Big week for Presidents Cup hopefuls in Akron

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The clock is ticking for The Presidents Cup hopefuls as there are just two weeks (three PGA TOUR events) until the top-10 players are finalized for the U.S. and International Teams. As a top-money event with a very strong field, a good finish at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational would be helpful to a player trying to move into a guaranteed spot.

Players can earn points at this week's World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational or Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, and the final major championship of the season, the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club, Aug. 10-16. The top 10 players in both standings following the PGA Championship will automatically qualify for their respective Presidents Cup teams, and then U.S. Team Captain Fred Couples and International Team Captain Greg Norman will make their captains' picks (two per team) on Sept. 8.

The top of the U.S. Team standings remained unchanged after last week's Buick Open, with just Kevin Na (No. 19) and Steve Marino (No. 20) switching places after Na finished T46 at Warwick Hills. Woody Austin, "Aquaman" from the 2007 Presidents Cup, made the biggest move of the week. Thanks to a T8 at the Buick Open, Austin went from No. 36 to No. 30 in the standings. If Austin wants to get to Harding Park for this year's Presidents Cup, he'll need to recreate the magic from 2007 when he finished second at the PGA Championship to earn the final spot on the U.S. Team.

Austin is at the Bridgestone Invitational this week, while Na is in the field at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open. The players ranked No. 1-18 are in Akron, Ohio, for the Bridgestone Invitational. On the bubble, looking to secure a spot within the top 10 are Justin Leonard (No. 10), Brian Gay (No. 11), Lucas Glover (No. 12), Hunter Mahan (No. 13), Nick Watney (No. 14) and Jerry Kelly (No. 15).

While International Team Captain Norman was finishing T4 at the U.S. Senior Open, his top-15 players in the standings remained unchanged. However, 17-year-old Ryo Ishikawa jumped from No. 29 to No. 19 by winning the Sun Chlorella Classic on the Japan Golf Tour. Ishikawa is not in the Bridgestone Invitational field, but he did receive a special invite to next week's PGA Championship and could impress Norman with a good finish at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Players ranked No. 1-18 on the International Team standings, with the exception of Stephen Ames at No. 17, are in this week's field at the Bridgestone Invitational. Those looking to secure a guaranteed spot on the Team over the next two weeks include Jeev M. Singh (No. 10), Robert Allenby (No. 11), Shingo Katayama (No. 12), Adam Scott (No. 13), Mathew Goggin (No. 14) and Thongchai Jaidee (No. 15).

Ten members of the 2009 U.S. Team will be selected based on official earnings from the 2007 Wyndham Championship through the 2009 PGA Championship (with money earned in 2009 counting as double), plus two Captain's selections, which will be announced on Sept. 8. Members of the 2009 International Team will be chosen on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking through the 2009 PGA Championship, plus two Captain's selections, also announced Sept. 8. The International Team does not include players eligible for the European Ryder Cup Team.

This year marks the first time in The Presidents Cup history that both captains (Couples and Norman) and their captains' assistants (Jay Haas, U.S. Team; Frank Nobilo, International Team) are former participants in The Presidents Cup.

For tickets to the event, visit PresidentsCup.com or call 877-PREZ-TIX (773-9849). For corporate entertainment options, please call 415-566-7287.

The Presidents Cup, a team match play competition featuring 24 of the world's top golfers -- 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe -- is held every two years, and since 1996 has alternated between United States and international venues. The Presidents Cup was developed to give the world's best non-European players an opportunity to compete in international team match-play competition. The U.S. Team has won five of the seven previous Presidents Cups, and the only outright win by the International Team came at the 1998 event in Melbourne. The 2003 Presidents Cup ended in a tie.