Bridgestone Invitational: Pumped-up Open champ Zach Johnson can’t wait to

Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth, the world No. 2, will command the spotlight at this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational where Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are both conspicuous absentees. He has played the Bridgestone Invitational every year since its inception in 1999 – winning eight times – apart from when he was ruled out through injury in 2008 after his last major title in the US Open at Torrey Pines. It is nice to play it like that and if the weather is good, it will be very challenging. Graeme McDowell is at No 159, though he gets a crack at what amounts to free points this week at Firestone, which has no cut.

CBS Sports on-course reporter David Feherty stalks the storylines from Northeast Ohio. The rest of the course is still long, but mostly arrow-straight. If you are a betting man/woman, get out your checkbooks and make this an interesting week for yourself.

All the talk of a poor prep – playing and winning the John Deere – and how his lack of links golf would affect him proved folly on two counts. It’s kind of a special place.

What is it about the South Course where nearly all of the winners are major champions? It was just a picture because I’m from the state of Iowa. As always, enjoy the greatest game ever played and expect a rollercoaster ride to the finish on Sunday. That’s what the crowd was saying as you go hole to hole in the practice round.

Find out which of those players I’m rostering this week at the end of this post, and good luck this week in your quest to take home some prize money or tickets this week on DraftKings! It just gets harder, the strength and depth are so incredible right now.

It is set for another two years and with the Ryder Cup next year, we might see a stronger field. They are thinking they can do it, too? “It’s not like I don’t think about those things occasionally”. I think they have been watching what Tiger Woods has done. That’s the vanguard of players coming through now.

Spieth will go out Monday a stroke behind three players, including Louis Oosthuizen, who won the Open the last time it was held here in 2010. He is the same man, after all, who made two up-and-downs from the Arizona desert last winter, including one seeing-is-believing chip shot. It would be folly, therefore, to write off such a big-game player, but at the odds I’m prepared to look elsewhere. With so many friends in the close-knit community, 150 showed up, and there were some who couldn’t make it. His enviable swing, equal parts smooth and explosive, places Matsuyama among the five best ball strikers and accurate drivers on the PGA Tour in 2015. He never does anything more than about 8,000 percent.

“I’m hoping I can do something similar or better this year”.

It’s time for you to stick your neck out and give us your favorites and dark horses. The question everyone will be asking if Spieth knocks McIlroy out of the number one spot now becomes, “Is Jordan Spieth the best golfer on the planet?” Billy Horschel has been quiet, and he might be ready to win again.

Sergio Garcia – he was second in this event last year and is a joint course record holder. And toss in Anirban Lahiri.

Kevin Kisner (34,15): His top 50 OWGR ranking gets him in.

Kevin Na, the 34th ranked golfer in the FedExCup standings, is one of the 77 golfers aiming for the $1.6 million top prize at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. He is the author of three books and has contributed to three others, including the second edition of “Golf For Dummies”, with Gary McCord.