The Starter, Round 3: Bridgestone Invitational

text size

Aug. 6, 2010

The third round of the Bridgestone Invitational tees off Saturday. Here's a preview:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
7:55 a.m. ET, No. 1		Tiger Woods, J.B. Holmes Things can't get much worse for Woods, but look for him to make a run while the world is waking up.
1:45 p.m. ET, No. 1		Phil Mickelson, Peter Hanson Lefty was a Friday double-bogey short of playing in the final group, but he'll be lurking all weekend.
1:55 p.m. ET No. 1		Retief Goosen, Justin Leonard Feels like a final pairing of old, doesn't it? Both have minimized mistakes and taken advatange of birdie opportunities.

MORE ROUND 3: Tee times | Inside the field | Inside the course

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Fred Albers previews Round 3:

In a sad sort of way, Tiger Woods' erratic tee shots have been a bonus for the fans in Akron this week. Tiger has hit eight fairways in 36 holes with several very wide misses. The bonus comes when Tiger hits his drive outside the gallery ropes and fans can get right next to Woods as he hits his recovery shot. Every wayward drive Tiger hits results in a stampede from the gallery who rush to get next to the ball and a close up of the world's No. 1 player (for now).

Saturday's forecast

Sunny and clear
Temp: 81 high/60 low
Chance of precipitation: 0 percent. Winds from NW at around 10 mph.

If Bubba Watson starts missing fairways in his third round, don't panic. Watson doesn't mind. The long-hitting lefty has hit 12 fairways this week, but the rough doesn't bother him. Watson says he has spent his entire career playing out of the rough, and he knows how to curve the ball out of trouble. He'd rather hit into a green from 100 yards out the rough than from 175 yards in the fairway. He is averaging 316 yards per drive this week.

You won't see Lee Westwood this weekend. He could have taken over the No. 1 ranking in the world this week with a victory at the Bridgestone Invitational, but instead he won't even finish the tournament. Westwood withdrew when his lingering ankle injury caused him discomfort enroute to a second-round 76. He has also withdrawn from next week's PGA Championship and may not play for six weeks, hoping to be fully recovered by the Ryder Cup in October.

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Bill Masching, head instructor at TOUR Academy New York, analyzes the playing conditions this week:

Round 2 is over and Retief Goosen is on top of the leaderboard after shooting a 4-under 66. I noticed that he and only a few players in the top 10 birdied the toughest hole on the course. The 4th hole at Firestone plays 471 yards and has a fairway that slopes from right to left. Playing from different situations is what makes taking your game from the practice tee to the golf course such a challenge.

For right handed golfers the 4th fairway produces an approach above your feet, featuring a side hill, hanging lie. Understanding how to set up correctly and what to expect when the ball is above your feet is 90 percent of the battle. The ball is closer to you in this position, so stand a little farther away and grip down on the club. Stand a little taller and keep your balance on the balls of your feet. Remember that most people hit the ground first because they fail to adjust to this situation and swing too hard. Lastly, this is a hook lie, so aim a little bit to the right and allow for your golf ball to curve to the left. Take a playing lesson with your TOUR Academy instructor and your course management will improve.

The Film Room

	Round 2 Highlights: 2010 Bridgestone Invitational Retief Goosen leads by one stroke heading into the weekend at the Bridgestone Invitational. Watch it
	Shot of the Day: Haas on the 6th Bill Haas sticks his approach from 158 yards away on the par-4 6th hole to set up an easy birdie in Round 2 of the Bridgestone Invitational. Watch it
	PGA TOUR Today: August 7, 2010 Retief Goosen leads at 7-under while Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard are just one shot back. Casey Black reflects on the second round and previews what to expect this weekend at the Bridgestone Invitational. Watch it