AKRON, Ohio -- In his career, Tiger Woods has won six WGC-Bridgestone Invitationals. He won't make it seven this year after a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the 2008 season. A year ago, Woods was the only player in the field to finish under par, cruising to an eight-shot win over Justin Rose and Rory Sabbatini.

With Woods absent, the top-ranked player in the field is Phil Mickelson. He is one of the 47 of the top-50 in the Official World Golf Ranking in attendance this week.

Kenny Perry, a three-time winner this year, enters the Bridgestone Invitational with a streak of 16 consecutive rounds of par-or-better. Of those 16 rounds, 15 have been in the 60s. In Perry's last four tournaments, he's a cumulative 60 under par.

Of the 990 golf holes played in official PGA Tour competition in 2007, two of the top-15 toughest holes for the world's best players were at Firestone Country Club. The par-4, 494-yard ninth hole ranked as the 12th-hardest hole on Tour, playing at a 4.447 average. The par-4 fourth hole ranked No. 15 on the list, with players averaging 4.432 on the hole.

Only one Bridgestone Invitational rookie finished in the top 10 at the 2007 Bridgestone Invitational. Andres Romero tied for sixth. The players who will be competing in the Bridgestone Invitational for the first time are Mark Brown (New Zealand), Daniel Chopra (Sweden), Richard Finch (England), Ross Fisher (England), Hidemasa Hoshino (Japan), Brendan Jones (Australia), Martin Kaymer (Germany), Anthony Kim (U.S.), James Kingston (South Africa), Pablo Larrazabal (Spain), Prayad Marksaeng (Thailand), Chez Reavie (U.S.), Brandt Snedeker (U.S.), Scott Strange (Australia), Toru Taniguchi (Japan), D.J. Trahan (U.S.), Johnson Wagner (U.S.), Steve Webster (England) and Oliver Wilson (England).

There are seven players in this week's field who have combined to win nine World Golf Championships events. They are Geoff Ogilvy (2008 CA Championship, 2006 Accenture Match Play Championship); Henrik Stenson (2007 Accenture Match Play Championship); Stewart Cink (2004 Bridgestone Invitational); Ernie Els (2004 CA Championship); Darren Clarke (2003 Bridgestone Invitational, 2000 Accenture Match Play Championship); Craig Parry (2002 Bridgestone Invitational); and Steve Stricker (2001 Accenture Match Play Championship).

No one has had more success at the Bridgestone Invitational than Tiger Woods, but with Woods unable to go for four victories in a row at Firestone Country Club because of recent knee surgery, Jim Furyk is the player in the field with the next-most top-10 finishes at Firestone. Furyk has posted five top 10s in Akron: 1999 (tied for 10th); 2000 (tied for fourth); 2001 (second), 2004 (tied for sixth), 2006 (third). He also tied for sixth in 2002 when the event was played at Sahalee Country Club near Seattle, Wash.

Furyk ranks fourth in all-time earnings at the Bridgestone Invitational -- the player with the most money earned without benefit of a victory at the Bridgestone Invitational. His scoring average is 68.81, second only to Woods' 67.58.

World Golf Hall of Fame Member Charles Sifford has been named the 2008 Ambassador of Golf by Northern Ohio Golf Charities. The award is presented annually to a person or persons who have fostered the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concern for others extends beyond the golf course. Sifford, who lives in nearby Highland Heights, Ohio, is credited with breaking golf's "caucasian only" rule more than four decades ago.

Sifford will be honored at a reception on Wednesday, July 30 at Firestone Country Club.

The top 10 in the FedExCup standings remained unchanged last week, with Tiger Woods and Kenny Perry still Nos. 1 and 2, followed by Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink and Anthony Kim. Sean O'Hair moved into the top 15, improving from 24th, after he tied for third at the RBC Canadian Open. Chez Reavie, who won in Canada for his first PGA TOUR title, made the biggest jump of any player last week, moving up 99 places from 128th to 29th. Billy Mayfair, who finished second to Reavie, is right behind Reavie again -- in 30th position. Two weeks ago, Mayfair was 81st.

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