Bridgestone Invitational 2013: Golfers to Watch This Weekend in Ohio

The second round of the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Classic got underway early on Friday morning. If you haven't caught up with any of the action so far this week, don't despair—you still have the rest of the afternoon and the weekend to do so. 

Webb Simpson was the Round 1 leader after posting a score of six under (64) on Thursday, but new names have emerged as contenders after a second day on the course at Firestone Country Club. 

Bill Haas and Jim Furyk have already signed strong Round 2 scorecards. Elsewhere, a host of golfers including Simpson, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood will be among the final players on the course before the weekend officially begins in Ohio. 

Regardless of the way the tournament leaderboard shakes out by Friday's end, here's a look at a few golfers you should pay close attention to as the action continues at this PGA Tour event. 

*For a complete look at the current 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational leaderboard, check out PGATour.com. 

Golfers to Watch

Keegan Bradley

Bradley's 2013 PGA Tour season has been one for streaks. After starting the year with a tied-for-fourth finish at the Hyundai Tournament, he did not crack the top 10 at any of his next five Tour appearances. 

Starting with the Honda Classic in February, he went on a four-tournament streak of making the top 10. That streak ended at The Masters, where he finished tied for 54th. Since missing the cut at the U.S. Open in June, Bradley's game appears to have evened out. 

Strong showings at the Travelers Championship (T18) and British Open (T15) have given the 27-year-old some momentum toward the final few months of the season. Winner of the 2011 PGA Championship, it should come as no surprise that Bradley is getting better as the season wears on.  

After posting a four-under 66 on Thursday, Bradley turned in a nice card on Friday, too. At one point he had the outright lead at seven-under, but settled for a score of 68 to finish the afternoon inside the top 10. 

Bradley is also the defending champion of this event. He posted a four-day score of 13-under in 2012 to win the purse by one stroke. 

With the 2013 PGA Championship beginning next Thursday, Bradley can position himself as a contender at Oak Hill with a strong showing on Saturday and Sunday. 

Tiger Woods

The No. 1 player in the world is still searching for his first major championship win since 2008. 

He won't find it at Firestone, but the Bridgestone Invitational offers Woods and others expected to contend at Oak Hill one final chance to fine-tune their games before making the trip to New York next week. 

Woods was in top form during his first few holes in Round 2.  

Tiger posted scores below par on his first three holes on Friday to grab the outright tournament lead, sandwiching birdies on No. 1 and No. 3 around an eagle on No. 2. He also got off to a strong start in Round 1, birdieing five of his first 10 holes. 

Over the course of his career, the Bridgestone Invitational has been very friendly to Woods. In addition to winning the tournament a record seven times, he also holds the four-day course record for his performance in 2000 (259, 21-under). 

Looking focused and hungrier than he's been on the PGA Tour all season, Woods is poised to contend over the weekend at Firestone and carry that momentum with him to Oak Hill. 

John Merrick

"Peaking at the right time" is a phrase we use for players and teams before they prepare to compete in various championship formats. There's no reason the phrase can't apply to golf, too. 

Merrick has been the epitome of that phrase over the last couple of weeks. 

The 31-year-old tied a course record with a 62 during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open, and he's back in contention at Firestone after posting a two-day score of two under par. 

In addition to winning the Northern Trust Open earlier this year, Merrick finished tied for sixth at the Canadian Open. Those two tournaments are his only two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year. 

That being said, he's certainly performing at a top level heading into the final major of the season. Merrick finished tied for 10th at the 2009 PGA Championship, and if his play continues to trend in the right direction, there would be ample evidence to consider him a sleeper at Oak Hill next week. 

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