Sleeper picks: BMW Championship

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Sep. 10, 2009

The third leg of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup takes place this week at Cog Hill. 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: BMW Championship

Expert	Pick order	Player selected
Brian Wacker			WEBB SIMPSON. The rookie played well early in the year and he's playing well late in it. His good ballstriking and putting should fare well at Cog Hill, too. Don't be surprised if the Wake Forest alum nabs another top-10.
John Swantek			JASON DAY. The 21-year-old Aussie possesses raw ability and a fearless attitude, but has lacked consistency in his young career. A pair of top-20 finishes in the Playoffs have bolstered his confidence; he feels like he belongs with the big boys.
Lauren Deason			BRANDT SNEDEKER. The Vanderbilt alum has dominated this summer, picking up five top-12 finishes in his last nine starts. Last week's T32 wasn't great, but Sneds did tie for 14th at Cog Hill in 2007, so I think he'll contend again this week.
Ryan Smithson			ROBERT ALLENBY. This guy has been the definitive sleeper pick all year. He's near the top in greens in regulation and near the bottom in birdie average, which means he's faced a lot of 30-foot birdie putts this year. That is not always a bad thing.
Mark Spoor			CHARLIE WI. He posted his first top-20 since late May last week in New England, vaulting 19 spots in the FedExCup standings and into the top 50 heading to Cog Hill. I think he's got one more jump in him.
Mike McAllister			STEPHEN AMES. He's had top-25 finishes in three of his last four starts, and his final-round 66 at TPC Boston should provide a nice confidence-booster. Oh, and he won at Cog Hill in 2004, so that might help a little, too.
Ceri Mobley			FREDRIK JACOBSON. I lucked out getting this sleeper so late: In four BMW starts, he has three top-10s, so nip-tucked Cog Hill or not, he should feel comfortable this week. I just hope I see his Barclays form (T6) and not a repeat of last week (T69).
T.J. Auclair			MARC LEISHMAN. This PGA TOUR rookie has had a great season no matter what happens this week in Chicago. What I guess I'm saying is, that at No. 67 in the standings with only the top 30 advancing to Atlanta, he's playing with nothing to lose this week.
Win McMurry			TIM CLARK. Clark has a solid record at Cog Hill with two top-5s in his last two starts in Chicago. At 33rd in the FedExCup standings, the South African is looking to play his way into Atlanta.
Helen Ross			BILL HAAS. Haas has had an excellent late summer with ties for 18th, 10th, 24th and 15th in his last four starts. He's 47th in points, though, so he needs to grab another strong -- stronger, in fact -- finish this week to make it to Atlanta.

LAST WEEK: Ryan Smithson took the lead in the sleeper standings when Brandt Snedeker tied for 32nd at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Standings after Week 34

Pos.	Expert	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Top 25s	FedExCup points
1	Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	-	4	3	7	1,965.44
2	Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	1	2	3	10	1,838.25
3	Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	1	1	3	6	1,693.51
4	Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM	1	3	4	9	1,652.8
5	Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM	-	4	3	7	1,449.24
6	Mark Spoor Coordinating Producer, PGATOUR.COM	-	2	3	5	1,140.9
7	John Swantek Fantasy Insider, PGA TOUR Productions	-	2	1	5	1,125.44
8	Win McMurry Host, PGA TOUR Today	-	1	3	7	1,171.53
9	Ceri Mobley Associate Producer, PGATOUR.COM	-	-	2	6	1,090.22
10	T.J. Auclair Interactive Producer, PGATOUR.COM	-	1	2	9	1,001.55