Northern Trust Open
Thursday Feb 4 – Sunday Feb 7, 2010

Sleepers: Northern Trust Open

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Feb. 13, 2008

• Sleeper Picks: Who will win? | Get in the discussion: Give us your picks

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T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer
Pick: Len Mattiace
OK, this would likely be the ultimate sleeper pick if Mattiace could win (he did win the Northern Trust Open in 2002 though). I just always like to see good guys play well and few are better than Mattiace in the nice-guy department. Quick story. Playing a round at a private club in Rhode Island with his father-in-law one time, Mattiace was setting the course ablaze. When he got to the final hole he had a short putt and asked what the course-record was, knowing he had to be close. Realizing he was about to break a record that had been held for decades, Mattiace intentionally missed his putt and said it was because the person who held the record didn't deserve to have it stolen from a TOUR player. That's a class act -- and hopefully a winner this week. Lord knows I can use some help in these "expert" standings!

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Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
Pick: Davis Love III
While many went with Davis Love III last time, I gave him a week to shake the rust off before choosing him as a sleeper. He's rededicated himself to the game after an injury that cramped his playing time at the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. Love's record at Riviera is spotty -- he's missed the cut a few times but been runner-up twice. After a comeback week at Pebble Beach, where Love tied for 24th at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, he's back in business. Since he's not fully exempt for all four majors or the World Golf Championships events for the first time in years, a win at one of the next few tournaments would really change the 19-time PGA TOUR winner's season.

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Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Jeff Quinney
Tied for ninth here last year. Strong, but not spectacular start to the year. This could be the week he breaks out.

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Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Robert Allenby
Batting .333 in top-10s at Riviera, with a memorable victory in the rain in overtime in 2001. If he putts well, he can do it again.

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John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor
Pick: Geoff Ogilvy
Sometimes having something to look forward to is all a player needs to build a little confidence. Geoff Ogilvy will certainly be looking forward to the World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship next week. In two years, he has lost exactly one match ... the finals to Stenson last year. But considering that he has not made a cut this year in his two previous starts, he needs a good week this week. Riviera has never been kind for four rounds to Geoff, but he has been in contention here and certainly has the type of game required to get it done at Hogan's Alley.

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Win McMurray
Host, PGA TOUR Today
Pick: Steve Marino
It's his first time at Riviera, but he's made four straight cuts since he began his season with a tie for fourth in Hawaii. He enters this week recharged after taking a week off.

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Scott Pianowski
The Fantasy Insider
Pick: Robert Allenby
He won here in 2001 and he's been close a few times since (third last year, seventh in 2005), and while Allenby has yet to post a breakthrough outing this season, he's made three cuts in a row following his disappointing Sony Open in Hawaii. Cue up a little Men at Work, I'm going Down Under.

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Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
Pick: David Love III

Hey, I'll pick him again. Davis Love was solid last week in his 2008 PGA TOUR debut -- tying for 24th a mere five months after ankle surgery. He hasn't played Riviera since 2003, but he's finished second there twice, tied for third in 1991 and tied for eighth in 2001. Love is more than ready to make up for lost time, and he wants dearly to make the Ryder Cup team. This would be a good place to make a statement.

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Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent
Pick: David Toms
Incredibly, his record isn't that good at Riviera, where he has never posted a top-10 finish. Coming off a missed cut in his only previous start of the season at the FBR Open. Guys like this aren't usually sleepers, but Toms is among a handful of stars who are yet to fully wake up with the season now in its seventh week. Alarm bells, please.

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John Swantek
PGA TOUR Productions Fantasy Insider
Pick: Davis Love III
A tie for 24th at Pebble Beach was just what I was looking to see in his first tournament action since last August. He will improve on that this week at a course offering a complete test, on which dozens of major champions like DL3 have won.

Expert Standings
Following the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
PGATOUR.com Experts 1st 2nd 3rd Top-10s Missed Cuts FedExCup Points
Dave Shedloski 1 1 1 5 2 11670
Lauren Deason 1 1 1 4 3 10185
Scott Pianowski 1 1 1 4 3 10961
John Maginnes 1 2 1 3 3 10042
Helen Ross 1 1 - 3 2 9041
Win McMurry 1 - 2 3 2 7786
Melanie Hauser 1 - - 3 3 7636
T.J. Auclair 1 - - 2 2 7047
John Swantek - 1 1 2 2 4796
Dave Lagarde - - - 2 3 3409
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