Pairings to Watch This Week at the Bridgestone

The World Golf Championship events are widely considered to be the next step down from the four major championships. With their outrages purses, this year’s WGC Bridgestone is worth a healthy $8.5 million, nearly all of the world’s top players are drawn to Akron like flies to a lamp. Add in the return of Tiger Woods to competitive golf for the first time in three months and we have all the makings for a ratings bonanza.

With so many of the best and most popular players in the world teeing it up together, there will undoubtedly be a couple of groupings that will turn a few heads. Of course, we all know the Tiger Woods/Darren Clarke pairing. The two friends playing together has raised the ire of a few who believe the Tour of pandering to it’s top draw, but that’s an argument for another day.

Scrolling through the pairings there are a couple of “eh” pairings. The ones you look at and think ‘okay they could be fun to watch’ such as Sergio and Goosen and Els and Overton, but then you get to the blockbuster pairings of the day. Off the first tee there is Rickie Fowler and Matteo Manassero, combined age of 40. Follow them up with Bubba and Kaymer, Woods and Clarke, A. Scott and DJ and you have your Thursday coverage window locked up right there.

Those sneaky suits will do anything for a good overnight rating.

Take a look at the groups off No. 10 in the morning, meaning they will be off No. 1 on Friday afternoon, just in time for Golf Channel’s coverage. You have Rory McIlroy and defending champ Hunter Mahan going off around the same time as Mickelson and Jason Day, Schwartzel and Luke Donald and G-Mac and Westwood.

As is the case with any WGC, pretty much every group is guaranteed to deliver the goods, but there are those certain handful that will dominate your couch sitting.

Speaking of the programming, the tournament will be on your tube from 2-6 p.m. every day of the week. Thursday and Friday on the Golf Channel and Saturday and Sunday on CBS.

So sit back and enjoy some top shelf golf this weekend.

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