Tiger Woods Returns To Ohio Next Week -Looks To Break Record
Akron, OH- Defending champion Tiger Woods has committed to next week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, August 3-8 at historic Firestone Country Club, tournament officials today announced. Woods can equal Sam Snead’s PGA TOUR record of eight victories in the same event with a win next week. Tournament officials also announced that Anthony Kim, who has been sidelined the last three months following thumb surgery, will return to action next week in Akron. Qualified players have until 5 p.m. ET Friday, July 30, to officially commit.
Woods earned his seventh-career triumph at the Bridgestone Invitational in 2009, outlasting 54-hole leader Padraig Harrington and Australian Robert Allenby for a three-stroke victory. In 10 previous starts at Firestone Country Club, Woods is a cumulative 103-under-par with 29 rounds in the 60s, and he has never finished lower than T4. Woods will return to action for the first time since he finished T23 at the British Open Championship two weeks ago at St. Andrews. In seven starts in 2010, Woods has two top 10s with his best result a T4 at the Masters Tournament.
Kim will make his first competitive start since he was forced to withdraw from THE PLAYERS Championship in May with a partial ligament tear in his left thumb. The three-time PGA TOUR winner underwent surgery to repair the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament immediately after his withdrawal from THE PLAYERS and has been sidelined since. Prior to the injury, Kim enjoyed a solid start to the 2010 season, collecting four top 10s in eight starts, highlighted by a victory at the Shell Houston Open and a solo second at The Honda Classic. He finished T36 in each of his first two appearances at the Bridgestone Invitational in 2008 and 2009.
If not otherwise qualified, the winner of this week’s Greenbrier Classic on the PGA TOUR and 3 Irish Open on the European TOUR would have the opportunity to join Woods and Kim in the field at the Bridgestone Invitational. Though not official until after plays starts tomorrow, both events currently have an Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating of at least 115 points. In addition, any player not otherwise qualified who moves into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking on Monday, Aug. 2, will earn a last-minute trip to Akron.
The field for the Bridgestone Invitational again includes playing members of the last named Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup teams, winners of tournaments from around the world since the 2009 Bridgestone Invitational whose victories are considered official and have an Official World Golf Ranking strength of field rating of 115, and the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. A complete list of players qualified as of now (Wednesday, July 28) follows below.
The Bridgestone Invitational annually draws one of strongest fields of the year with players traveling from all corners of the globe to Firestone Country Club. Every year game’s greatest stars converge in Akron to vie for the Bridgestone Invitational title, but the true winners of the event are local charities. The Bridgestone Invitational annually donates more than $800,000 to charities throughout Northeast Ohio. Over the years, professional golf has donated more than $19 million to more than 200 worthy causes in Northeast Ohio, including Akron Children’s Hospital, the United Way of Greater Cleveland and The First Tee Chapters of Akron, Cleveland and Canton.
