Twilight lingered over the 18th hole of Firestone Country Club in 2000 as Tiger Woods’ 8-iron shot settled 2 feet from the pin. Spectators illuminated the hole with lighters and serenaded Woods like a rock ‘n’ roll god as he approached his ball. Woods sank his putt to finish 21-under par and hoisted his second of eight World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational trophies. But after 65 years as a stop on the PGA Tour, Firestone hosts its final WGC Aug. 2-5. “It’s been a Northeast Ohio tradition that the region has always supported,” says Don Padgett III, executive director of the Bridgestone Invitational. Beginning in 2019, the 7,400-yard South Course is slated to host the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, featuring Fred Couples, Vijay Singh and other greats. Before then, fans must wait to see if Woods, who last competed at Firestone in 2014, can return to championship form with a ninth victory in Akron. “Everybody’s rooting for Tiger this summer,” Padgett says.
Relive Bridgestone's Best Moments
The place where Tiger Woods hoisted his second world champ trophy will host its last WGC-Bridgestone tournament.
