AKRON, Ohio -- An obvious and stated goal this year for Tiger Woods was to make it to Firestone Country Club. He became especially keen to do so when word trickled out that the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was coming here for the final time this week.
Woods has won at Firestone eight times, and it is the site of his most recent PGA Tour victory, in 2013. Making it to the Bridgestone occurred only when Woods tied for sixth at The Open two weeks ago and by the slimmest of margins slipped into the top 50 in the world, one of the qualifying criteria for the tournament.