The best golf action in the world continues when the WGC Bridgestone Invitational tees off at Firestone Country Club. Some of the best golfers in the world will arrive to put their strokes to the test, including this year’s sensational Jordan Spieth. The 21-year-old has won two of the three majors this season and is set to continue his dominance. A handful of veterans are determined to put the brakes on Spieth’s rise, though.
Who exactly are these veterans? Read on for the three best sleeper picks heading to Firestone Country Club. Complete your WGC Bridgestone Invitational experience with our complete tournament preview here.
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2015 WGC Bridgestone Invitational Sleeper Picks and Predictions
Sergio Garcia
Sergio Garcia is a lovable underdog. He’s seemingly always in the mix in some of the toughest tournaments. Garcia finished sixth at the British Open this year and had a second-place finish at the PLAYERS Championship in May. A return to Firestone Country Club could spark another impressive run for the Spanish golfer.
[sc:Golf240banner ]Garcia ranked second at last year’s WGC Bridgestone Invitational, the first of three straight runner-up finishes. He’s done well at World Golf Championships events, finishing in the top three in three of his last five tournaments. Garcia is due for a big win especially considering how well he’s played this season. He ranks sixth on tour in total strokes gained (1.474) and fourth in scoring average (69.726).
The Spanish golfer should be near the top of the leaderboard at Firestone Country Club, where 12 of the 18 holes are Par 4s. Garcia ranks fifth in Par 4 scoring average (3.97) on tour.
Zach Johnson
How about that Zach Johnson? The 39-year-old pro golfer is having a sweet season with nine top 10s, putting the icing on the cake by winning the British Open with a 15-under par 273. It doesn’t seem too surprising in retrospect. After all, he ranked in the top six in three of his last four tournaments before winning his second career major title.
Johnson has made eight consecutive cuts leading up to the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, so you can be confident he’ll be in the mix until the fourth and final round of this tournament. He could also get to a hot start as he is ranked seventh on the tour with a Round 1 Scoring Average of 69.61. What helps Johnson in tournaments the most is his incredible driving accuracy which is at 73.42 percent, good for third on tour.
Marc Leishman
Marc Leishman has been cut in three of his last six tournaments. He ended that run with a bang by tying for second with a 15-under par 273 at this year’s British Open. Leishman may not be one of the hottest golfers out there judging by recent results, but he’s been killing it at World Golf Championships events. He finished ninth at the WGC-HSBC Championship with a seven-under par 281 and tied for ninth at the WGC Accenture Match at TPC Harding Park.
The Australian had also shown some promise at Firestone Country Club, missing out on last year’s title with a 12-under par 268. He trailed eventual champion Rory McIlroy’s score by just three strokes. Leishman should do well at this tournament with plenty of holes going well over 300 yards. He ranks eighth on tour in approaching the green from over 275 yards.
