This week we have the World Golf Chamionships-Bridgestone Invitational as a big-money precursor to the year’s final major, next week’s PGA, and the four-event FedEx Cup series. Over $50 million of purse money will be paid to participants in these six events, and meanwhile enough to cover a few bills will be awarded in two lesser events. This week, let’s (again) consider Jordan Spieth. Other than for a stretch in April and May, it has been a great season for the no. 2-ranked (Hawley Ratings) Texan who turned 24 last week. He’s won his last two starts (Travelers and British Open) and has another second-place finish (Dean & Deluca) in his last five appearances.

Rated nearly even with Spieth is the much older (28) and equally photogenicRickie Fowler. His last five appearances don’t quite equal Spieth’s but Fowler has a second (Memorial), third (National), and fifth (U.S. Open) in that span. Also Fowler looks like a better fit for the challenging Firestone Country Club south course, where scrambling and driving distance are the stats correlating most closely with success.

The field includes no lack of players who have shown recent strong improvements in form. None is more striking than Bryson DeChambeau, who has had streaks of both eight and five straight missed cuts this season but out of nowhere won the John Deere and had top-20 finishes in the National and Greenbrier. Not so dramatic but fitting the description of improving and/ or suited to the course are Paul Casey, Matt Kuchar, Marc Leishman, and Xander Schauffele.

Graham Delaet is the pick in the smaller-money (and I mean much smaller) Barracuda Championship being played in Reno. Delaet’s best recent showing is a 10th in the Memorial. Kevin Tway probably is the hottest player in the field with a steady record of mid-range finishes and only one cut in his last eight appearances. Two young guys who have stepped it up recently and may deserve a look are rookie Brandon Hagy and former world no. 1 amateur Curtis Luck. Two older guys also playing better are Rory Sabbatini and Padraig Harrington. (Go to http://www.pgatour.com/news/2015/08/03/stableford-format-barracuda-championship.html for a description of the scoring system used in this event.)