2010 WGC Bridgestone Invitational: Predictions & Schedule

The first half of the 2010 men's professional golf season was an interesting one. We bear witness to the return of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson's thrilling performance at the Masters, and the Cinderella stories of Graeme McDowell & Louis Oosthuizen. The 2010 WGC Bridgestone Invitational will mark the start of the year's second half. The third World Golf Championship of 2010, scheduled for August 5-8, will feature the top 80 players in the world rankings. In this article, I will preview the 2010 WGC Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament and offer predictions.

No one has enjoyed more success at the Bridgestone Invitational than Mr. Tiger Woods. The world's top ranked player has won the event a record 7 times including three in a row from 1999-2001. More impressively, Woods has often won this golf tournament with sizable margins of victory. Tiger Woods has had his struggles this year, but the top American player has repeatedly proved that he can still perform well in the big events and on courses that he had previous successes. Woods is definitely the man to beat at one of his most favorite golf events.

Tiger Woods is surprisingly not the top attraction at this week's World Golf Championship. Instead, the event's spotlight will be on the newly crowned British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen. After his impressive victory at St. Andrews, many golf insiders have picked him as the next challenger to Woods' dominance. The 2010 Bridgestone Invitational will be Oosthuizen's first real opportunity to validate his major championship win. As this is his first appearance at the Firestone Country Club, the British Open champion will have to adjust quickly to the difficult course layout. But considering the fact that the South African won the Open on his first opportunity, it would be a real mistake to rule him out as a contender.

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Rory McIlroy is another strong contender for the WGC title. McIlroy's four rounds at the Open underscore the problems he has been fighting all season. The young Irish posted an Open record score of 63 in the first round, only to give it all back with an 80 in the second. His inconsistency has somewhat dimmed what is otherwise a fine season for him. The young superstar is definitely on the verge of achieving greatness, and the Bridgestone Invitational might just be his time to shine. If he could put together four solid rounds of golf, McIlroy has an excellent chance of winning this coveted World Golf Championship event.

My predictions for the 2010 WGC Bridgestone Invitational: Rory McIlroy wins his first big event; British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen finishes in the top 10. The World Golf Championship starts August 5 and will be broadcasted by the Golf Channel & CBS (US).