Sign in/Register 
With the final major of 2017 just around the corner, the golf world prepares with a firecracker of a tournament in the form of the World Golf Championship (WGC) Bridgestone Invitational this week. The Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio, will play host to many of the world’s greatest golfers as they battle for supremacy prior to next week’s PGA Championship. You know what that means: it’s time for a preview!
Let’s dive right in and put the favourites under the microscope to kick things off.
In an era of golf devoid of an utterly dominant figure, I can’t help feeling like we should enjoy the short time we’ll have in which the term ‘favourites’ carries very little significance. Let’s face it, it will be a short time. At the risk of getting my feet wet here, can we really humour the idea that Jordan Spieth won’t have the entire golfing universe wrapped around his little finger in the very-near future? Anyway, before I slip into a full-blown ramble, let’s take a look at these so-called ‘favourites’- starting with the World Number One.
Dustin Johnson is virtually guaranteed to come in with the lowest odds in every tournament he plays, given his status as the world’s best golfer. His three consecutive wins between February and March (Genesis Open, WGC Mexico and WGC Match Play respectively) seemed to support this logic, although zero wins from his last seven tournaments suggests that the American may not be in such a commanding position anymore. However, he did win this tournament last year, so don’t write him off!
On the flip side, Rory McIlroy returned to form at the Open Championship with a T4 finish. The Northern Irishman has split from his long-term caddie J.P. Fitzgerald and will turn to his best friend, Harry Diamond, for this week’s WGC Bridgestone Invitational and likely for the PGA Championship next week. Whilst this move may be controversial, few can argue that change was needed for McIlroy, and perhaps a friendly face on the course could inspire the sort of composure he lacked in the closing stage of the recent Open Championship. McIlroy will be joined in his three-ball by World No. 2 Jordan Spieth, who will be looking to build on back-to-back victories in his last two outings- the Travelers Championship and the Open Championship. The young superstar came in at T3 on the same course last year, meaning he is in great form and knows how to play well on this course… I don’t envy the men tasked with beating the 24-year-old at Firestone Country Club.
Most bookmakers have Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose coming in at similar or equal odds of around 25/1. This may shock many people as Garcia’s Masters victory in the year’s first major has given the season a feeling that 2017 is the Spaniard’s year. In fact, that maiden major title is the only time he’s cracked the top ten of any tournament this calendar year. Meanwhile, while Rose is yet to claim a victory this year, the South-African-born Englishman has managed a couple of outright second-places (including that famous play-off loss to Garcia in this year’s Masters) and a pair of T4 finishes. The two 37-year-olds look pretty evenly matched for the World Golf Championship contest.
I mentioned Jordan Spieth and Jason Day sharing the third-place spoils in last year's event, so let's take a look at another man who took a share of those spoils: Matt Kuchar. Kuchar sits 12th in the Official World Golf Rankings- just one place above Justin Rose- thanks to his consistent form this season. The fan-favourite has a T4 and second-place in The Masters and The Open respectively this year and, with the PGA Championship set to conclude golf's 2017 majors next week, Kuchar will aim for the top spot that has been painfully elusive throughout his career. But if he wants to claim his first major next week then it'll be vitally important to prepare with a good score this week.
Will fortune favour the favourites? Will the Spieth Streak continue? It's all up for grabs in Ohio this week, and we can't wait to watch it all unfold!
Written by Joe Carabini
