Tiger finds No. 1 ranking in jeopardy

AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Long-hitting Bubba Watson grabbed the lead in the first round of the Bridgestone Invitational Thursday and was 10 shots in front of the struggling Tiger Woods.

Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, moved into position to move past Woods into the No. 1 spot in the world rankings. Woods has been atop those rankings for 612 consecutive weeks.

Watson shot a 6-under 64 to open the World Golf Championship event at the Firestone Country Club course, where Woods has won seven of the 10 times he has competed.

"I've never been here," Watson said. "So I learned the golf course in a couple of days."

Mickelson played his second nine holes in 30 strokes to shoot a 66 and share second place with Kenny Perry, Adam Scott and U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell.

Mickelson could take over the No. 1 spot if he finishes as high as fourth this week while Woods winds up 38th or worse. A victory this week for Mickelson will make him the world's top player no matter what Woods does.

Woods found himself tied for 70th in an 81-man field after the first round with a 74. His round was symbolized at the 10th hole when he drove the ball into the 18th fairway and then hit a television tower behind the green with his second shot.

The ball clanged off the metal tower, sailed high in the air and came to rest six feet off the green. He saved par on that hole, but he hit only four fairways, took two shots to get out of a bunker and missed two putts inside 5 feet.

Tied for sixth place at 67 were Chad Campbell, Sean O'Hair, Bo Van Pelt and Jeff Overton, who finished as runner-up to Stuart Appleby last week at the Greenbrier Invitational.

Appleby, who shot a 59 in the closing round last week, needed 15 more shots than that Thursday and wound up tied with Woods.

British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen shot a 72 and Anthony Kim, playing for the first time since May and paired with Oosthuizen, had a 75.