The 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was a professional

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

tournament held August 6–9 on the South Course of

Firestone Country Club Firestone Country Club is a private golf club in the United States, located in Akron, Ohio. It was a regular stop on the PGA Tour and has hosted the PGA Championship three times. It is the current home of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championsh ...

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

. It was the 17th

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational The WGC Invitational was a professional golf tournament that was held in the United States. Established in 1999 as a successor to the World Series of Golf, it was one of three or four annual World Golf Championships (WGC) until 2021, when the nu ...

tournament, and the third of the

World Golf Championships The World Golf Championships (WGC) were a group of annual professional golf tournaments played from 1999 through 2023 created by the International Federation of PGA Tours as a means of gathering the best players in the world together more freque ...

events in 2015.

Shane Lowry Shane Lowry (born 2 April 1987) is an Irish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. His notable achievements include winning the 2019 Open Championship, the Irish Open (golf), Irish Open as an amateur in 2009 Europe ...

shot a final-round 66 to win his first WGC event, two strokes ahead of runner-up

Bubba Watson Gerry Lester "Bubba" Watson Jr. (born November 5, 1978) is an American professional golfer. He has two major championships, with victories at the Masters Tournament in 2012 and 2014, and a total of 12 PGA Tour wins. In February 2015, Watson reac ...

Course layout

The South Course was designed by Bert Way and redesigned by

Robert Trent Jones Robert Trent Jones Sr. (June 20, 1906 – June 14, 2000) was a British–American golf course architect who designed or re-designed more than 500 golf courses in 45 U.S. states and 35 countries. In reference to this, Jones took pride in saying, ...

in 1960.

Field

The field consisted of players drawn primarily from the

Official World Golf Ranking The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of professional golfers. It was started in 1986. The rankings are based on a player's position in individual tournaments (i.e. not pairs or team events) over a "rolling ...

and the winners of the world-wide tournaments with the strongest fields. 1. Playing members of the 2014 United States and European

Ryder Cup The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States, with hosting duties alternating between venues in Europe and the United States for each edition. The cup is named after the English businessman S ...

teams.

Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn (born 18 February 1971) is a Danish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won fifteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1997 he also b ...

Keegan Bradley Keegan Hansen Bradley (born June 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won seven tour events, most notably the 2011 PGA Championship. He is one of six golfers to win in his major debut, along with Ben ...

(2,3),

Jamie Donaldson James Ross Donaldson (born 19 October 1975) is a Welsh professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. Career Donaldson was born in Pontypridd. He turned professional in 2000. Having failed to come through the European Tour's qualifying sch ...

(2,3), Victor Dubuisson (2,3),

Rickie Fowler Rick Yutaka Fowler (born December 13, 1988) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He was the number one World Amateur Golf Ranking, ranked amateur golfer in the world for 36 weeks in 2007 and 2008. On January 24, 2016, he ...

(2,3,4),

Jim Furyk James Michael Furyk (born May 12, 1970) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. In 2010, he was the FedEx Cup champion and PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2 ...

(2,3,4),

Stephen Gallacher Stephen James Gallacher (born 1 November 1974) is a Scottish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. Early life and amateur career Gallacher was born in Dechmont, West Lothian and is the nephew of former European Ryder Cup captain ...

Sergio García Sergio García Fernández (; born 9 January 1980) is a Spanish professional golfer. He turned professional in 1999 and played on the European Tour and PGA Tour prior to joining LIV Golf in 2022. García has won 36 international tournaments as ...

(2,3),

Zach Johnson Zachary Harris Johnson (born February 24, 1976) is an American professional golfer who has 12 victories on the PGA Tour, including two major championships, the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship. At the 2023 Ryder Cup, Johnson capt ...

(2,3,4),

Martin Kaymer Martin Kaymer ( ; born 28 December 1984) is a German professional golfer who currently plays on the LIV Golf League. A winner of two major championships, he was also the No. 1 ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking for eight weeks in ...

(2,3),

Matt Kuchar Matthew Gregory Kuchar (born June 21, 1978) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and formerly the Nationwide Tour. He has won nine times on the PGA Tour. Kuchar briefly enjoyed success in the early 2000s before suffering a ...

(2,3),

Hunter Mahan Hunter Myles Mahan (born May 17, 1982) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He is a winner of two World Golf Championship events, the 2010 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the 2012 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship ...

(2,3,4),

Graeme McDowell Graeme McDowell (born 30 July 1979) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland. He has a total of eleven tournament victories on the European Tour, and four on the PGA Tour, including one major championship, the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble B ...

Phil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970) is an American professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf League. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six Men's major golf championships, major championships: three Masters ...

(2,3),

Ian Poulter Ian James Poulter (born 10 January 1976) is an English professional golfer who plays in the LIV Golf League. He has previously been ranked as high as number 5 in the world rankings. The highlights of Poulter's career to date have been his two ...

(2,3),

Patrick Reed Patrick Nathaniel Reed (born August 5, 1990) is an American professional golfer. He has nine tournament victories on the PGA Tour, including one major championship, the 2018 Masters Tournament, and two World Golf Championships, the 2014 WGC-C ...

(2,3,4),

Justin Rose Justin Peter Rose (born 30 July 1980) is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, first reaching that position in 2018. Rose came to prominen ...

(2,3,4),

Webb Simpson James Frederick Webb Simpson (born August 8, 1985) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour who won the 2012 U.S. Open and the 2018 Players Championship. As an amateur, he was a member of the United States' victorious 2007 Walker C ...

(2,3),

Jordan Spieth Jordan Alexander Spieth (; born July 27, 1993) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is a three-time major winner and the 2015 FedEx Cup champion. Spieth's first m ...

(2,3,4),

Henrik Stenson Henrik Olof Stenson (; born 5 April 1976) is a Swedish professional golfer. In the late 1990s, Stenson turned pro and had much success on the European Tour, winning a number of events in the 2000s. In 2009, Stenson won the PGA Tour's flagship eve ...

(2,3,4),

Jimmy Walker James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Jimmy Walker and Beau James, was an American attorney, lyricist, and Democratic Party politician who served as the 97th mayor of New York City from 1926 until his resign ...

(2,3,4),

Lee Westwood Lee John Westwood (born 24 April 1973) is an English professional golfer. He is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents – Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania – including victories on the European Tour an ...

(2,3,4,5) *''

Rory McIlroy Rory Daniel McIlroy (born 4 May 1989) is a Northern Irish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking and has spent over 100 weeks in that position du ...

(2,3,4) withdrew due to an ankle injury.'' 2. The top 50 players from the

as of July 27, 2015.

Paul Casey Paul Alexander Casey (born 21 July 1977) is an English golfer who is a member of LIV Golf. He has also played on the US-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009, he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Rankin ...

(3,4),

Jason Day Jason Anthony Day (born 12 November 1987) is an Australian professional golfer. Day had early success as a professional, earning PGA Tour membership in his teens and winning an event in his third season, the HP Byron Nelson Championship. In 20 ...

(3,4),

Branden Grace Branden John Grace (born 20 May 1988) is a professional golfer from South Africa who currently plays for LIV Golf. He formerly played on the European Tour, the PGA Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. In 2012, he became the first player in the history ...

(3,4,5),

Bill Haas William Harlan Haas (born May 24, 1982) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and won the 2011 FedEx Cup. He is the son of former PGA Tour player Jay Haas. Early life Haas was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and was ra ...

(3,4),

Russell Henley Russell Chapin Henley (born April 12, 1989) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Amateur career Born in Macon, Georgia, Henley attended Stratford Academy in Macon. He played college golf for four years at the University ...

Charley Hoffman Charley Lindley Hoffman (born December 27, 1976) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early years and amateur career Born in San Diego, California, Hoffman won the California state high school championship in 1994 and 19 ...

(3), J. B. Holmes (3,4),

Billy Horschel William John Horschel (born December 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. Early years and amateur career Horschel was born and raised in Grant, Florida. He attended Bayside High School (Palm Bay, Flori ...

(3,4),

Thongchai Jaidee Thongchai Jaidee (; , born 8 November 1969) is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He formerly played on the Asian Tour and the European Tour. On the Asian Tour, he holds the record for the most career earnings and is s ...

(3),

Dustin Johnson Dustin Hunter Johnson (born June 22, 1984) is an American professional golfer. He has won two Men's major golf championships, major championships, the 2016 U.S. Open (golf), 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a 4-under-par score of 276 ...

(3,4),

Kevin Kisner Kevin James Kisner (born February 15, 1984) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early life Kisner was born in Aiken, South Carolina and attended South Aiken High School. He played college golf at the University of Geor ...

(3),

Brooks Koepka Brooks Koepka ( ; born May 3, 1990) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the LIV Golf League. He formerly played on the PGA Tour and has won five major championships, the PGA Championship three times (2018, 2019, 2023) and ...

(3,4),

Anirban Lahiri Anirban Lahiri (; born 29 June 1987) is an Indian professional golfer. He has played on the Asian Tour, European Tour, PGA Tour and LIV Golf. He was awarded the 2014 Arjuna Award and was also the recipient of the "Sera Bangali" award in 2015, gi ...

(4),

Marc Leishman Marc A. Leishman (born 24 October 1983) is an Australian professional golfer. He has won six times on the PGA Tour. In 2009 he won the Rookie of the Year award on the PGA Tour, the first Australian to win the award. Career Leishman was born i ...

(3),

Hideki Matsuyama is a Japanese professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He is the first Japanese golfer to win a men's major golf championship the 2021 Masters Tournament. As of January 2025, Matsuyama has 20 worldwide wins, an Olympic bronze medal, t ...

(3),

Francesco Molinari Francesco Molinari (born 8 November 1982) is an Italian professional golfer. He won the 2018 Open Championship, his first and only major victory, and the first major won by an Italian professional golfer. The Open Championship win capped a suc ...

(3), Ryan Moore (3,4),

Kevin Na Kevin Sangwook Na (; born September 15, 1983) is a Korean American professional golfer. He was a member of the PGA Tour until June 2022, when he resigned in order to join LIV Golf. He won five tournaments on the PGA Tour between 2011 and 2021. E ...

(3),

Louis Oosthuizen Lodewicus Theodorus "Louis" Oosthuizen (; born 1982) is a South African professional golfer who won the 2010 Open Championship. He has finished runner-up in all four major championships: the 2012 Masters Tournament, the 2015 and 2021 U.S. Op ...

(3),

Ryan Palmer Ryan Hunter Palmer (born September 19, 1976) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early life and amateur career Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, Palmer graduated from Amarillo High School in 1995. He played colleg ...

(3),

Charl Schwartzel Charl Adriaan Schwartzel ( ; born 31 August 1984) is a South African professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf Invitational Series and has previously played on the PGA Tour, European Tour and the Sunshine Tour. He has won one ma ...

(3), Adam Scott (3),

Brandt Snedeker Brandt Newell Snedeker (born December 8, 1980) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He won the 2012 FedEx Cup with a victory in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Following this victory, he moved into the top t ...

(3,4),

Brendon Todd Brendon Dean Todd (born July 22, 1985) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early career Todd played his junior golf at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Carolina and Green Hope High School. He won the North Carol ...

(3),

Bernd Wiesberger Bernd Klaus Wiesberger (; born 8 October 1985) is an Austrian professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and formerly on the LIV Golf League. He finished the 2019 European Tour season in third place on the Race to Dubai standings, his be ...

(3,4),

Danny Willett Daniel John Willett (born 3 October 1987) is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. In April 2016, he won his first major championship at the 2016 Masters Tournament, becoming only the second Englishman to achieve the fe ...

(3,4),

Gary Woodland Gary Lynn Woodland (born May 21, 1984) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He won the U.S. Open in 2019, his first major championship and sixth professional victory. Following a successful college career, he turned pr ...

(3) *''

Chris Kirk Christopher Brandon Kirk (born May 8, 1985) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He won four tournaments on the PGA Tour between 2011 and 2015 and won again in 2023 after an almost eight-year drought and again in 2024. H ...

(3,4) withdrew due to a hand injury.'' 3. The top 50 players from the

as of August 3, 2015.

Marc Warren Marc Warren (born 20 March 1967) is an English actor, known for his British television roles. His roles have included Albert Blithe in ''Band of Brothers (miniseries), Band of Brothers'' (2001), Danny Blue (Hustle), Danny Blue in ''Hustle (TV ...

Robert Streb Robert Charles Streb (born April 7, 1987) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour where he has been a member since 2013. Streb was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, and earned All-American honors while playing collegiate golf at ...

(4) 4. Tournament winners, whose victories are considered official, of tournaments from the Federation Tours since the prior season's Bridgestone Invitational with an Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating of 115 points or more.

An Byeong-hun An Byeong-hun (; born 17 September 1991), also known as Byeong-Hun An or Ben An, is a South Korean professional golfer. In August 2009, he became the youngest-ever winner of the U.S. Amateur. Early life Born in Seoul, South Korea, An is the ...

Bae Sang-moon Bae Sang-moon (; born 21 June 1986), or Sang-moon Bae, is a South Korean professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Professional career Bae turned professional in 2004. He won the 2006 Emerson Pacific Group Open on the Korean Tour, and in ...

Steven Bowditch Steven David Bowditch (born 8 June 1983) is an Australian professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia. Early life and amateur career Bowditch was born in Newcastle, New South Wales. He had a distin ...

Andrew Dodt Andrew Dodt (born 26 January 1986) is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the European Tour, Asian Tour, and PGA Tour of Australasia. He has won twice on the European Tour, in India and Thailand, both events co-sanctioned with the Asi ...

Matt Every Matthew King Every (born December 4, 1983) is an American professional golfer who has won on both the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour. Early years Every was born in Daytona Beach, Florida. He attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, where ...

Fabián Gómez Fabián Eduardo Gómez (born 27 October 1978) is an Argentine professional golfer who has played on a number of the world's golf tours including the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamérica and the Tour de las Américas. Career Gómez ...

James Hahn James Kenneth Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, Hahn was elected the 40th mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He served until 2005, at which time he was defeated in his bid for re-election. Prior to his term a ...

Pádraig Harrington Pádraig Peter Harrington (born 31 August 1971) is an Irish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour, PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. He has won three men's major golf championships, major championships: The Open Championship in 2 ...

Mikko Ilonen Mikko Ilonen (born 18 December 1979) is a retired Finland, Finnish professional golfer who played on the European Tour, winning five times. He is considered to be the most successful golfer from Finland. Career Ilonen was born in Lahti, Finland. ...

Søren Kjeldsen Søren Panum Kjeldsen (; born 17 May 1975) is a Danish golfer who currently plays on PGA Tour Champions. Professional career Kjeldsen turned professional in 1995. Kjeldsen's success on the second tier Challenge Tour in 1997, which included his f ...

Pablo Larrazábal Pablo Larrazábal Corominas (born 15 May 1983) is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. He also played in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series event at the Centurion Club. Early life Larrazábal was born in Barcelo ...

, Danny Lee,

David Lingmerth David Thomas Lingmerth (born 22 July 1987) is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early life Lingmerth was born and grew up in Tranås in the province of Småland, Sweden, and is son of Thomas and Birgitta Lingmerth. He beg ...

David Lipsky David Lipsky (born July 20, 1965) is an American author. His works have been The New York Times Best Seller list, ''New York Times'' bestsellers, ''New York Times'' New York Times Notable Book, Notable Books, ''Time (magazine), Time'', Amazon's ...

Joost Luiten Willibrordus Adrianus Maria "Joost" Luiten (born 7 January 1986) is a Dutch professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. Early life and amateur career Luiten was born in Bleiswijk and started playing golf at 6 years old at Golf Centrum ...

, Ben Martin, Troy Merritt,

Marcel Siem Marcel Siem (born 15 July 1980) is a German professional golfer who plays on the European Tour where he has six victories. In 2006 he won the World Cup paired with Bernhard Langer. Early life Siem was born in Mettmann. Professional career Siem ...

, Gary Stal,

Camilo Villegas Camilo Villegas Restrepo (; born 7 January 1982) is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early life Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child. After several different National Junior Championshi ...

Oliver Wilson Oliver John Wilson (born 14 September 1980) is an English professional golfer. Wilson was a member of the 2008 Ryder Cup, but had to wait another six years for his first European Tour win, the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Amateur car ...

*''

Alex Norén Alexander Norén (born 12 July 1982) is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has won ten tournaments on the European Tour, including the 2017 BMW PGA Championship, BMW PGA Championship, the Aberdeen Ass ...

withdrew due to a rib injury.'' 5. The winner of selected tournaments from each of the following tours: *

Asian Tour The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf professional golf tours, tour in Asia except for Japan (which has its own Japan Golf Tour). It is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. Official money events on ...

: Thailand Golf Championship (2014) –

, already qualified under categories 1, 2, 3, and 4 *

PGA Tour of Australasia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...

: BetEasy Masters (2014) – Nick Cullen *

Japan Golf Tour The Japan Golf Tour () is a prominent professional golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006, it offered the third-highest annual prize fund out of the regular (that is not for seniors) men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the ...

Bridgestone Open The was a professional golf tournament in Japan, sponsored by Bridgestone. Founded in 1972, it had been an event on the Japan Golf Tour since in inaugural season in 1973. From 1972 to 1984, the title of the event was the Bridgestone Tournament, be ...

(2014) –

Koumei Oda is a Japanese professional golfer. Career Oda was born in Tagawa, Fukuoka. He turned professional in 2000. Oda won the 2008 Casio World Open and the 2009 Token Homemate Cup. He competed in the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry, but failed t ...

: Japan Golf Tour Championship –

Liang Wenchong Liang Wenchong (, born 2 August 1978) is a Chinese professional golfer. He was the highest ranked golfer from the People's Republic of China and the first Chinese golfer to have reached the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He succeeded ...

Sunshine Tour The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern and East Africa. For much of its early history it was known either as the Southern Africa Tour or Sunshine Circuit; through sponsorship deals, it has also been known as the F ...

Dimension Data Pro-Am The Dimension Data Pro-Am, currently titled as the NTT Data Pro-Am, is an annual golf tournament which is played on the South African Sunshine Tour, founded in 1996. The tournament was co-sanctioned by the European Tour for the first two years. ...

–

, already qualified under categories 2, 3, and 4 Notably missing from the field is former number 1 player

Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins, PGA Tour wins, ranks second in List of men's major championships winning golfers, men's m ...

, who is outside the top 200 in the world rankings and whose last tournament win was his eighth title at the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Round summaries

First round

''Thursday, August 6, 2015'' Danny Lee shot a 5-under-par 65 to take the lead by one stroke over

and

. The greens were firm and difficult and only 21 golfers in the field of 77 managed under-par rounds.

Second round

''Friday, August 7, 2015'' Source:

Third round

''Saturday, August 8, 2015'' Source:

Final round

''Sunday, August 9, 2015''

's 66 (−4) overtook third round co-leaders

and

, who each carded 72 (+2). Runner-up

also shot 66 and finished two strokes behind Lowry. Source:

Scorecard

''Final round'' ''Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par'' Source

References

External links

*
Coverage on European Tour's official siteFirestone Country Club site
{{coord, 41.008, -81.508, type:event, display=title WGC Invitational