World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational Preview: Leaderboard
ADAM SCOTT’S world No.1 ranking is on the line this week at the last World Golf Championships event of the season – but the Aussie golfer was sounding anything but a loser ahead of the tournament.
Both British Open winner Rory McIlroy and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson have the opportunity to snatch Scott’s ranking this week if they win the Bridgestone Invitational at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, and have things go their way.
McIlroy would need to win and have Scott finish outside the top 5 while Stenson would need the Aussie to finish outside of 40th. Good luck with that.
Ahead of the tournament, which leads into the last major of the year next week – the PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville– Scott was more than happy with where his game is at and was focussing on his drive to be a “great” player.
“I’m so inspired to play and practice all the time and feel I am always on the cusp of something great happening,” he says in the PGA video embedded below.
McIlroy was making no secret of his intentions.
“World No.1 is a big goal of mine. I’ve never won a World Golf Championship. That’s another thing. I’ve got three majors but never won one of these and that’s another thing I’d like to knock off the list,” the Northern Irishman said.
The WGC tournament – a very lucrative event that features no weekend cut – has attracted a suitably strong field, including defending champion and eight time winner Tiger Woods.
Other Aussies in the field include Jason Day, Matt Jones, Steven Bowditch, Marc Leishman and John Senden.
Jason Day hampered by injury
Day has revealed he is still hampered by pain through his left thumb and wrist and is only at 70 percent coming into the event. He’s even been forced to change his grip.
“I’m still trying to be able to practise fully. I’m getting in practice but not at 100 per cent and it’s just really really frustrating,” he said this week.
“I am trying to change my grip quickly and it feels awful right now, so I’m not too sure how I’m going to go this week.
“Normally I come in a lot more prepared, but it is what it is. When you have an injury you have to work around it.
“I’m just trying to see where the game is for next week. And try to work on the positioning of the hands to bring less pain.”
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WGC – Bridgestone Invitational Leaderboard
WGC – Bridgestone Invitational Leaderboard