WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Preview: Zach is Back for More

The unofficial final stretch of the PGA Tour season is upon us. In years past that meant the PGA Championship followed by the void, but now there's actually reason to pay attention. Sure, we've already booked three majors, and the bulk of the excitement has passed, but there's still an interesting major just a couple weeks away as well as a WGC event and, of course, the FedEx Playoffs.

Although the PGA Championship lost some of its luster when Jordan Spieth was unable to capture to The Open Championship a few weeks back, there's still plenty of intrigue as there will be any number of sub plots to keep an eye on. Will Spieth capture his third major of the season? Will Jason Day finally break through and win the major he seemingly deserves? Will Rory even tee it up, and if he does, will he be effective? What about Dustin Johnson and his return to Whistling Straights? So many stories, here's hoping that at least one of those plot lines pays off.

Let's not overlook this week's event, though. It's a WGC event, and I for one am interested in seeing if Jordan Spieth can dominate here like he has at the majors this season. Speaking of Spieth, will he have anything left in the tank to make a FedEx Cup run? Sure, on the list of important events, the FedEx is well below any of the majors, but it's still a great test and is another hurdle for Spieth to cross. Yes, NFL training camps are well under way, and the attention of most of the country is on the upcoming football season, but don't bury the 2015 PGA Tour season yet, it's not quite dead.

This week: WGC-Bridgestone Invitational - Firestone Country Club (South), Akron, Ohio

Last Year: Rory McIlroy shot a final-round 66 on his way to a two-stroke victory over Sergio Garcia.

PLAYERS TO CONSIDER

Zach Johnson

Johnson's history at this event is a bit scattered, but he has played well here in spots and it goes without saying that he's in good form entering this week ... unless he's still partying with the Claret Jug.

Justin Rose

Rose was a popular pick last week, and for the most part he didn't disappoint. Rose knows how to get around this course, which is something that not many in the field can say. Expect another strong showing from Rose this week.

Keegan Bradley

I'm not the biggest Bradley fan. After all, he hasn't really lived up to the hype that followed his PGA Championship win a few years back. But no matter the expectations, he's always played well at Firestone. Bradley has three top-5s here in four starts.

Jim Furyk

Not the most exciting pick, but he's never missed the cut here! OK, so no one has. But seriously, Furyk has been extremely reliable here over the years, and there's no reason to think that will change this time around.

Adam Scott

Scott picked up a huge win here in 2011 and backed that up with a couple good showings the last two years at this event. Scott's form has slowly improved throughout the year, and I have a feeling he's about to peak either this week or next.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Phil Mickelson

This is quite simply not Mickelson's event, never has been. Mickelson does have five top-10s here in 16 tries, but none since 2008. he had more finishes outside the top 40 than he does inside the top 20 the last six years.

Bill Haas

Remember when Haas was in the lead last week? That didn't last long as he crumbled when he took the lead on Sunday. That's certainly not a good sign for Haas this week, and combined with his lackluster track record, it's best to wait for the FedEx when thinking about Haas.

Jordan Spieth

He's undoubtedly the best player going, but if you happen to be in a spot where you've yet to use Spieth, then you might as well wait one more week and use him at the PGA Championship. Spieth will likely fare much better than the T49 than he posted last year, but I don't expect a win in Akron.

Sangmoon Bae

Bae is surprisingly ranked 31st on the FedEx Cup points list. Surprising because he's played poorly for the better part of the last five months. It's not going to get any easier this week as the field is as tough as it gets and the course isn't any easier.

Graeme McDowell

McDowell posted a top-10 here last year, but prior to that he struggled mightily at this event. So much so that the top-10 from last year looks like an aberration, one that won't be repeated this year.

ONE AND DONE GOLFER

Last week: Will Wilcox (T21) - $61,193; Season - $5,145,022

This week: Keegan Bradley - It's nice to have a player with Bradley's potential available this late in the season. Has he disappointed for the most part this year? Yes, but the potential is always there, and hopefully being back in Akron will bring out the best in him.

YAHOO PICKS

Points: 4,696
Rank: 7,374

This Week:

Group A: Jim Furyk, Adam Scott

Group B: Justin Rose, Zach Johnson, Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama

Group C: Keegan Bradley, Patrick Reed

SURVIVOR PICK

Last week: Johnson Wagner (MC); Streak - 0

This week: no cut