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Expert Picks: Arnold Palmer Inv. presented by MasterCard
 
Mar. 14, 2007
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Which player will take the honors in this weekend's Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard? Our experts weigh in:

T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer
Pick: Tiger Woods
Obviously Tiger is the favorite whenever he tees it up. He's the most dominating player in the universe -- great "expert analysis" there, I know. But at Bay Hill, he's exceptionally lethal. This is a tournament he once won four times in a row (2000-03). Surprisingly, Woods hasn't been so hot at Arnie's home course since his last win -- T46 in 2004, T23 in 2005 and T20 last year. That won't matter this week.
Brett Avery
The Fantasy Insider
Pick: Tiger Woods
People, this is Bay Hill! The guy's won there about 14 times(even though he hasn't been better than a tie for 20th his last three years). Why the heck wouldn't you pick him this week? Besides, if The Fantasy Insider doesn't pick Woods, he's guaranteed to win this week and cause TFI to fall even farther behind in these blasted standings.
Lauren Deason
PGA TOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
Pick: Tiger Woods
This week, tennis super freak Roger Federer lost a match to an unranked opponent, snapping a 41-match win streak. What does this have to do with picking Tiger, you wonder? Well, both Federer, the world No. 1 in his sport, and world No. 1 Woods tend to get more press and attention for losing than winning. It always makes more sense to pick Tiger to win an event this week is no exception at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, a tournament he has won four times -- than to pick against him. After all, isnt he the Federer of the golf world?
Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Tiger Woods
Do you have to ask? He's in the field. He's won it a zillion times. He's rested and ready to rock and roll all the way to Augusta. Yep. Tiger Woods. Perfect for what ails many things, including my poor record of late.
Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Contributor
Pick: Tiger Woods
He figures to make a big splash after a few weeks of R&R. It's hard not to like a guy who has won four times around this track. Look for another dominating victory.
John Maginnes
PGA TOUR Network on XM Radio analyst
Pick: Tiger Woods
I asked a buddy of mine who he liked this week. Lord knows my picks thus far could use a little help. He looked at me as if I was a moron. "Isn't Tiger playing?" he asked as if all other suggestions were preposterous. The fact of the matter is that I believe in a four-week stretch, Tiger will have started another streak leading into the summer with three in a row, including another Green Jacket. Now the problem is how to creatively pick him in the coming weeks.
Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
Pick: Charles Howell III
I know. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are both playing this week. So are six more players ranked among the top-10 in the world. I'm going with the man who leads the FedExCup and PGA TOUR money list, though. I've been impressed with the consistency of Charles Howell III all year long, and that 68-65 finish last weekend did nothing but reinforce my optimism. Not to mention, it's a home game for him.
Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent
Pick: Vijay Singh
Some guys are just jinxed at certain venues, and that appears to be the case with Singh at Bay Hill. Three times he has finished second in Arnold Palmer's tournament, including two years ago when he dunked his approach at No. 18 into the greenside lake and lost by two strokes to Kenny Perry. But Singh is a relentless competitor, and he still may find a way to win on the Champion Course, which is of major championship caliber this week thanks to a firm track lined by heavy rough. The lithe Fijian has never missed the cut in his 13 appearances.

Wondering how our experts are doing so far this season? Here's a look:

How they're doing
The 2007 record of PGA TOUR.com experts after last week's PODS Championship
PGATOUR.com Experts 1st 2nd 3rd Top 10s Missed Cuts Total FedExCup Points
Helen Ross 2 1 1 5 4 18702.3
T.J. Auclair 1 2 2 6 2 16663.2
Dave Lagarde 2 0 0 4 5 13569.3
Melanie Hauser 2 0 0 3 6 12570.3
John Maginnes 2 0 0 2 5 11998.9
Lauren Deason 1 1 1 5 3 11557.3
Dave Shedloski 1 0 1 4 4 10560.7
Brett Avery 1 0 0 3 4 9580.3

The 2007 Champions Tour continues this week with the playing of the AT&T Champions Classic. PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator Lauren Deason offers up her pick to win.

Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
Pick: Jim Thorpe
Tom Kite may be Mr. California, having won 10 tournaments throughout his career on the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour, but Thorpie has fared pretty well in the state as well. Thorpe won the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship last year in Sonoma, plus had back-to-back wins in California in 2000 and won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in 2003. He has finished in the top 20 four out of seven times at the AT&T Champions Classic at Valencia Country Club in Valencia, Calif. Thorpe should redeem a slow start to the 2007 season -- he has only finished in the top 20 once -- with a strong performance here.