WGC-Bridgestone Invitational betting tips and preview
Information
Venue: Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio
Date: August 1-5, 2018
Course stats: Par 70; 7,400 yards
Purse: $10,000,000 (£7.6m)
Defending champion: Hideki Matsuyama (-16)
TV Times
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf from 6.30pm
Friday: Sky Sports Golf from 6.30pm
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf from 7.00pm
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf from 7.00pm
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational preview
The final World Golf Championship of the year takes place this week at Firestone Country Club in what will be its final renewal at the Akron venue. Indeed, next year, the tournament will move to Memphis to signal the end of the 19-year relationship.
That’s particularly bad news for Tiger Woods, who has eight wins around this layout in addition to holding the course record of 61. Wouldn’t it be fitting to see him win here for the final time, and who would bet against that happening? Woods briefly held the lead at Carnoustie just a few weeks ago in the final round, and he enters this week off the back of two top-six finishes. As a result, only last week’s winner Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy have a shorter price in the betting.
Hideki Matsuyama defends his title, while Francesco Molinari will be looking to continue his fine form in the first outing since his Open triumph.
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational betting tips
I’m trying to get away from Tiger Woods (12/1) here; after all, we’re talking about a player that hasn’t won a golf tournament in five years. But even at 12/1, in my view he rates as the best bet.
If you would have told me 12 months ago that I’d be backing Woods in a WGC event at 12s this year, I probably would have laughed at you.
I guess the concern here is that when Woods did hit the front at Carnoustie, a double-bogey and then a bogey immediately followed to effectively take him out of the running.
Can he deal with the pressure on a Sunday in a big tournament? Who knows, the likelihood is that he will never get that ruthless streak back. But, if he is to win again in a field as strong as this, it’s likely to come at Firestone – a golf course that he simply loves. Eight wins and a course record to boot – case closed.
He needed to make the top 50 in the world rankings after The Open to secure a spot here. It was nip and tuck for a while, but he eventually snuck in by the slimmest of margins to get a shot at winning here at Firestone for the final time before it moves to Memphis next year. The narrative is just too strong for him to not win, isn’t it?
So Keel’s been tempted by Tiger at 12/1, but where does he feel like some real money can be made? Check out his each-way tips on the next page…
Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
