Mediate, Snedeker, others stamp tickets to Ohio

Villegas, Quinney, Curtis can still qualify with good show this week

The field for the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational is even closer to being set as several notable players including Rocco Mediate, Aaron Baddeley, Tim Clark and 2007 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Brandt Snedeker finished the week inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking to qualify for this year's event at Firestone Country Club's South Course in Akron, Ohio, July 28-Aug. 3.

While British Open Champion Padraig Harrington, who was already qualified for the field, moved to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking, 10 other players held on to their positions within the top 50 to earn a trip to the final World Golf Championships event of the 2008 season.

Players who are still on the outside looking in have one last chance to qualify for the field by moving into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking by Monday, July 28. Of the players ranked Nos. 51-75, there are nine players who have already qualified for this year's event via victories on their respective Tours. Of the remaining 16 players who are not otherwise qualified, nine are playing in tournaments this week and could move into the top 50 with a strong finish to earn a spot in the field.

Shingo Katayama (No. 51), Camilo Villegas (No. 52), Jeff Quinney (No. 54), 2008 AT&T Classic winner Ryjui Imada (No. 57), Pat Perez (No. 59), Jerry Kelly (No. 62), Carl Pettersson (No. 71) and Ohio native Ben Curtis (No. 72) are among the players of note who are on the outside looking in but could improve their position with a good finish this week.

The 85 players currently qualified are primarily tournament winners from International Federation of PGA Tour events (with a certain Strength of Field Rating), playing members of the 2007 U.S. and International Presidents Cup Teams or playing members of the 2006 U.S. and European Ryder Cup Teams and those not otherwise qualified who finished within the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of July 21, 2008 (see attached listing). Those players will be joined by winners of eligible events between now and the Bridgestone Invitational, as well as those inside the top 50 in the World Ranking, as described above.

Tickets to the Bridgestone Invitational can be purchased by calling the Championship Office at 1-877-942-4849, logging on to www.worldgolfchampionships.com or visiting Acme Fresh Market.