Paired with Tiger means Day at the circus

GOLF: Australia’s Jason Day will have to battle enormous crowds and the Tiger Woods comeback circus if he wants to finally win the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at the course that has teased him so often.

US PGA Tour officials are expecting bumper galleries for the grouping of former world No.1s Day and Woods in the opening rounds at Ohio’s famed Firestone Country Club.

Woods won the tournament eight times between 1999 and 2013 – the latter being his last victory anywhere in the world.

The 14-time major champion has not returned to Firestone since dramatically withdrawing injured during the final round in 2014, but the 42-year-old arrives in form after top 10s in his past two US Tour starts.

It is also the last time the WGC-Bridgestone will be held at Firestone, with the elite 73man event changing its name and moving to Memphis, Tennessee next year.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Day said.

“This is the last time it’s here and Tiger is coming off playing some seriously good golf at the Open Championship.

“There are a lot of people excited that he could win here, and you practice and play for the chance to come up against Tiger in this kind of form.”

Day has amassed solid results of his own at Firestone.

The Queenslander tied for fourth in 2011 and third in 2016, when he held the lead during the final round only to drop three shots in two holes to hand Dustin Johnson victory.

There are four other Aussies in the $US10 million event: 2011 winner Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and Wade Ormsby.