trophy on Sunday. Scott finished 2nd at The Masters and 3rd at the AT&T so we know he can play in big events. It hasn't been the best year for him but I don't think he has reached his full potential yet. A win this week could mean big things. Dustin Johnson is coming off his second place at the British Open and has five top 10's in his fifteen starts. He hits the ball a long way and seems to be heating up at the right time.
1. Nick Watney & Steve Stricker: Both of these players have two wins this season and no one will be surprised if someone in this group has three come Sunday. Watney has struggled in majors but since this isn't a major, he's my pick to win. Stricker is in the top 25 almost every week but everyone is waiting for him to win a big one. I expect to see him win here or the PGA Championship.
Picks To Win:
WAMGolf.com: Nick Watney
999PlacesBlog.com: Jason Day
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