The Starter: Round 1, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

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The first round of The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is set to begin. LIVE@ coverage will air from 1-6 p.m. ET, with our preview show, "On the Tee," airing at 12:30 p.m. ET. The Golf Channel will televise live action on Thursday from 2-6 p.m., and will re-air coverage from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Groups we're watching

Tee time Players   9:50 a.m. ET No. 10 Rory McIlroy, Hunter Mahan McIlroy is coming off dissapointing finishes at the British Open (25th) and the Irish Open (34th). He looks to regain the form he showed at the U.S. Open, which was the last time he played in America. Mahan won twice in 2010, but has yet to win in 2011. 10:00 a.m. ET No. 10 Phil Mickelson, Jason Day Mickelson missed the cut last week at The Greenbrier Classic, but said he is happy with his game. Day had two runner-up finishes in the season's first two majors, but struggled with a tie for 30th at the British Open, where Mickelson finished in the runner-up spot. 1:10 p.m. ET No. 1 Rickie Fowler, Matteo Manassero Rickie Fowler, 22, is seeking his first win on TOUR, as is Matteo Manassero. The Italian is only 18, but has already won twice in Europe. His best finish on the PGA TOUR came at the WGC-Accenture Match Play, where he finished tied for ninth. 1:30 p.m. ET No. 1 Nick Watney, Steve Stricker Our Establishment v. Youth matchup features the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Will leader Nick Watney retain his lead, or will Steve Stricker catch him this week? 1:40 p.m. ET No. 1 Darren Clarke, Tiger Woods Our Featured Group has had success at Firestone CC. Woods has won in Akron seven times, while Clarke won head-to-head against Woods in 2000. This is Clarke's first appearance in the United States since his win at the British Open. 2:00 p.m. ET No. 1 Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson Both players possess the length off the tee necessary to compete at Firestone and have played well recently. Johnson has finished in the top 25 in his last four events, while Scott finished tied for 3rd at the AT&T National and tied for 25th at the British Open.

MORE ROUND 1: Tee Times | TOUR REPORT: WGC-Bridgestone Invitational news, notes

WHAT TO WATCH IN ROUND 1
• All things Tiger: A lot has changed for Tiger Woods since he last teed it up at THE PLAYERS Championship in May. He has a new caddie, facial hair,golf shoes and putter. All eyes will be on Woods to see if he is fully healed and has the game to make the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup and qualify for The Presidents Cup. Story.

• Top players seeking Playoff spot: Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, Louis Oosthuizen and Paul Casey are all currently outside the top 125 in the FedExCup standings, which means they will need good finishes in the remaining three weeks before The Barclays. Don't overlook the Reno-Tahoe Open, either, where other top players find themselves in the same position. Update

Round 1 weather forecast

Sunny Temp: 80 high/67 low Clear skies with winds around 7 mph.

Player Notes

Here are some of the players you'll see during Thursday's coverage:

HUNTER MAHAN Hunter Mahan enters this week as the defending champion of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Although Mahan hasn't won since his victory at Firestone last year, he has been one of the PGA TOUR's most consistent performers this year, with seven top-10 finishes in 19 starts. He currently ranks 22nd in the FedExCup standings. BUBBA WATSON Bubba Watson was No. 1 in FedExCup points for five consecutive weeks. But he has since fallen out of the top five (he enters this week at No. 6). Since winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Watson has six starts on the PGA TOUR and has not been able to crack the top 25. His best finish over that span came in his last start at the British Open (T30). SCOTT STALLINGS Scott Stallings became the sixth rookie to win on the PGA TOUR this year at The Greenbrier Classic, but he also jumped into the top 30 of the FedExCup standings. If he can maintain that position through the first three events of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, he'll advance to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola and have a shot at the FedExCup title.