WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 2012 Tee Times For Thursday

The world's best golfers come to Akron again for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this week. Aside from Webb Simpson, whose wife just gave birth, almost every headliner and top player will be on hand for one of their favorite stops on Tour. Firestone South is annually praised by the elite but limited field and this year should provide another great week of golf in advance of the PGA Championship at Kiawah next week.

The big draw, of course, will be the world's No. 2-ranked player Tiger Woods, who will go off in the second-to-last group on Thursday at 1:50 p.m. ET. Woods will be playing alongside South African Branden Grace, who rapidly ascended the world rankings to become WGC-eligible with three Euro Tour wins this season. Grace is another young promising South African but playing with Woods in Akron will certainly be an entirely new experience.

With the limited field format and no cut, the best strategy is often to post up at one hole and watch as each group comes through -- there's really a household name or superstar in almost every single pairing. As the Tour often does, Phil Mickelson will go out in the wave opposite Woods, teeing off in the second-to-last group in the morning session at 10 a.m. ET. It's a small field but certainly one of the best all season. The complete schedule of tee times for the 1st Round:

Morning wave off No. 1:

Morning wave off No. 10:

Afternoon wave off No. 1:

Afternoon wave off No. 10:

For complete coverage of the 2012 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, stay with this StoryStream. For all your golf news in the run up to the season's final major, visit SB Nation's golf hub.