Local Knowledge: 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

Local Knowledge: 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

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T.J. Auclair, Interactive Producer August 1, 2013


This week's World Golf Championships-BridgestoneInvitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, is the start of a grueling stretch on the PGA Tour, one that also includes next week's PGA Championship and four playoff events over the next seven weeks.

Keegan Bradley returns to Firestone as the defending champion, while Phil Mickelson makes his first start since winning the Open Championship at Muirfield. Tiger Woodswill also be at Firestone and he's a player you always have to look out for there, where he's won seven times in his illustrious career.

Before the start of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, we caught up with Firestone PGA Head Professional David Champagne for a little Q&A. Champagne talked about the course conditions, the similarities between Firestone and Oak Hill (site of the PGA Championship) and more.

PGA.com: David, as always, we appreciate your time. We've reached that time of year, where it seems there's one big tournament after another. This week marks one of the biggest in terms of non-majors on the PGA Tour schedule with the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone. Can you give our readers a little insight into how the course is playing right now?

Champagne:We're very excited about the upcoming week. The weather forecast looks great and should produce some ideal scoring conditions. We have encountered a great deal of rain leading up to the tournament, not allowing the course to play as firm as we had hoped for, but the overall condition of the golf course is perfect.


PGA.com: Sometimes when there's a tournament the week before a major, players are there trying to prepare for the major. That's never the case at a World Golf Championship event -- players are trying to win that tournament. That said, are there any similarities that you can pinpoint between Firestone and Oak Hill?

Champagne:Growing up in Rochester, N.Y., I have had the fortune of playing both of these great golf courses. I do see some similarities in that Oak Hill and Firestone are both more of your old, traditional style golf courses. Narrow, tree-lined fairways will put a premium on ball striking especially at Oak Hill as they set up the golf course for a major. I like the fact both courses are pretty straight forward and they require you to be on top of your game. They always seem to produce great champions.

PGA.com: It's been a wild year so far. Tiger Woods has won four times. The majors have been fantastic. How much more exciting is it for you to host a tournament when so many of the Tour superstars are seemingly on top of their respective games?

Champagne:It's always a highlight of our year at Firestone. It's a great stretch of championships with the Open Championship, WGC at Firestone, and the PGA Championship all played within a month time frame. We always have one of the best fields of the year for the WGC here at Firestone. With so many of the top players in the world present, our Championship seems to always make for exciting finishes.

PGA.com: Will you have a chance to get out and watch any golf during tournament week? If so, what is it you're looking for when you watch the top players? I would think -- unlike most of us spectators -- you probably look at things with a more critical eye.

Champagne:I will probably not have much time to watch from the course. I try and make a little time to visit the practice areas to watch the players working on their games. From a teaching standpoint, I enjoy analyzing practice habits and swing techniques from the top players in the world. I always look for thoughts and ideas of how the best get better.

PGA.com: Last question for you, David. What -- in your eyes -- would make for a perfect tournament week at Firestone?

Champagne:Well, it would be perfect if I was playing in the tournament but all joking aside, I am looking forward to Firestone hosting another World Golf Championship. The act of helping local charities and being part of the camaraderie amongst the Firestone members and staff always makes for a great week. We look forward to crowning another great champion and hope everyone involved has a safe, productive, and fun filled experience. Accomplishing all of the above mentioned would make for a perfect week.

Women's British Open: Park three off lead

Women's British Open: Park three off lead

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The Sports Xchange August 1, 2013The SportsXchange



American Morgan Pressel took the early clubhouse lead with a 6-under round of 66 in the first round of the Women's British Open on Thursday, with Sweden's Camilla Lennarth joining her atop the leaderboard with a birdie on the 18th hole later in the day.

Fifty-four players finished the first round under par on The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, including Inbee Park, who grinded out a 3-under round of 69 on a "rollercoaster" day. Park is seeking to become the first golfer - male or female - to win four major professional championships in the same calendar year.

Park reached 6-under through 10 holes, but scuffled down the stretch with a double bogey and two bogeys on the back nine. She managed to make three putts from 15-plus feet and finished with her seventh birdie of the day on 18.

"I played very good on the front nine and then I had a little bit shaky on the back nine," Park said. "But I still feel really good about the game. I was 6-under through 10 holes and that means I could do the same thing tomorrow.

"There was a couple of bad drives and a couple of bad putts on the back nine, but it's the first round, and could have been much better. A little bit disappointing, but I'm glad that I've done that in the first round instead of the final round."

Americans Nicole Castrole, Stacy Lewis, Sydnee Michaels and Ryann O'Toole are among seven players one shot off the lead. Lewis carded five birdies on the back nine. South Koreans Na Yeon Choi, Eun-Hee Ji and Mi-Jeong Jeon also sit at 5-under.

"I got more comfortable with my putter, made a couple of good putts for par," Lewis said. "To come away, shooting 5-under on the back nine on this golf course, I don't care if it's calm or if it's windy, it's a good score, so I'm very happy with the day."

Park won the U.S. Women's Open in July, the LPGA Championship in June and the Kraft Nabisco Championships in April. If she can't get a fourth major title in Scotland, another chance exists with the Evian Masters, added as a fifth major this season.

Bobby Jones won four majors in a calendar year, but two were amateur championships. He won the British Open, U.S. Open and the amateur events at those two tournaments.

Tigers Woods won the 2001 Masters after winning the British Open, PGA Championship and U.S. Open in 2000, giving him four successive major title wins.

"I was a little bit nervous this morning before I teed off," Park said. "But then once the round started, and especially playing so good in the first few holes, that really gave me a lot of confidence.

"I didn't feel much pressure when I was playing during the round. I'm just glad that it is already started and I got the first round under my belt."

Golf-Simpson takes early control at Firestone, Tiger lurks

Golf-Simpson takes early control at Firestone, Tiger lurks

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August 1, 2013


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio, August 1 (Reuters) - It was case of love at first sight for Webb Simpson on his debut at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational as he spectacularly charged into an early one-shot lead in Thursday's opening round.

While seven-times winner Tiger Woods also made a strong start, firing a four-under-par 66, Simpson seized control of the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event with an eight-birdie 64.

On a breezy day of sunshine and sporadic cloud cover atFirestone Country Club, the former U.S. Open champion was in sizzling form on the greens, totalling only 22 putts to end the round a stroke in front of Swede Henrik Stenson.

Woods, who has triumphed a season-high four times on the 2013 PGA Tour, mixed six birdies with two bogeys to sit a further shot back, level with fellow American Ryan Moore and Englishman Chris Wood.

Simpson was elated to be the early tournament front-runner after taking full advantage of advice from his experienced caddie on how to play the heavily tree-lined Firestone layout.

"It was a great start," the 27-year-old American told reporters after setting the tone for a low round with four birdies in his first nine holes.

"My caddie has been here so many years and I just had to listen to him. He basically showed me where to go yesterday and told me where to hit it, where the lines were, what clubs to hit.

"Today was one of those days where I just saw the lines well, and my speed was really good. You've got to have great speed because there's so much slope in the greens.

"And the better the speed, the bigger the hole," said Simpson, who missed out on making his debut at Firestone last year due to the birth of his daughter Willow.


IMPROVING FORM

Simpson has not triumphed on the PGA Tour since he clinched his maiden major victory at the 2012 U.S. Open but he has been encouraged by his improving form on the U.S. circuit this season.

"It's encouraging and frustrating because I haven't won and yet I'm 17th in FedExCup (standings)," he said. "I feel like I've let a couple of tournaments go that maybe I should have closed out or at least I should have contended more."

Simpson has recorded four top-10s in 18 starts on the 2013 PGA Tour, his best finish a playoff loss to Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell at the RBC Heritage in April.

"If I'm getting better, I'm happy," said Simpson. "And I do feel like I'm getting better, I just don't have the results this year to show it."

Woods has certainly had the results with four PGA Tour wins this season and he swiftly moved into familiar territory at Firestone, covering his back nine in four-under 31 to rocket up the leaderboard.

"I felt pretty good today," said the 14-times major champion. "It was a little blustery, the wind was up and the greens were soft but at least the ball was flying.

"I feel very good about what I'm doing with basically my whole swing. I hit a lot of good shots. I had a really good feel for the distance today. I thought I putted well. I had a good speed to it."

Woods has won a record seven times at Firestone, and has piled up a staggering 11 top-10 finishes in 13 appearances at the elite event.

"For some reason this golf course, I just see it," said the world number one. "It's just one of those venues. Luckily over the years I've taken advantage of it. I have played well and I've scored well, and I've won my share of tournaments here."

Defending champion Keegan Bradley, British Open winner Phil Mickelson and Northern Irish world number three Rory McIlroy were among the late starters in the 73-man field. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)