Aug. 1, 2008
All times eastern.
FOLLOW THEM LIVE: Follow the Mickelson-Els-Stenson group | Follow any group on the course
Retief Goosen, Chez Reavie, Brett Rumford
Tee time: 12:26 p.m.
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 8
Why you should watch: Goosen has never won a World Golf Championship event, and this week at Firestone is his best chance at breaking through. The South African hasn't won in the United States since 2005, but he's played well in the big events in 2008, including made cuts at all three majors. Reavie, making his World Golf Championship debut, opened with a 68 that placed him only two shots behind Goosen, who shot 66.
| 2008 Stat Comparison |
| Goosen |
14 |
11 |
-- |
1 |
-- |
1 |
4 |
71.96 |
| Reavie |
22 |
15 |
1 |
-- |
-- |
2 |
2 |
71.12 |
| Rumford |
17 |
7 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1 |
3 |
71.88 |
|
Henrik Stenson, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els
Tee time: 8:30 a.m.
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 51
Why you should watch: Mickelson (68) and Els (69) each produced sub-70 rounds on Thursday. Mickelson has been vocal about his growing confidence in Firestone South, a classic tree-lined design that features tough greens and sweeping doglegs. Mickelson is still seeking a World Golf Championship to add to his PGA TOUR resume. Ironically, Mickelson is the only player in his Friday group without a World Golf Championship title.
| 2008 Stat Comparison |
| Stenson |
7 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
72.28 |
| Mickelson |
15 |
14 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
14 |
70.67 |
| Els |
10 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
72.61 |
|
Daniel Chopra, J.B. Holmes, Nick O'Hern
Tee time: 12:48 p.m.
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 4
Why you should watch: Chopra enters the second round only a shot behind Goosen. This is Chopra's first PGA TOUR start since his final-round struggle at the Buick Open, when he entered Sunday with the lead before shooting a 75. Still, it's been an outstanding season for the Swede (39th in points), who could lock up a spot in all four FedExCup events with a win this week at Firestone. The same could be said for Holmes (20th in points), who hasn't had a top-10 since THE PLAYERS Championship.
| 2008 Stat Comparison |
| Chopra |
19 |
13 |
1 |
-- |
-- |
1 |
2 |
71.48 |
| Holmes |
19 |
13 |
1 |
-- |
-- |
3 |
7 |
71.69 |
| OHern |
18 |
13 |
-- |
-- |
1 |
3 |
7 |
70.94 |
|