Primary on-site PGA TOUR media contact: Chris Reimer, Director, Communications, PGA TOUR 904-806-6614 creimer@pgatourhq.com World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational News and Notes Field: The confirmed field is 74 players from 19 countries including 49 of the top 50 players from the Official World Golf Ranking. Three players who qualified but are not playing are Louis Oosthuizen, Jordan Spieth, Hunter Mahan and Peter Senior. England s David Lynn was the last player to qualify by moving into the top 50 in the OWGR on Monday, July 29. Dates: July 31-August 4 Where: Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio Par/Yards: 35-35 70 /7,400 Qualification/Eligibility requirements: Playing members of the 2012 U.S. and European Ryder Cup Teams. NOTE: In even-numbered years, playing members of the last-named U.S. and International Presidents Cup Teams shall replace the lastnamed Ryder Cup Teams. The top-50 players, including any tied for 50th place, from the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday, July 22, 2013, and Monday, July 29, 2013. Tournament winners, whose victories are considered official, of tournaments from the Federation Tours since the prior year s Bridgestone Invitational (with an Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating of 115 points or more). The winner of the following tournaments from each of the following Tours: Japan Golf Tour Championship (2013) and Bridgestone Open (2012) from the Japan Golf Tour; Australian PGA Championship (2012) from the Australasian Tour; Dimension Data Pro-Am (2013) from the Southern Africa Tour; and Thailand Golf Championship (2012) from the Asian Tour. FedExCup Points: 550 Purse: $8,7500,000; Winner s Share: $1,500,000; Format: 72-hole stroke play; no cut Defending Champion: Keegan Bradley How the Bridgestone Invitational was won in 2012 Keegan Bradley s first lead of the tournament came on the 72 nd hole when he made a 15-foot par putt to close with a 64. Fellow competitor Jim Furyk, who seemed destined to win the tournament all week, double-bogeyed the final hole to give Bradley his first World Golf Championships victory. With his victory in 2012, Keegan Bradley became the second-youngest different player to win a World Golf Championships event and the youngest other than Tiger Woods. Year Player Age (Y-M-D) Tournament 1999 Tiger Woods 23-07-30 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational 1999 Tiger Woods 23-10-08 World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship 2000 Tiger Woods 24-07-28 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational 2001 Tiger Woods 25-07-27 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational 2012 Keegan Bradley 26-01-29 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational More on Keegan Bradley Without a PGA TOUR victory in 2013, Bradley still ranks 13 th in the FedExCup standings on the strength of six top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Six top-10 finishes are tied for fifth on the PGA TOUR in 2013.
Finished T15 in his most recent start at The Open Championship. Global winners gather at Bridgestone Invitational The World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational brings together winners of golf tournaments from across the globe who have won events from various Tours within the International Federation of PGA Tours. Winners from different Tours play alongside members of the 2012 Ryder Cup teams as well as the remaining players from the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. There are 48 of the top 50 in the OWGR teeing it up this week. Not playing are Hunter Mahan (family) and Louis Oosthuizen (injury). Major champions among recent World Golf Championships winners In the last five years, the following players have won both a World Golf Championship and a major championship: Player WGC title(s) Major title(s) Keegan Bradley 2012 Bridgestone Invitational 2011 PGA Championship Ernie Els 2010 Cadillac Championship 2012 Open Championship Martin Kaymer 2011 HSBC Champions 2010 PGA Championship Phil Mickelson 2009 Cadillac Championship, 2009 HSBC Champions 2010 Masters, 2013 Open Championship Justin Rose 2012 Cadillac Championship 2013 U.S. Open Adam Scott 2011 Bridgestone Invitational 2013 Masters Tournament Field and player notes TIGER WOODS Tiger Woods has dominated the World Golf Championships since the series inception in 1999, but he experienced a bit of a drought from 2010-12. He hoisted his first World Golf Championships trophy since 2009 earlier this year at the Cadillac Championship. Woods record of 17 World Golf Championships event titles in 41 starts gives him a winning percentage of 41 percent in the series. Tiger Woods and the World Golf Championships Tournament Starts Victories Top 10s Accenture Match Play 13 3 7 Bridgestone Invitational 13 7 11 Cadillac Championship 13 7 12 HSBC Champions 2 0 2 Totals 41 17 32 Tiger Woods at the Bridgestone Invitational Year Finish 1999 1 2000 1 2001 1 2002 4 2003 T4 2004 T2 2005 1 Year Finish 2006 1 2007 1 2009 1 2010 T78 2011 T37 2012 T8 Woods official World Golf Championship Victories (17) Bridgestone Invitational 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 Accenture Match Play Championship 2003, 2004, 2008 Cadillac Championship 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012 PHIL MICKELSON Phil Mickelson returns to the PGA TOUR with hopes of continuing his stellar player in which he won back-toback weeks overseas at the European Tour s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, followed by his fifth career major championship at the Open Championship. Mickelson entered the final round of the 2013 Open Championship trailing Lee Westwood by five shots, but a 5-under 66 led to a three-stroke win over Henrik Stenson. The win was Mickelson s 42nd career PGA TOUR victory, which puts him at No. 9 in all-time victories, three behind Walter Hagen s 45 career wins. The victory moved Mickelson to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 2 in the FedExCup standings (he is currently No. 4).
With wins in each of the last 10 seasons on the PGA TOUR, Mickelson owns the longest active streak. Mickelson has won at least one tournament in 20 different TOUR seasons, trailing only Sam Snead (24) and Jack Nicklaus (21). Mickelson has played in the Bridgestone Invitational in each of the 14 years it has been held. His best finish came in the inaugural event (1999) when he finished runner-up. In his last 10 attempts at the Bridgestone Invitational, he has one top-20 finish, a T4 in 2008. HUNTER MAHAN Second-round leader Hunter Mahan withdrew from last week s RBC Canadian Open inside of an hour before his thirdround tee time Saturday when he received news that his wife Kandi had gone into labor with the couple s first child. He also has decided to forego playing at this year s Bridgestone Invitational to spend more time with his wife and daughter. "I have elected to officially withdraw myself from the WGC Bridgestone Invitational so that I can take the opportunity to spend this precious first week at home with Zoe. I intend to resume my playing schedule at the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill. I would like to thank the PGA Tour for supporting my decision not to play this week." Statement from Hunter Mahan after his WD from the RBC Canadian Open: "I received exciting news a short time ago that my wife Kandi has gone into labor with our first child. As a result, I have withdrawn from the RBC Canadian Open to return to Dallas. I would like to extend my very sincere gratitude and appreciation to RBC and the RBC Canadian Open. Kandi and I are thrilled about this addition to the Mahan family and we look forward to returning to the RBC Canadian Open in the coming years." Following the birth of their daughter, Mahan released the following statement: Hunter and Kandi Mahan are overjoyed to announce the birth of their beautiful and healthy daughter, Zoe Olivia Mahan, 5lbs 11oz, born at 3:26 AM on July 28th, 2013. Mom and baby are doing great. "It is hard to put into words how truly incredible this moment is," said Hunter Mahan. "Kandi and I wish to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and well wishes that we have received in the last day." BRANDT SNEDEKER Snedeker won for the second time in 2013 at the RBC Canadian Open, joining Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar and Phil Mickelson as the only multiple-tournament winners in 2013. It is Snedeker s sixth career PGA TOUR victory. Snedeker s TOUR wins (6): 2007 Wyndham Championship, 2011 The Heritage, 2012 Farmers Insurance Open, 2012 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, 2013 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and 2013 RBC Canadian Open. Snedeker moves to No. 3 in the FedExCup standings. He trails Tiger Woods by 303 points. Snedeker, the 2012 FedExCup champion, held the lead for seven weeks earlier this year before Woods took over the lead for the last 19 weeks. Snedeker has the second-most wins on TOUR since 2011: Tiger Woods (7), Brandt Snedeker (5), Rory McIlroy (5). He is tied with Bill Haas for the season lead on TOUR with eight top-10 finishes. His eight top 10s is a career best. He had seven each of the last two years (2011 and 2012). Snedeker has played in the Bridgestone Invitational on three previous occasions, but has yet to finish in the top 30 at Firestone Country Club. LEE WESTWOOD Lee Westwood is playing in his 43 rd career World Golf Championships event, the most of any player in World Golf Championships history. He remains winless in World Golf Championships event but has four top-10 finishes at the Bridgestone Invitational, including a T2 in 2008. Most World Golf Championships Appearances (Accenture, Cadillac, Bridgestone, Official HSBC) Lee Westwood 43 Tiger Woods 41 Ernie Els 41 Padraig Harrington 40 Phil Mickelson 39 Retief Goosen 39 Jim Furyk 39
The Presidents Cup teams shaping up The top 10 U.S. players who earn the most official PGA TOUR money beginning with the 2011 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola through the 2013 Deutsche Bank Championships, with money earned this year counting as double, will automatically make the U.S. Team. The top 10 international players (excluding those eligible for the European Ryder Cup team) from the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday, September 2 (post-deutsche Bank Championship), will automatically make the International Team. Fred Couples and Nick Price, captains of the U.S. and International Teams, respectively, will round out their teams with two captain s picks each on Wednesday, September 4. With just a handful of events remaining on the schedule before the teams are solidified, the Bridgestone Invitational will play a significant role in the make-up of the squad. With the exception of No. 6, Hunter Mahan, All players from No. 1-No. 20 in the U.S. Team standings are in the field at the Bridgestone Invitational. With 2.8 million points on the line to the winner, anyone in the top 25 could potentially move into the top 10 with a victory. U.S. Team Standings Rank Player Points 1 Tiger Woods 18,481,771 2 Brandt Snedeker 14,831,427 3 Phil Mickelson 14,152,641 4 Matt Kuchar 13,814,215 5 Bill Haas 9,594,542 6 Hunter Mahan 9,562,588 7 Keegan Bradley 8,822,950 8 Webb Simpson 8,317,603 9 Steve Stricker 8,209,513 10 Dustin Johnson 8,133,408 11 Bubba Watson 7,669,908 12 Zach Johnson 7,636,029 13 Billy Horschel 6,841,635 14 Jason Dufner 6,809,039 15 Kevin Streelman 6,292,426 16 Jim Furyk 6,022,163 17 Nick Watney 5,924,102 18 D.A. Points 5,873,515 19 Rickie Fowler 5,869,509 20 Boo Weekley 5,611,618 From the International side, the player making the most noise recently has been Japan s Hideki Matsuyama. Matsuyama, who finished T10 at the U.S. Open and T6 at The Open Championship to go along with two Japan Golf Tour wins, has elevated himself to No. 33 in the Official World Golf Ranking after starting the season No. 127. His play on both the Japan Golf Tour and in recently major championships has also moved him to No. 7 in the standings. A strong finish at the Bridgestone Invitational could solidify his position for his first-ever Presidents Cup appearance. International Team Standings Rank Player Points 1 Adam Scott 7.58 2 Louis Oosthuizen 4.75 3 Charl Schwartzel 4.71 4 Ernie Els 4.69 5 Jason Day 4.38 6 Branden Grace 3.34 7 Hideki Matsuyama 3.05 8 Richard Sterne 2.99 9 Angel Cabrera 2.61 10 Tim Clark 2.34 11 Thongchai Jaidee 2.29 12 George Coetzee 2.09 13 Marc Leishman 2.07 14 Graham DeLaet 2.04 15 Geoff Ogilvy 1.87
Countries, players represented in the field Total Players 73 Total Countries 19 USA 30 England 7 South Africa 5 Sweden 5 Australia 4 Spain 3 Japan 3 Scotland 3 Italy 2 Northern Ireland 2 Argentina 1 Belgium 1 Denmark 1 Finland 1 Germany 1 Ireland 1 Korea 1 Thailand 1 Wales 1 First-time participants There are 19 players participating in their first-ever Bridgestone Invitational this week, including seven who will make their World Golf Championships debut. First-time Bridgestone Invitational participants Player Country First WGC? Aphibarnrat, Kiradech THA No Blixt, Jonas SWE Yes Duke, Ken USA No English, Harris USA Yes Ernst, Derek USA Yes Gainey, Tommy USA Yes Henley, Russell USA No Horschel, Billy USA Yes Ilonen, Mikko FIN Yes Lynn, David ENG No Matsuyama, Hideki JPN Yes Merrick, John USA No Olesen, Thorbjorn DNK No Ramsay, Richie SCO No Simpson, Webb USA No Streelman, Kevin USA No Thompson, Michael USA No Van Zyl, Jaco RSA No Wood, Chris ENG No FedExCup notes Twenty-five of the top 30 in the FedExCup standings are in the Bridgestone Invitational field. With 550 points awarded to the winner, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker and Phil Mickelson (ranked No. 2, 3 and 4, respectively) have the opportunity to overtake current leader Tiger Woods with a victory. Only three weeks (and four events) remain for players to earn FedExCup points and improve their position heading into the FedExCup Playoffs. Defending champion Brandt Snedeker has played a central role in the FedExCup in its brief history: Only rookie to qualify for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in the inaugural FedExCup season in 2007. Captured the FedExCup in 2012, thanks to a victory at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola along with top-10 finishes at The Barclays (2) and the Deutsche Bank Championship (T6). As an encore, his two-win performance in 2013 has ensured he will be the first defending FedExCup champion to qualify for to the TOUR Championship the following year. At the conclusion of the 2013 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, the TOUR will crown the FedExCup Champion and the Arnold Palmer Award and Byron Nelson Award winners will be determined. Additionally, the Jack Nicklaus Award for Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year award ballots will be distributed, marking the first time in the FedExCup era where all season ending awards are determined or put in process at the conclusion of the TOUR Championship. With three multiple winners and three different major champions in 2013, the FedExCup Playoffs are certain to play a significant role in the crowning of the PGA TOUR Player of the Year.
The FedExCup has important implications for players, beyond their current season's achievements. Simply qualifying for the playoffs offers substantial benefits beyond the current season, and the further a player advances, the deeper the opportunities stretch. Among the notable benefits: For the first time in 2013, the top-125 players on the final FedExCup points list (as well as the traditional top-125 on the money list through the Wyndham Championship) will be fully exempt for the 2013-14 season. Season-ending top 30 in FedExCup standings earn exemptions into the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship. For the 2015 Presidents Cup, points for the U.S. Team will be in the form of FedExCup points rather than money, with 2014-15 points doubled. Several notable players are on the bubble of the top 125 in the FedExCup standings are in the Bridgestone Invitational field, namely Nicolas Colsaerts (125), Martin Kaymer (131), Tommy Gainey (135) and Peter Hanson (140).