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  • FedExCup Points: 50,000
  • Purse: $7.0 million
  • Winning Share: $1,260,000
  • Yards: 6,839
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Expert Picks: The Barclays
 
Aug. 22, 2007
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T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer
Pick: Vijay Singh

This week presents a huge opportunity for Singh and every other player in the field in the first tournament of the inaugural FedExCup Playoffs -- The Barclays. With No. 1 seed Tiger Woods electing to sit out, Singh -- the No. 2 seed -- could take a sizeable lead heading into the Deutsche Bank Championship. If ever there was a place for Singh to take advantage of an opportunity, Westchester Country Club is it. He returns as the defending champion and has won the event three times. He's finished no worse than a tie for seventh in his last three starts at Westchester. In 14 appearances overall at The Barclays, Singh has finished in the top 10 seven times. Already a two-time winner in 2007, expect Singh to pick up the hat-trick this week.

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Brett Avery
The Fantasy Insider
Pick: Ernie Els

He needs those big playoff finishes to move up the food chain and preserve his reputation, which has taken a beating this year in the prolonged recovery from last yearıs leg injury. He was a back-to-back winner at Westchester CC in 1996-97 and returns after a two-year absence. A tough setup suits his game.

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Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
Pick: Sergio Garcia

He is already in elite company in The Barclays history by being alongside two-time winners Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els and Seve Ballesteros and three-time winner Vijay Singh. Some might think that Singh -- the defending champ who has already earned two wins in 2007 -- will make it four career titles at Westchester Country Club this week, but I'm thinking Sergio Garcia will even the score with Singh by earning his third victory at the tournament. He's been the runner-up in two big tournaments on TOUR this year -- the British Open and THE PLAYERS Championship -- and Garcia rebounded from his heartbreaking loss at the British Open with a tie for 20th at the World Golf Championships -- Bridgestone Invitational and was in the running at the PGA Championship before an unfortunate disqualification. The only thing missing in his crazy, up-and-down '07 season is a win.

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Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Ernie Els

The Big Easy is back. Well, almost. He's been out of sight, out of mind long enough. And if his performances at Carnoustie (tie for fourth) and Southern Hills (third) didn't get your attention, well ... Can you say rounding into form? He's 19th in the FedExCup standings and is one of those guys who could run the tables. He knows this course. He won here back-to-back in 1996-97, in fact. And, yes, thought about Jim Furyk, but that back is a questionmark.

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Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Ernie Els
Looks like the Big Easy just might be rounding into form and is over the lingering effects of knee surgery. Has not played at Westchester in two years but has a fondness for that quaint, old-style track and is fully capable of getting off to a fast start in the playoffs.

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John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor
Pick: Brandt Snedeker
I wanted to pick Vijay. He is defending champion and he is well-rested. But I am not going to pick him. Brandt Snedeker is the hottest player in the field. He finished 18th at the PGA Championship two weeks ago. He won in Greensboro last week. Lest you think that a good old Southern boy is too unfamiliar with golf north of the Mason-Dixon line, look at his record this year. Top-10s at both the Buick Open and Canadian Open presented by Franklin Templeton Investments show that this kid can play anywhere. He has made a huge splash in his rookie season. A win at Barclays could create a tidal wave.

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Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondants
Pick: Vijay Singh

He's the defending champion -- not to mention, a three-time winner of The Barclays -- and he's got four other top-10s at Westchester Country Club, too. Plus, with the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup beginning this week, Singh has extra motivation, and he's poised to take over the No. 1 spot in the standings.

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Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent
Pick: Ernie Els

His surging game created some thunder at the PGA Championship that Tiger Woods could hear several fairways over. Twice a winner at Westchester Country Club's West Course, Els is a U.S. Open-type player who is comfortable on a U.S. Open-style layout like Westchester. He hasn't won on the PGA TOUR in three years. It's about time that changed. This venue would be a perfect place for him to alter his U.S. fortunes.

Champions Tour expert Lauren Deason gives us her thoughts on what will happen at the Boeing Classic this week in Snoqualmie, Wash.:

Pick: Tom Kite
In the two-year history of the Boeing Classic, Tom Kite has proven to be absolutely phenomenal, finishing runner-up to David Eger in 2005 and winning in 2006 after it took one playoff hole to beat Keith Fergus. It might be overly optimistic to expect him to win again, but the Texan is coming off a tie for fourth at the JELD-WEN Tradition last week and, as he works his way up the West Coast from Oregon to Washington, he will also likely work his way up to the top of the leaderboard this week.

HOW THEY'RE DOING
THE 2007 RECORD OF PGATOUR.COM EXPERTS AFTER LAST WEEK'S WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP
PGATOUR.com Experts 1st 2nd 3rd Top 10s Missed Cuts Total FedExCup Points
T.J. Auclair 7 5 3 20 14 60,866
Dave Shedloski 7 4 1 19 12 59,633
Melanie Hauser 8 3 0 19 15 57,636
Helen Ross 5 4 2 20 10 52,391
Brett Avery 5 3 2 16 10 47,013
Dave Lagarde 6 2 1 19 14 46,100
John Maginnes 6 2 0 12 17 41,752
Lauren Deason 4 4 1 14 13 40,093