The leaders are finally off at Firestone’s South Course and veteran Jim Furyk is looking to go wire-to-wire for the WGC win. Furyk is trying to hold off hard-charging South African Louis Oosthuizen. Both teed off just before 1 p.m. ET, and with the course softened after the nearly 3-hour morning rain delay, Furyk and Oosthuizen immediately took advantage by firing darts into the first three holes.
Bridgestone Invitational Leaderboard: Jim Furyk, Louis Oosthuizen Come Out Hot On Soft Firestone
The Tour instituted lift, clean, and place for the final round so there’s bound to be some low numbers on Sunday. They went birdie-for-birdie on the first two holes, and then Furyk drained another on the third while Oosthuizen missed a five footer to drop two shots back. The second, an uphill par-5, presents one of the easier birdie opportunities on the course and both took advantage. Furyk just barely missed an eagle, leaving his putt inches short.
All these birdies in the final groups are keeping Tiger Woods at arm’s length. Woods just played his best nine-hole stretch of the week and has charged into the top ten. He carded four birdies on the first nine but with Oosthuizen and Furyk starting the way they have, he’ll just try to keep up the solid play and momentum on the back side before jetting off to Kiawah.
Rory McIlroy, who’s likely playing for third at this point, also came out firing and put up red numbers on two of the first three holes. The Northern Irishman loves playing the classic American parklands courses such as Firestone, and his game appears to be back on track after a shaky summer. Unfortunately for McIlroy, next week’s track is nothing like Firestone with Pete Dye’s Ocean Course playing much like the links back home that are less suitable to his game.
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