WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
June 30th – July 3rd, 2016
Firestone C.C. (South)
Akron, OH
Par: 70 / Yardage: 7,400
Purse: $9.5 Million
with $1,612,432 to the winner
Defending Champion:
Shane Lowry
This week’s field includes:
The field of 61 players includes 49 of the top 100 players and 39 of the top 50 in the latest Official World Rankings. Those in the field include #1 Jason Day, #2 Jordan Spieth, #3 Dustin Johnson, #7 Rickie Fowler, #8 Adam Scott, #10 Justin Rose, #12 Branden Grace, #13 Patrick Reed, #14 Louis Oosthuizen, #15 Brooks Koepka, #16 Hideki Matsuyama, #17 Matt Kuchar, #18 Jim Furyk, #19 Zach Johnson, #20 Phil Mickelson, #21 J.B. Holmes, #22 Brandt Snedeker, #24 Charl Schwartzel, #25 Shane Lowry, #26 Russell Knox, #27 Paul Casey, #28 Byeong Hun An, #29 Kevin Kisner, #30 Kevin Na, #32 Daniel Berger, #33 Bill Haas, #34 Justin Thomas, #36 Charley Hoffman, #38 Kevin Chappell, #39 Marc Leishman, #40 K.T. Kim, #41 Emiliano Grillo, #43 Scott Piercy, #44 Jimmy Walker, #45 Danny Lee, #46 William McGirt, #47 Soren Kjeldsen, #48 David Lingmerth and #49 Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
Last year with a full field including European players 48 of the top-50 were in the field
The field includes 23 of the top 25 on the FedEx point standings for 2016, #12 Sergio Garcia and #22 Graeme McDowell won’t be playing.
The field includes 22 players in the top 25 on this year’s PGA Tour money list, with #11 Sergio Garcia, #20 Graeme McDowell and #21 Rory McIlroy won’t be playing.
The field includes 24 players that have won 28 of the 33 events on the PGA Tour this year: Emiliano Grillo (Frys.Com); Smylie Kaufman (Shriners Hospitals); Justin Thomas (CIMB Classic); Russell Knox (WGC-HSBC Champions); Kevin Kisner (McGladrey Classic); Jordan Spieth (Hyundai T of C, Dean & DeLuca); Fabian Gomez (Sony Open from Hawaii); Jason Dufner (Humana Challenge); Brandt Snedeker (Farmers Insurance); Hideki Matsuyama (WM Phoenix); Vaughn Taylor (AT&T Pebble Beach); Bubba Watson (Northern Trust); Adam Scott (Honda & WGC-Cadillac); Charl Schwartzel (Valspar Championship); Jason Day (Palmer, WGC-Dell Match Play & Players); Jim Herman (Shell Houston); Branden Grace (RBC Heritage); Charley Hoffman (Valero Texas); Brian Stuard (Zurich); James Hahn (Wells Fargo); William McGirt (Memorial); Daniel Berger (FedEx St. Jude); Dustin Johnson (U.S. Open) and Billy Hurley III (Quicken Loans.
Those winners not in the field are Peter Malnati (Sanderson Farms); Graeme McDowell (OHL Classic at Mayakoba); Tony Finau (Puerto Rico); Danny Willett (Masters); Sergio Garcia (Byron Nelson); .
The field includes 4 past champions: Shane Lowry (2015), Keegan Bradley (2012), Adam Scott (2011), and Phil Mickelson (1996)
A perfect way for fantasy golfers to check on the past performance of all the players in the WGC-Bridgestone field is our performance chart listed by average finish. Another way to check who is the best is through a special formula worked out in Golfstats that gives us the best average performances at the WGC-Bridgestone field in the last five years or check out our sortable 8-year glance at the WGC-Bridgestone field.
A good cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmakers in England.
Another cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmaker in Las Vegas.
**NOTE**
One thing to look for is our new GOLFstats IQ. For those that play in fantasy golf it’s a perfect way to help you pick those players in Draft Kings and Victiv games. You can customize the list of those in the tournaments, to look back a couple or many years of tournament stats and you can go back a couple or ten weeks prior to the tournament. On top of that, all the stats are fully sortable to help you pick your six players, we even give you their value for the week to help you chose.
That’s GOLFstats IQ, give it a try and tell us what you think of it
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Time to look at our who’s hot and who isn’t:
Who’s Hot in the field for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
Player | Quicken Loans | BMW Intern. | U.S. Open | FedEx St. Jude | Lyoness Open | Memorial | Nordea Masters | Dean & DeLuca | BMW PGA | AT&T Byron | Irish Open | The Players | Wells Fargo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dustin Johnson (430.33 pts) |
DNP | DNP | Win (264) |
5 (70) |
DNP | 3 (60) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T12 (25.33) |
DNP | T28 (11) |
DNP |
Brooks Koepka (248.17 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T13 (74) |
T2 (100) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 2 (66.67) |
DNP | T35 (7.5) |
DNP |
Jim Furyk (226.5 pts) |
T21 (29) |
DNP | T2 (200) |
DNP | DNP | T52 (0) |
DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T35 (7.5) |
CUT (-3.33) |
Shane Lowry (221.67 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T2 (200) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT (-10) |
DNP | T23 (18) |
T16 (17) |
CUT (-3.33) |
Scott Piercy (206.83 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T2 (200) |
DNP | DNP | T69 (0) |
DNP | T67 (0) |
DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | T23 (13.5) |
DNP |
Matt Kuchar (206.33 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T46 (8) |
DNP | DNP | T4 (53.33) |
DNP | T6 (40) |
DNP | 3 (60) |
DNP | T3 (45) |
DNP |
Daniel Berger (191.5 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T37 (26) |
Win (132) |
DNP | 67 (0) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T9 (22.5) |
T17 (11) |
Jason Day (181.33 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T8 (100) |
DNP | DNP | T27 (15.33) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | Win (66) |
DNP |
Jason Dufner (169.17 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T8 (100) |
DNP | DNP | T33 (11.33) |
DNP | T6 (40) |
DNP | T24 (17.33) |
DNP | T49 (0.5) |
DNP |
Branden Grace (140 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T5 (140) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T57 (0) |
DNP |
Jordan Spieth (130.33 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T37 (26) |
DNP | DNP | T57 (0) |
DNP | Win (88) |
DNP | T18 (21.33) |
DNP | CUT (-5) |
DNP |
Russell Knox (126.17 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T23 (54) |
DNP | DNP | 64 (0) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-10) |
DNP | T2 (66.67) |
T19 (15.5) |
DNP |
Harris English (123.33 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T37 (26) |
T26 (24) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | 2 (66.67) |
DNP | T49 (0.67) |
DNP | CUT (-5) |
T17 (11) |
Zach Johnson (122 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T8 (100) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T17 (22) |
DNP | T66 (0) |
DNP | T54 (0) |
DNP |
Phil Mickelson (121.67 pts) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-20) |
T2 (100) |
DNP | T20 (20) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT (-5) |
T4 (26.67) |
Marc Leishman (119 pts) |
T39 (11) |
DNP | T18 (64) |
DNP | DNP | T11 (26) |
DNP | T13 (24.67) |
DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | T64 (0) |
DNP |
David Lingmerth (118.67 pts) |
DNP | DNP | 12 (76) |
DNP | DNP | T27 (15.33) |
DNP | DNP | T22 (28) |
DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
CUT (-5) |
T17 (11) |
Billy Hurley III (118 pts) |
Win (132) |
DNP | CUT (-20) |
T52 (0) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T41 (6) |
DNP | DNP | DNP |
Kevin Na (110.33 pts) |
DNP | DNP | 7 (110) |
DNP | DNP | T74 (0) |
DNP | T42 (5.33) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT (-5) |
DNP |
Justin Thomas (109 pts) |
T12 (38) |
DNP | T32 (36) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T3 (45) |
CUT (-3.33) |
Charl Schwartzel (96.67 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T23 (54) |
DNP | DNP | T11 (26) |
DNP | T25 (16.67) |
DNP | T58 (0) |
DNP | DNP | DNP |
Byeong-Hun An (94.67 pts) |
T44 (6) |
DNP | T23 (54) |
DNP | DNP | T11 (26) |
DNP | DNP | T33 (17) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-5) |
CUT (-3.33) |
Adam Scott (94 pts) |
DNP | DNP | T18 (64) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T55 (0) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T12 (19) |
T17 (11) |
Bill Haas (85.5 pts) |
T3 (90) |
DNP | T51 (0) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | T47 (2) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T43 (3.5) |
CUT (-3.33) |
William McGirt (84.5 pts) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-20) |
DNP | DNP | Win (88) |
DNP | T47 (2) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T43 (3.5) |
T17 (11) |
How Player Rankings are Computed
Who’s Not Hot in the field for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
Player | Quicken Loans | BMW Intern. | U.S. Open | FedEx St. Jude | Lyoness Open | Memorial | Nordea Masters | Dean & DeLuca | BMW PGA | AT&T Byron | Irish Open | The Players | Wells Fargo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
George Coetzee (-26.67 pts) |
DNP | CUT (-10) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | 73 (0) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-10) |
DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | DNP |
Davis Love III (-21.67 pts) |
CUT (-10) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | WD (-3.33) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT (-5) |
CUT (-3.33) |
K.T. Kim (-20 pts) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-20) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Steven Bowditch (-16.33 pts) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-20) |
T70 (0) |
DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | T22 (18.67) |
DNP | T82 (0) |
DNP | CUT (-5) |
CUT (-3.33) |
Nathan Holman (-10.33 pts) |
DNP | CUT (-10) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | DNP | T37 (13) |
DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | DNP |
Paul Casey (-10.17 pts) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-20) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T23 (13.5) |
T41 (3) |
Jim Herman (-10 pts) |
T39 (11) |
DNP | CUT (-20) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | T29 (14) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT (-5) |
CUT (-3.33) |
Brandt Snedeker (-9.67 pts) |
DNP | DNP | CUT (-20) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T17 (22) |
DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | CUT (-5) |
DNP |
Vaughn Taylor (-7.67 pts) |
CUT (-10) |
DNP | DNP | T41 (9) |
DNP | CUT (-6.67) |
DNP | T55 (0) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT (-5) |
T35 (5) |
Brian Stuard (-5.67 pts) |
CUT (-10) |
DNP | DNP | 73 (0) |
DNP | T69 (0) |
DNP | T31 (12.67) |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT (-5) |
CUT (-3.33) |
How Player Rankings are Computed
Who to watch for at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
Best Bets:
Justin Rose
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | T4 | T17 | T5 | T33 | T19 | T29 | T27 | T2 |
Can’t miss the fact that he has three top-5 finishes in his last four Firestone starts. He is also 2nd in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green so don’t worry about what he has done leading to this week. There is a reason why Justin is playing in Akron instead of Paris, even with the back problems and the fact that he missed the cut at the U.S. Open at 8 over par.
Brooks Koepka
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 |
Has played good of late, was 6th last year at Firestone plus he is 23rd in SG tee-to-green.
Rickie Fowler
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | T8 | T21 | T60 | T2 | T33 |
Yes he has missed a lot of cuts in big events, but he has a magical touch at Firestone with three top-10 finishes.
Jim Furyk
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | T15 | T9 | T2 | T23 | T6 | T51 | T27 | 3 | T24 | T22 |
Watch him, he is shining and has a great record at Firestone. This may sound weird but he could be ready to win again.
Best of the rest:
Shane Lowry
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | T48 | 77 |
Can’t forget about the defender, did great for 67 holes at Oakmont and will be ready to go again this week.
Bubba Watson
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | T37 | T27 | T19 | T21 | T22 |
Played well last year, showed some promise at Oakmont, he may be a factor this week.
Jason Dufner
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
T66 | T4 | 7 |
Watch him, has good record at Firestone and has played well since missing the cut at the Masters.
Zach Johnson
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
33 | T23 | T4 | T40 | T6 | T33 | T15 | T16 | T11 | T36 | T9 | T22 |
Could be a good pick this week, played good at Oakmont and has had some good finishes at Firestone.
Kevin Chappell
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First time playing in this event |
More info:
A good pick, 11th in SG tee-to-green and should do well in his first WGC-Bridgestone.
Bet with your head, not your heart:
Jason Day
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 | WD | T53 | T29 | T4 | T22 |
Best player in golf has had a tough record at Firestone. Yes he finished T-4th in 2011, but hasn’t done well since. Could be a good week to forget about him.
Dustin Johnson
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
53 | T33 | T19 | T48 | 15 | T22 |
U.S. Open winners struggle in the weeks after there win and Johnson hasn’t been better than 15th in six Firestone starts. Forget about him and bet the farm on his at Troon.
Jordan Spieth
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 49 |
His great putter gives him no advantage here, can he give you a top-ten, probably, but don’t see him winning.
Adam Scott
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
45 | T8 | T14 | T45 | Win | T9 | T51 | T56 | T36 | T10 | T36 | T55 |
Yes he leads the SG tee-to-green stat but since winning at Firestone in 2011 has only been in the top-10 once, T-8th in 2014.
Branden Grace
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
17 | T23 | T65 | T36 |
Has never done well in this event in four starts.
Long shots that could come through:
Danny Lee
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | T51 |
Been a forgotten man in 2016, did finish 6th last year and played solidly since the Masters.
David Lingmerth
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 |
Time for him to shine again, was 6th last year.
K.T. Kim
2016 | ’15 | ’14 | ’13 | ’12 | ’11 | ’10 | ’09 | ’08 | ’07 | ’06 | ’05 | ’04 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
T24 | T6 |
Many have not heard of him but he is the best player on the Japan Tour right now and has done well at Firestone in the two years he has played there.
Rose? Health issues not scaring you away?
It is a minor concern, specially since he missed the cut at the U.S. Open at 8 over. He told Dave Shedloski on Tuesday before the tournament that the back was fine and getting better. Asked to rate his level of health, he grinned and said, “I’m 100 percent.” He paused and then added, grinning again, “You can read between the lines.”
Yes the back is of some concern, but I am reading between the lines that if it wasn’t better he wouldn’t be playing at Firestone. With the British Open two weeks away, you would think he would be over there playing, specially when you see that Rose is 9th of 9 players on the Ryder Cup list and playing in the French Open would help him more than playing at Firestone. Another thing, Rose isn’t playing in the Scottish Open, so he gives himself very little time for points, so he must like his odds at playing Firestone.
See how this makes sense???
Above you mentioned that Bubba Smith is playing. If one of the unspoken requirements for being a contender is that you were a truly outstanding college and NFL DE, then I’m all in. However, making his tee time may, unfortunately, be a problem.
Sorry, typo I meant (have changed) to Watson.