Sleeper picks: The Barclays

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Aug. 25, 2009

The PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup begin this week in Jersey City, N.J. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts sized up the top contenders:

EXPERT PICKS
How it works: Our 10 experts from PGATOUR.COM select the player they think will win this week's event. By using a draft process, no two picks can be the same. Click here
SLEEPER PICKS
Of the players who didn't make the cut for our top 10 picks, which have the best chance as sleepers? Here's how our experts see it.
Sleeper picks: The Barclays
Expert
 
Pick order Player selected
 
Ryan
Smithson
BRANDT SNEDEKER. Snedeker does well when the score is around 15-20 under, so I have no idea how he will handle Liberty National, but he's playing as well as anyone on TOUR right now.
Lauren
Deason
JONATHAN BYRD. He hasn't missed a cut since late May despite dealing with the recent loss of his father. Byrd has quietly put together a good season eight top-25s in 18 starts, including two top-10s and the three-time TOUR winner can handle the Playoffs pressure.
Ceri
Mobley
JUSTIN ROSE. A wiser person would likely avoid Rose because he's so unpredictable, but he's one of my all-time favorites, and he has ties for 29th, 16th, 13th and fifth in his last five starts (ignoring that MC at the PGA). He just needs to stay focused like last week.
Mark
Spoor
KEVIN SUTHERLAND. He's the often-forgotten member of that three-way playoff in last year's Barclays with Sergio Garcia and Vijay Singh. Also, he tied for fifth last week at the Wyndham Championship. That's enough for me.
Brian
Wacker
CHAD CAMPBELL. No one's quite sure what to make of Liberty National since it's never hosted a TOUR event, but Campbell is among the best at hitting the green in regulation and he can be streaky good with the putter. At least I'm hoping he is this week.
T.J.
Auclair
CHARLIE WI. Liberty National is expected to be a tough test, and while Wi hasn't had a good follow-up season in 2009, this is the time of the year where he starts playing better. His accuracy will benefit him here.
Mike
McAllister
STEPHEN AMES. He has two top-10 finishes in his last four starts, and tied for 10th last time he was in the New York area (at Bethpage Black). His all-around ranking is eighth, which is comforting to know on a course hosting its first TOUR event.
Win
McMurry
JOHN SENDEN. The Aussie has five top-10 finishes in 2009, with his best finish coming a few weeks ago with a tie for second at the Buick Open. He's 31st in the FedExCup standings so needs three solid weeks to make it to Atlanta.
Helen
Ross
BRETT QUIGLEY. Granted, it would be more cool if the Massachusetts native picked up his first win next week at TPC Boston. But he's got to start somewhere and after three runner-up finishes in '09, maybe Liberty National will provide the freedom he needs.
John
Swantek
JOHN MERRICK. I like the fact that the Californian has performed well in big moments on tough courses (6th Masters, T10 U.S. Open). After competing in three playoff events last year and finishing 44th in the point standings, he's hungry for THE TOUR Championship.

LAST WEEK: Brian Wacker moved into second place when Jeev M. Singh tied for 17th at the Wyndham Championship, while Ryan Smithson and Win McMurry both picked up top-5 finishes with their sleeper picks last week.

Standings after Week 33
Pos. Expert Wins Top 5s Top 10s Top 25s FedExCup points
1 Helen Ross
Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM
1 3 4 9 1,631.5
2 Brian Wacker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM
1 1 3 6 1,581.01
3 Lauren Deason
Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM
1 2 3 9 1,573.25
4 Ryan Smithson
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM
- 4 3 6 1,474.61
5 Mike McAllister
Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM
- 4 3 6 1,176.74
6 John Swantek
Fantasy Insider, PGA TOUR Productions
- 2 1 5 1,125.44
7 Mark Spoor
Coordinating Producer, PGATOUR.COM
- 2 3 5 1,058.4
8 T.J. Auclair
Interactive Producer, PGATOUR.COM
- 1 2 9 981.85
9 Win McMurry
Host, PGA TOUR Today
- 1 3 7 954.03
10 Ceri Mobley
Associate Producer, PGATOUR.COM
- - 2 6 877.72
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