Notebook, Round 1: Bridgestone Invitational

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Weather: Mostly cloudy in the morning with light rain giving way to partly cloudy conditions in the afternoon with a high of 87 degrees. Winds W 10-15 mph.

In his first start at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, Bubba Watson fired a 6-under-par 64 to lead Graeme McDowell (66), Phil Mickelson (66), Kenny Perry (66) and Adam Scott (66) by two shots. A group of five players are three shots further back at 3-under-par 67.

MORE BRIDGESTONE

Leaderboard
Rd. 1 Wrap-up
Rd. 2 Tee Times
Live Report
Scorecard: Watson
Scorecard: Woods
Transcripts
Photos: Round 1

Bubba Watson (64, -6) 1st

Watson carded a 6-under-par 64 to lead the Bridgestone Invitational after the first round. The Bridgestone Invitational represents the first time during his PGA TOUR career Watson has held the lead/co-lead following the first round. His previous career-best standing following the first round in a TOUR event was a T2 at the 2006 Crowne Plaza Invitational and 2009 Bob Hope Classic. When Watson has held at least a share of the lead at the conclusion of any round he has never finished outside of the top 10.

Watson's 6-under-par 64 is his lowest first-round score on the PGA TOUR in 2010 and the second-lowest opening-round score of his TOUR career. He fired a 10-under-par 62 at the 2009 Bob Hope Classic. Watson carded a 65 in the first round of the Travelers Championship in June, his previous low first-round score in 2010, where he went on to claim his first PGA TOUR victory. He was T5 following the first round at TPC River Highlands.

Watson's lowest opening-round scores on the PGA TOUR:

Watson's 6-under-par 64 is one-stroke shy of the low first-round score at the Bridgestone Invitational, a 7-under-par 63 carded by Stewart Cink in 2003 and Adam Scott in 2006. The 6-under-par-64 equals the lowest first-round score by a player making their Bridgestone Invitational debut, previously accomplished by Ben Curtis in 2003.

Other than the event's inaugural year, no player has won the Bridgestone Invitational in his first appearance.

Graeme McDowell (66, -4) T2

U.S. Open champion McDowell birdied his last four holes to post a 4-under-par 66 Thursday, his lowest score since winning his first major championship, and is T2. In four previous appearances at the Bridgestone Invitational, McDowell has never finished better than a T45 (2009).

McDowell's T2 following the first round is his best position through 18 holes on the PGA TOUR since he shared the first-round lead at the 2008 British Open. He held the first-round lead on his own at the 2006 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and 2006 British Open.

Phil Mickelson (66, -4) T2

Mickelson's 4-under-par 66 equals his lowest opening-round score in 12 appearances at the Bridgestone Invitational. He also fired 66s in the opening round in 1999 and 2002. Mickelson's best finish at the Bridgestone Invitational since it became a World Golf Championships event was a solo second in his first start in 1999. He also posted top-five finishes in 2000 (T4) and 2008 (T4).

Mickelson's 66 in the first round is his lowest opening-round score on TOUR in 2010 and lowest since a 65 in the opening round of the 2009 CA Championship. He fired 67s earlier this season in the opening round at the Masters Tournament and the Memorial Tournament. He started the round on the back nine with a 1-over-par 36 but fired 5-under-par 30 on the front nine, one-stroke shy of Adam Scott's tournament record 6-under-par 29 in 2006.

Including today's opening-round 4-under-par 66, Mickelson has now carded sub-par scores in eight of his last nine World Golf Championships stroke-play rounds dating back to the 2009 HSBC Champions. He posted an even-par 72 in the third round of the CA Championship earlier this year.

Mickelson can overtake the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking with a victory this week or a top-four finish. If he finished T4, Tiger Woods would need to finish outside of the top 37 and Lee Westwood outside of the top two for Mickelson to move to No. 1.

Adam Scott (66, -4) T2

Scott posted a bogey-free 4-under-par 66 in Thursday's opening round, his lowest opening round at the Bridgestone Invitational since he equaled the tournament record low-first round with a 7-under-par 63 in 2006.

In seven previous starts at the Bridgestone Invitational, Scott's best result was a T10 in 2006. In 16 previous starts in World Golf Championships stroke-play events, Scott has only produced three top 10s. He finished T2 and T9 at the CA Championship in 2006 and 2008, respectively.

Scott's T2 following the first round is his best position following the opening 18 holes at a PGA TOUR event since he shared the opening-round lead at the 2008 Shell Houston Open.

Scott ended a PGA TOUR winless drought of 2 years, 20 days and 39 TOUR starts when he captured the Valero Texas Open outside San Antonio in May. The victory at the Valero Texas Open is Scott's only top 10 in 14 starts on TOUR this year.

Kenny Perry (66, -4) T2

Perry is making his ninth-consecutive start at the Bridgestone Invitational and Thursday's bogey-free 4-under-par 66 is his lowest opening-round effort. Perry's only top 10 at the Bridgestone Invitational was a T6 in 2005.

In 17 starts on the PGA TOUR in 2010, Perry has posted just one top 10, a T6 at the season-opening SBS Championship.

Perry, who turns 50 next Tuesday (August 10), is expected to split time between the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour the remainder of the 2010 season. Should he go on to win this week he would become the oldest winner of a World Golf Championships event. Vijay Singh claimed the 2008 Bridgestone Invitational at the age of 45 years and 160 days.

Tiger Woods (74, +4) T70

Woods' posted a 4-over-par 74 Thursday, the highest score of his career at the Bridgestone Invitational and highest score in a World Golf Championships stroke-play event. Thursday's round also marked Woods' first over-par score in the opening round at the Bridgestone Invitational. In 36 previous rounds at Firestone Country Club (2002 Bridgestone Inv. held at Sahalee CC) Woods' highest score was a 2-over-par 72 in the second round in 2003. In nine previous first rounds in the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone CC, his highest score was a 2-under-par 68. In those previous nine opening rounds he was a cumulative 32-under-par.

Thursday's over-par round is only Woods' fifth in 37-career rounds in the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.

Tiger Woods' over-par scores in the Bridgestone Invitational:

Woods' opening round 5-over-par 75 is his highest opening round relative to par since a 6-over-par 76 at the 2006 U.S. Open Championship at Winged Foot GC.

Tiger Woods' highest opening-round scores relative to par:

Woods opened his first round with bogeys on Nos. 1 and 2 at Firestone Country Club. Woods had never opened a round bogey-bogey at Firestone Country Club, regardless of whether he started on the front nine or the back nine. Prior to today, Woods had never bogeyed the 526-yard, par-5 second in 36 Bridgestone Invitational rounds at Firestone Country Club and was a cumulative 30-under-par.

Following the first round of the Bridgestone Invitational Woods is T70, 10-shots behind Watson's 18-hole lead. Woods has twice come back from eight-shot deficits after the first round to win on the PGA TOUR. He was T95, eight shots back after an opening round 71 at the 2009 Buick Open and T83, eight-shots back at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational following an opening round 70.

Miscellaneous Stats

The first-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win just 7 of 32 stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR in 2010, most recently Matt Bettencourt at the Reno-Tahoe Open.

The first-round leader/co-leader has gone on win 4 of 11 times at the Bridgestone Invitational, most recently Tiger Woods in 2005.

Only Woods has won the week prior to the Bridgestone Invitational and gone on to win at Firestone Country Club, completing the double-dip three times in 2000 (PGA Championship -- Bridgestone Invitational), 2006 (PGA Championship -- Bridgestone Invitational) and 2009 (Buick Open -- Bridgestone Invitational). Stuart Appleby, who won last week at The Greenbrier Classic to earn an invitation into the field, will have his work cut out for him to join Woods following an opening round 4-over-par 74 (T70).

Like Mickelson, world No. 3 Lee Westwood also has the opportunity to overtake Tiger Woods as the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking with a victory. Playing with Woods in Thursday's first round, Westwood fired a 1-over-par 71 and is currently T37.

In his return to action after a three-month layoff following left thumb surgery, Anthony Kim posted a 5-over-par 75 (T74) in Thursday's opening round of the Bridgestone Invitational. Prior to the surgery Kim enjoyed a solid start to the 2010 campaign, winning the Shell Houston Open and posting three other top-10 results.

Thursday was not a good day for the three past champions of the Bridgestone Invitational in the field as Stewart Cink, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh were a combined 7-over-par. Cink fired a 2-over-par 72 (2004), Singh a 1-over-par 71 (2008) and Woods (1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) a 4-over-par 74.

There are 24 players making their Bridgestone Invitational debut in 2010. Other than the event's inaugural year in 1999, no player has ever won the Bridgestone Invitational in his first appearance. Here is a look at how this year's first timers fared in Thursday's first round:

In his first appearance at the Bridgestone Invitational, Japan's Ryo Ishikawa carded a 1-over-par 71 in Thursday's opening round. Entering this week, Ishikawa has earned $289,180 official and WGC money. If he makes $454,510 (150th from last year) during 2010 he will be offered Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the year. If he would join and make as much money as 126-150 this year he would be exempt into the final stage of the Qualifying Tournament. If he makes as much as #125 on the final money list he would be offered membership for 2011 as a Top 125 Nonmember. His category would fall right behind the top 125. His status for invitationals using the previous year's money list would be based only on his official money and would not include the WGC money used to determine membership.

Bogey-free rounds:
Kenny Perry (66), Adam Scott (66), Chad Campbell (67), Sean O'Hair (67), Paul Casey (68)