Scotland’s Marc Warren will bring the number of European Tour members heading for the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational to 35 after securing his Firestone County Club entry off the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
Warren entered last week’s Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play ranked 58th, but five straight victories saw the 29 year old reach the semi-finals, securing enough points to break into the all-important top 50 and end the week ranked 49th in the world.
It will be a Firestone debut for Warren, who was naturally delighted to continue his excellent form of 2015, during which time he has climbed from 71st in the world to his current position of 49th.
Not the view Marc Warren will see but this week will mark his first appearance in the WGC- Bridgestone Invitational. (Photo – www.pgatour.com)
“Obviously it’s going to be my first experience of the Bridgestone Invitational next week. I have watched it on TV and it looks like a great golf course, so I’m looking forward to seeing it and playing there,” said Warren.
“It’s nice to be making the trip to America a week early having got into such a big event with all the best players in the world involved. That’s where we all want to be so hopefully I can go there and play well because I have played well in America over the last year or so.
“It’s a great three weeks coming up now with a WGC, the last Major of the year at the US PGA and then heading back to Europe to defend the Made in Denmark title.”
Warren is one of seven European Tour members making their debut in Ohio, joining Byeong Hun An, Andrew Dodt, Brooks Koepka, Anirban Lahiri, David Lipsky and Gary Stal. Of those, only An, the BMW PGA Championship winner, is making his first appearance in any WGC event.
Rory McIlroy and Swede Alex Noren are the only eligible European Tour members not playing the year’s third WGC, having failed to recover in time from ankle and rib injuries respectively.
McIlroy triumphed at Firestone last year for his first WGC title, overcoming Sergio Garcia – who led by three shots at the start of the final day – with a superb Sunday 66 to win by two, and won again the following week at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla.
All but one of the 17 editions of the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational have been staged at Firestone, the exception being 2002, when it was played at Sahalee Country Club.
Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson are the only players to have competed in all 17.
* Story with thanks www.europeantour.com
