WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
Tournament information
Location Akron, Ohio
Established 1999
Course(s) Firestone Country Club
South Course
Par 70
Length 7,400 yards (6,767 m)
Tour(s) PGA Tour
European Tour (1999–2015)
Format Stroke play
Prize fund $9.25 million
Month played August
Tournament record score
Aggregate 259 Tiger Woods (2000)
To par −21 Tiger Woods (2000)
Current champion
Republic of Ireland Shane Lowry
2016 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
Firestone CC
Location in the United States

The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is a professional golf tournament, one of the annual World Golf Championships. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour. The event, sponsored by NEC through 2005 and known as the WGC-NEC Invitational, was established in 1999 as a successor to the World Series of Golf, which was also sponsored by NEC.

The tournament changed sponsorship in 2006, with Bridgestone taking over from NEC as title sponsor. As a part of the original five-year sponsorship agreement, the event continues to be held at its traditional site of the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. In August 2013, the sponsorship was extended through 2018.[1]

The WGC-NEC/Bridgestone Invitational

The current event has a field of about 75 players, roughly half the number for a standard professional golf event. Invitations are issued to the following:

From 1999 to 2001, only the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams were eligible and the field was about 40 players. Prior to 2011, both Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams were eligible.

All events have been held at the South Course of Firestone Country Club, except the 2002 edition. It was played at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington, which hosted the PGA Championship in 1998.

World Series of Golf

From 1976 through 1998, the PGA Tour event at Firestone Country Club was the "World Series of Golf," and was sponsored by NEC beginning in 1984. It was founded as a four-man invitational event in 1962, comprising the winners of the four major championships in a 36-hole event.[2] A made-for-television exhibition, the competitors played in one group for $75,000 in unofficial prize money, televised by NBC.

In 1976, it became a 72-hole, $300,000 PGA Tour event and its field was initially expanded to twenty;[3] the victory and $100,000 winner's share went to Nicklaus.[4] The largest first prize at a major in 1976 was $45,000 at the PGA Championship.

The World Series of Golf quickly became a leading event on the tour. For many years a victory in it gave a 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour, the same as was granted for a victory in a major championship at that time, and twice as long as is given even for winning a major now. The field consisted of the winners of all the high status men's professional golf tournaments around the world in the previous twelve months. This was quite different from the criteria for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational listed above, but produced much the same sort of global field.

Winners

YearPlayerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory
Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
2016
2015 Shane Lowry  Ireland 269 −11 2 strokes United States Bubba Watson 1,570,000
2014 Rory McIlroy  Northern Ireland 265 −15 2 strokes Spain Sergio García 1,500,000
2013 Tiger Woods (8)  United States 265−15 7 strokes United States Keegan Bradley
Sweden Henrik Stenson
1,500,000
2012 Keegan Bradley  United States 267 −13 1 stroke United States Jim Furyk
United States Steve Stricker
1,400,000
2011 Adam Scott  Australia 263 −17 4 strokes England Luke Donald
United States Rickie Fowler
1,400,000
2010 Hunter Mahan  United States 268 −12 2 strokes United States Ryan Palmer1,400,000
2009 Tiger Woods (7)  United States 268 −12 4 strokes Australia Robert Allenby
Republic of Ireland Pádraig Harrington
1,400,000
2008 Vijay Singh  Fiji 270 −10 1 stroke Australia Stuart Appleby
England Lee Westwood
1,350,000
2007 Tiger Woods (6)  United States 272 −8 8 strokes England Justin Rose
South Africa Rory Sabbatini
1,350,000
2006 Tiger Woods (5)  United States 270 −10 Playoff United States Stewart Cink 1,300,000
WGC-NEC Invitational
2005 Tiger Woods (4)  United States 274 −6 1 stroke United States Chris DiMarco 1,300,000
2004 Stewart Cink  United States 269 −11 4 strokes South Africa Rory Sabbatini
United States Tiger Woods
1,200,000
2003 Darren Clarke  Northern Ireland 268 −12 4 strokes United States Jonathan Kaye 1,050,000
2002* Craig Parry  Australia 268 −16 4 strokes Australia Robert Allenby
United States Fred Funk
1,000,000
2001 Tiger Woods (3)  United States 268 −12 Playoff United States Jim Furyk 1,000,000
2000 Tiger Woods (2)  United States 259 −21 11 strokes United States Justin Leonard
Wales Phillip Price
1,000,000
1999 Tiger Woods  United States 270 −10 1 stroke United States Phil Mickelson 1,000,000

*Note: the 2002 edition was played at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington

References

  1. Ridenour, Marla (August 4, 2013). "PGA Tour, Bridgestone extend contract to keep tournament at Firestone C.C. through 2018". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  2. "World Series of Golf back for final time". The Augusta Chronicle. AP. August 27, 1998. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  3. "Now golf has a real World Series". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. August 29, 1976. p. 7B.
  4. "Nicklaus silences his doubters". Palm Beach Post. wire services. September 6, 1976. p. D1.

External links

Coordinates: 41°00′29″N 81°30′29″W / 41.008°N 81.508°W / 41.008; -81.508

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