2010 Bridgestone Invitational, Second Round: Tiger Woods Doesn’t Miss The Cut, Because There Isn’t A Cut

Lee Westwood will withdraw from both the 2010 Bridgestone Invitational and next week’s PGA Championship due to injury, according to SI’s Gary Van Sickle (via Waggle Room).

Westwood was clearly struggling through the first two rounds of Bridgestone as he dealt with a ruptured plantaris muscle that has been plaguing him for weeks now. Westwood -- who had a chance to leapfrog to the top spot in the world golf rankings past Tiger with a strong finish at the Bridgestone -- was nearly in last place, at 7-over for the tournament (a shot behind his playing partner Woods).

Tiger Woods’ grip on the world No. 1 golf ranking has been in jeopardy for months. At both the U.S. and British Opens, Phil Mickelson could have passed Woods if Lefty had managed to win either of those events, coupled with a sub-par outing from Woods. But as Tiger’s struggles have mounted as the season has gone along, the threshold for Mickelson (and one other) to leapfrog him has lowered, to the point that Woods is unlikely to hold onto the spot after the 2010 Bridgestone Invitational.

Going into the Bridgestone Invitational -- an event Woods has utterly dominated, winning seven out of ten starts at Firestone -- two golfers had a realistic shot of passing Woods: Mickelson and Lee Westwood. Lefty needed a top-four finish, paired with Woods not finishing in the top-37; while Westwood would have claimed the spot if he finished at least second, Mickelson did not win, and Woods placed outside of the top nine.

It was another disappointing round for Tiger Woods at the 2010 Bridgestone Invitational, on a course he has historically dominated. Woods’ 2-over 72 during Friday’s second round doesn’t look so bad, but relative to the field, it wasn’t nearly enough to get back in contention. Luckily for Woods, there is no cut at the Bridgestone Invitational.

Woods recorded five bogeys and three birdies in total, bringing him to 6-over on the tournament. Woods is thirteen strokes behind the current leader, Retief Goosen, who’s pacing the field at 7-under.