The run of big golf tournaments continues this week as the latest World Golf Championship event – the Bridgestone Invitational – takes place at a familiar circuit in Ohio. The qualification criteria for this tournament is quite strict so the field is the best of the best this week which should provide four quality days of golf heading into the final major of the season.
Rory McIlroy won the tournament last year on his way to consecutive wins as he followed up that success with a runaway win in the USPGA Championship the following week. He hasn’t recovered from his injury though so he doesn’t defend his title here.
Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio is once again the venue for this tournament, as it has been for much of the event’s illustrious history. The course measures 7,400 yards which actually makes it the longest par 70 course on the PGA Tour. It isn’t an easy one to play despite the relatively low scores of recent years either.
Last year fairways hit and greens in regulation were both quite low with both ranking less than 60% but if you get it out there far enough this course is more playable so I think there is something to be had for the better drivers of the golf ball this week. Good touch on and around the greens is no bad thing and par 4 scoring is another crucial statistic.
Given his form in recent months it is probably no surprise that Jordan Spieth is a 6/1 favourite this week. This course might be a little long for him but they said that at Chambers Bay and he won there so don’t rule him out. Jason Day is a 14/1 second favourite off the back of his win in Canada recently while Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler are all 16/1. Adam Scott at 18/1 completes those less than 20/1.
There are two main runners I like this week, one stats really well while the other is a gut feel but who certainly doesn’t lack for good statistics and they will form the mainstay of my ‘team’ for this event.
Justin Rose looked to be going really well last week but didn’t find as much as some over the weekend but it was still a good effort to back up his strong run in The Open a few weeks ago. Rose has won in New Orleans this year so we know when everything clicks he can get it done.
Rose sits seventh in total driving this year and he’s in the top 20 in both greens in regulation and in proximity to the pin and so if his putter catches fire, and generally he putts better on the trickier faster greens then he should go very well this week. He ranks fifth in birdies or better and as a big tournament player he’s likely to keep the big numbers off the card. Rose loves it here with four top fives including one last year and even at 16/1 he looks a standout bet to me.
Another man who ticks all the boxes this week is Hideki Matsuyama. The Japanese player has no less than eight top 10 finishes this year and the bigger the test the better he delivers. He is fifth in total driving on the PGA Tour this season and ninth in greens hit in regulation.
He is also second in par 4 scoring which with 14 par 4s on the track this week is an encouraging statistic. Nobody ranks better in strokes gained from tee to green on the PGA Tour so at 28/1 Matsuyama is well set to deliver a big run at the title.
Back J.Rose to win WGC Bridgestone Invitational (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 17.00 with Paddy Power (1/4 1-5)
Back H.Matsuyama to win WGC Bridgestone Invitational (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with Bet365 (1/4 1-5)
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