Bridgestone Invitational 2012: Tee Times, Date and TV Schedule

With the Open Championship in the rear-view mirror, golf's top players will look to prepare themselves for the year's final major as they compete in the Bridgestone Invitational this week. The Bridgestone isn't a major in and of itself, but because of its star-studded field, there is no question that it is considered a marquee tournament.

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and all of the top-ranked players in the game will be on display, so this is a high-level tournament that you won't want to miss. The results of this event may not tell the whole story with regards to what will happen at the PGA Championship, but they can build up or tear down the confidence of many.

Here is your complete guide to the Bridgestone Invitational, including the television schedule, key tee times and which golfers you should keep an eye on.

Where: Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio

When: Thursday, Aug. 2 - Sunday, Aug. 5

Watch: GOLF Channel and CBS

TV Schedule

Thursday, Aug. 2: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET (GOLF)

Friday, Aug. 3: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET (GOLF)

Saturday, Aug. 4: 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET (GOLF) and 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET (CBS)

Sunday, Aug. 5: 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET (GOLF) and 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET (CBS)

Tee Times

Time (ET)	Golfer	Golfer
9:30 a.m.	Ernie Els	Bubba Watson
9:40 a.m.	Matt Kuchar	Adam Scott
9:50 a.m.	Keegan Bradley	Jason Dufner
10 a.m.	Phil Mickelson	Luke Donald
10:10 a.m.	Rickie Fowler	Lee Westwood
1:50 p.m.	Tiger Woods	Branden Grace

*Full listing of tee times can be found at PGATour.com.

Golfers to Watch

Tiger Woods

With each passing major it appears as though Tiger Woods is getting closer and closer to getting back in the winner's circle. He has won three total tournaments this year, though, so it would have to be considered a successful campaign regardless. There were a lot of positives in Woods' third-place Open Championship finish, and he will try to build upon that in Akron.

Woods has dominated the Bridgestone and its predecessor as he has won it seven times. His last victory was in 2009, however, so Tiger is likely hungry to raise the trophy once again. A good performance at the Bridgestone should give an improving Woods even more confidence moving toward the PGA Championship, and that is a scary prospect for the rest of the tour.

Ernie Els

Coming from seemingly out of nowhere, Ernie Else was victorious at the Open Championship as Adam Scott folded down the stretch, while the South African veteran hit nearly every green and sunk some crucial putts. The win was unexpected, so regardless of what Els does for the remainder of the season, 2012 has to be considered a resounding success.

At the same time, though, many are likely dismissing Els' triumph as a one-hit wonder of sorts. If he performs well at the Bridgestone and perhaps even wins, however, golf fans will be forced to take notice and admit that the Big Easy is back on track. It's possible Els will just breeze through the week and be a non-factor, but it will be interesting to see how much the British Open title kick-started him.

Adam Scott

Although it is a title that has been held by Sergio Garcia for many years, Adam Scott is entering the discussion of best player to never win a major. He is still young, of course, so his time may come eventually, but his collapse at the Open Championship was painful. He was in complete control in the closing rounds, and nobody around him was playing great, but he simply choked it away.

Scott did win the Bridgestone Invitational last year, so maybe this is the event that can straighten him out and get him ready for the PGA Championship. Scott's confidence has to be rattled to some degree whether he wants to admit it or not. Getting back to basics and having a good result this week may be able to change that, however.

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