Date<\/strong>: Thursday August 3 – Sunday Aug. 08 Time to let the big dogs eat. The South Course at Firestone Country Club, host of this week\u2019s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, plays as the Tour\u2019s longest par 70. It\u2019s also imperative to hit greens this week, however. <\/p>\n So the long hitters have to make sure their approaches are on target.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look at the hot picks.<\/p>\n Tiger Woods<\/strong><\/p>\n WGC-Bridgestone Invitational odds: +415<\/p>\n His odds won\u2019t correct themselves until perhaps next year if he goes winless in 2010. We\u2019ll have to just accept that sportsbooks still expect us to bet on this slumping Tiger at almost the same odds he had as a powerhouse last year. But he makes for a decent pick if you don\u2019t mind the small return. He\u2019s won this event seven times in its 11-year history and his length off the tee should help him again. Maybe Firestone can be his \u201chappy place\u201d?<\/p>\n Phil Mickelson<\/strong><\/p>\n WGC-Bridgestone Invitational odds: +1215<\/p>\n Because of his risky style, Lefty is hit-miss at the Bridgestone. He sandwiched a fourth-place finish between two dud efforts there over the last three years. He\u2019s not hot entering this year\u2019s tourney so I\u2019m not sure he\u2019ll light it up.<\/p>\n Lee Westwood<\/strong><\/p>\n WGC Bridgestone Invitational odds: +1415<\/p>\n Plenty of reasons to bet on Westwood. His last venture was a runner-up finish at the British Open. He\u2019s also cracked the top-10 at his last two Bridgestone Invitationals. Hard to argue with that combination of good history and hot play.<\/p>\n Rory McIlroy<\/strong><\/p>\n WGC-Bridgestone Invitational odds: +2050<\/p>\n Rory McIlroy will be hungry for revenge after starting strongly at the British Open only to slip and finish third. And he\u2019ll take out that frustration on the golf ball by launching his famous monster drives. He\u2019s definitely one of the best bets this week. Steve Stricker<\/strong><\/p>\n WGC-Bridgestone Invitational odds: +2250<\/p>\n Stricker certainly looks strong on paper this week. He finished sixth at the Bridgestone last year and was second in the field in birdies. He\u2019s also still one of the best putters out there. But you know what you get with Stricker: a great golfer who wins the little tournaments, not the bigger events with star-studded fields.<\/p>\n Luke Donald<\/strong><\/p>\n WGC-Bridgestone Invitational odds: +3250<\/p>\n The +3250 value is pretty good for Donald, who has a lot going for him right now. He has two top-10 finishes at the Bridgestone and leads the Tour in four different categories: Scrambling, scrambling from the rough, putting inside five feet and sand saves.<\/p>\n Paul Casey<\/strong><\/p>\n WGC-Bridgestone Invitational odds: +3250<\/p>\n The Brits continue to pop up on this list of contenders. The British bomber has four top-10 finishes on Tour this year. He also ranks 31st<\/sup> in driving distance, and 14th<\/sup> in the all-important greens in regulation category. But Casey isn\u2019t accurate off the tee and he\u2019s fresh off a missed cut at the Canadian Open.<\/p>\n Dustin Johnson<\/strong><\/p>\n WGC-Bridgestone Invitational odds: +5250<\/p>\n He\u2019s a sleeper but he actually has a decent shot to win this thing. Johnson is the third-longest hitter on Tour but, like Casey, also does a good job hitting greens in regulation. Given the value he gives you, Johnson makes for a cool pick. But I still can\u2019t get his epic U.S. Open collapse out of my head. The WGC-Bridgestone isn\u2019t a major but its field is major-caliber and Johnson would be under the microscope again if he led on Sunday. Can we trust him?<\/p>\n There are plenty of good picks this week. Even Tiger is a legit play. But I\u2019m torn between Westwood and McIlroy. It could really go either way, so I\u2019ll take the guy with slightly better value. McIlroy has the length needed at Firestone and can really score low when he gets hot. I think he will this week.<\/p>\n
\nEvent<\/strong>: World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational
\nCourse<\/strong>: Firestone Country Club (South Course) – Akron, Ohio
\nPurse<\/strong>: $8.5 million
\nDefending Champ<\/strong>: Tiger Woods
\nFedEX Cup Points Up For Grabs: <\/strong>550<\/p>\nTHE ELITE<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE CONTENDERS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nSOLID PICKS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE SLEEPER<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE PICK<\/strong><\/h3>\n