Woods wins U.S. Open, Mediate could head to Akron

Bridgestone Invitational defending champion Tiger Woods won his 14th major championship title yesterday at the U.S. Open, defeating Rocco Mediate in a one-hole, sudden-death playoff after the two ended an 18-hole playoff at 71 (E). Woods' victory came at Torrey Pines Golf Club's South Course, the site of his six Buick Invitational wins (1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), making Woods the first player in PGA TOUR history to win an event on the same golf course seven times. Woods will try to match that feat later this summer at the Bridgestone Invitational, where he'll be looking for his seventh tournament win on the South Course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

Although Mediate fell short of claiming his first major championship victory, he did jump 111 spots on the Official World Golf Ranking -- from No. 158 before the U.S. Open to No. 47. If he can maintain his position within the top 50 of the World Ranking, he'll make his first trip to Akron for the Bridgestone Invitational since 2003. On July 21, the top 50 players in the World Ranking qualify for the final World Golf Championships event of the season, and anyone who moves into the top 50 by July 28 will round out the field and earn a last-minute trip to Northeast Ohio.

In addition to Mediate, the current top 50 in the World Ranking includes 10 players who, if the field closed today, would qualify for the Bridgestone Invitational: Aaron Baddeley (No. 21, Australia); Robert Allenby (No. 30, Australia); Tim Clark (No. 34, South Africa); Brandt Snedeker (No. 35, United States); Niclas Fasth (No. 38, Sweden); Rod Pampling (No. 43, Australia); Shingo Katayama (No. 45, Japan); Oliver Wilson (No. 46, England); Jeff Quinney (No. 49, United States); and Richard Sterne (No. 50, South Africa).

A total of 72 players from around the world have already qualified for the Bridgestone Invitational, July 28-August 3. The most recent addition to the field is Justin Leonard, who won the Stanford St. Jude Championship two weeks ago. Leonard has played in all but one of the nine previous Bridgestone Invitational events, posting his best finish in 2000, when he tied for second with Phillip Price, 11 strokes behind Woods.

The 72 players currently qualified are primarily tournament winners from International Federation of PGA Tour events (with a certain Strength of Field Rating), playing members of the 2007 U.S. and International Presidents Cup Teams or playing members of the 2006 U.S. and European Ryder Cup Teams. Those 72 will be joined by winners of eligible events between now and the Bridgestone Invitational, as well as those inside the top 50 in the World Ranking, as described above.

Tickets to the Bridgestone Invitational can be purchased by calling the Championship Office at 330-664-2299, calling toll free 1-877-942-4849 or by visiting www.worldgolfchampionships.com. Fans who purchase a weekly ticket before June 30 will receive a free dozen Bridgestone golf balls.