Victorious Gleneagles Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley is singing the praise of Scotland’s Marc Warren ahead of the Scot making his WGC – Bridgestone Invitational debut.
McGinley, who contested nine Bridgestone Invitational events in succession from 2000 to 2008, is in Ohio this week working with SKY Sports.
He said: “Marc’s first appearance in this event is very well deserved and he’s been making great progress these last few years.
“He’s also, as we saw last week in Scotland, a player very much in form.
Paul McGinley on duty for SKY this week but singing the praise of Marc Warren.
“But then he’s been on that top-50 bubble for some time now and these two weeks could very well see him really cement his place in the top-50, and these are the type of events that can do wonders for your World Ranking.”
And Warren intends using this fortnight of competition in the States to ease a season of uncertainty competing in the Majors and World Golf Championship events.
Warren qualified for the $9.25m WGC after breaking back into the Word’s top-50 on the back of his strong showing in last week’s Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match-Play event at Murcar.
Scotland’s top-ranked Warren is making his Bridgestone debut on the back of his strong showing in last week’s Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match-Play event at Murcar.
Warren moved to 49th in the world to ensure he now will have contested all four WGC events including also making his debut showing earlier this year in two others – WGC – Cadillac Championship and WGC – Cadillac Match-Play Championship.
Marc Warren and Shane Lowry signing flags for fans ahead of a back nine practice round.
However there has been the scenario also this season, as was the case at the Valero Texas Open, of Warren needing to finish top-20 in San Antonio and not have others competing in Morocco that same week go past him on the World Rankings.
As well, Warren had forced his way into last month’s Open Championship just a week earlier in sharing fourth place at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
He said: “Being here this week completes the set for me as I will have played all four WGCs so that’s nice.
“Of course, they are the events you want to be contesting and even though this week will be my first experience of contesting the Bridgestone it’s just great to be teeing up in the bigger events.
“I watched this tournament a lot of TV seeing Tiger win some of his famous victories.
Marc Warren’s first shot on the Firestone CC course.
“But while there’s no category for someone like Tiger, who’s won the tournament eight times, I am thrilled to making my debut.
“Then that is how a career pans out as Tiger’s is on the down side of his career whereas I hopefully will be playing many more Majors and these WGCs.
“But unlike Tiger these events are still new to me and I am trying to establish myself at this level though the last few years I feel as though I can compete at this level.
“And as far as World Rankings points go they don’t get any bigger than these two weeks so there is the possibility of two strong performances this fortnight of really nailing down my place in the world’s top-50 heading into 2016.
“But then that will be a by-product of playing good golf.”
Warren arrived into Akron late on Tuesday night local time and got his first look at this week’s Firestone County Club host venue playing a back nine practice round in the company of the Irish pair of Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry.
