2008 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
Written July 28, 2008 by Jason Lowry
This weekend the best golf has to offer will get together at Firestone Country Club for 2008 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, but one player will be greatly missed an that is 6 time champion and 3 time defending champion of the event Tiger Woods. This event is set for the golfers who have proven themselves over the last couple years, as you must meet certain criteria to make the event, such as being a part of the President or Ryder cup teams, along with being in the top 50 of the official world golf rankings. The last golfer to win this event not named Tiger Woods, was Stewart Cink back in 2004, so with that said Jason Lowry is ready to give you his weekly 3 golfers he thinks has a great shot at winning this weekend.
Favorite: Sergio Garcia - +1600 at BetUS.com
After going into the British Open as the favorite to win, Garcia let down many after finishing tied for 51st after a 78 on Sunday. The reason we got Garcia winning this weekend at Firestone is it seems he plays a little better when its not a major tournament. Garcia still remains near the top in total driving and greens in regulations, but his putting continues to hold him back. It just seems that he has the ability to miss putts he shouldn’t. We look for Garcia to get on a roll with much easier conditions this weekend compared to the Open and take home the trophy.
Middle of the Pack: Kenny Perry - +2000 at BetUS.com
Perry has got a lot of crap for not playing in any of the major championships this season, but you have to like how this guy has been playing. He hasn’t finished worse than a tie for 6th in his last 4 starts, and has two wins in that stretch. Perry took last week off and should be well rested for a very solid performance this weekend. Perry has been good all around as he is 20th in total driving, 8th in greens in regulations, and 32nd in putting. Look for Perry to get hot this weekend and be right in the thick of things come Sunday afternoon.
Long Shot: Justin Leonard - +4500 at BetUS.com
Leonard has hit a little rough stretch since winning the Stanford St Jude Championship back at the beginning of June, but we think its time for him to get right back in the swing of things with a great performance this weekend. Leonard still sits in 6th place in both the FedEx Cup point standings and the money list, so there is no doubt this guy has been playing some good golf this year. If Leonard can get the ball off the tee he usually has no problem, as he is 18th in greens in regulation and 21st in putting. Look for a big weekend from 36 year old Texan.
If you want to place a bet on any of these golfers to win this weekend be sure to head over to BetUS.com and get an account started today, also be sure to check back each week for more PGA Tour event preview and predictions. Below is a complete list of each golfers odds to win the 2008 WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
Phil Mickelson +1000
Sergio Garcia +1600
Jim Furyk +1800
Ernie Els +2000
Padraig Harrington +2000
Kenny Perry +2000
Anthony Kim +2000
Adam Scott +2000
Stewart Cink +2000
Geoff Ogilvy +3000
Henrik Stenson +3000
Vijay Singh +3500
Lee Westwood +3500
Hunter Mahan +3500
Robert Allenby +3500
K J Choi +4000
Justin Rose +4000
Steve Stricker +4000
Robert Karlsson +4000
Justin Leonard +4500
Paul Casey +4500
Retief Goosen +4500
Trevor Immelman +5000
Andres Romero +5000
Ian Poulter +5500
Sean O Hair +6000
Miguel Angel Jimenez +6000
Stephen Ames +6000
Boo Weekley +6500
Chad Campbell +6500
Graeme McDowell +6500
Rod Pampling +6500
Stuart Appleby +7000
Angel Cabrera +7000
Scott Verplank +8000
David Toms +8000
Tim Clark +8000
Aaron Baddeley +8000
Rory Sabbatini +8000
Martin Kaymer +8000
Fredrik Jacobson +8000
Zach Johnson +9000
Brandt Snedeker +9000
Rocco Mediate +9000
Ross Fisher +9000
Nick O Hern +10000
Woody Austin +10000
Colin Montgomerie +12500
Oliver Wilson +12500
Lucas Glover +12500