Expert picks: Buick Open

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Jul. 29, 2009

The Buick Open will take place at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club this week. 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.
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. Click here
Expert picks: Buick Open
Expert
 
Pick order Player selected
 
Helen
Ross
TIGER WOODS. This is the first time I've had the first pick in a week when Tiger Woods was playing. The world No. 1 is a good pick anywhere, but particularly at Warwick Hills, where he won in '02 and '06 and tied for second in '03 and '05.
 
T.J.
Auclair
NICK WATNEY. After a blistering first half to '09, which included a win at Torrey Pines and a second at Doral, Watney cooled off a touch. He's turning it around again, and since he hasn't missed a cut at Warwick Hills, I think he will fare well again this week.
If Auclair had the top pick ... Woods
John
Swantek
JIM FURYK. Has it really been 24 months since Furyk won on the PGA TOUR? That's far too long for a player of his Furyk's caliber and, believe me, he's tired of hearing about the dry spell. Warwick Hills is the place to end the drought.
If Swantek had the top pick ...Furyk
Lauren
Deason
BRANDT SNEDEKER. Will his hot streak continue this week in Michigan? I'm not going to bet against a guy who's finished in the top five three times in his last four starts. Plus, he tied for 10th at the Buick Open in 2007.
If Deason had the top pick ... Woods
Ceri
Mobley
BRIAN GAY. The runaway winner has two victories this year (by 15 shots total), and he was T7 at Warwick Hills last year. He also has a T24, a T15, a T6 and a T2 at this event. Why not blast away the field again this week?
If Mobley had the top pick ... Woods
Win
McMurry
SCOTT VERPLANK. He certainly has the experience -- he's making his 18th start at Warwick Hills this week. In that span, Verplank has recorded four top-10s. Verplank tied for eighth last week at Glen Abbey.
If McMurry had the top pick ... Woods
Mike
McAllister
WOODY AUSTIN. Great track record at Warwick Hills, with two T2s and a T7 the last three years (and a win in '95). And while he's MC'd in his most recent two starts this month, he was solid before that, including top 10s in Fort Worth and Memphis.
If McAllister had the top pick ... Woods
Ryan
Smithson
JUSTIN LEONARD. I think everyone forgot that Justin is in the field, so I am delighted to have him. Woody Austin? He can't do well here every year. Brandt Snedeker? He's got to cool off sometime. Maybe this logic is why I am ninth in the standings.
If Smithson had the top pick ... Woods
Mark
Spoor
NATHAN GREEN. His win in Canada came out of nowhere, as the rest of '09 had been rough for the most part. The Aussie obviously found something in his game, and it clicked. He's got confidence and momentum going into the Buick Open.
If Spoor had the top pick ... Woods
Brian
Wacker
KEVIN NA. He flamed out after an opening-round 63 last week, but he had zero chance to keep the momentum going with all the delays. Na is second on TOUR with seven top-10s for a reason and I think (read: hope) he'll get another one this week.
If Wacker had the top pick ... Woods

LAST WEEK: Helen Ross had a heartbreaking week with her pick of Retief Goosen, who missed out on an extra 200 points with his playoff loss last week. T.J. Auclair was next with his pick of Anthony Kim, who tied for third:

Standings after Week 29
Pos. Expert Wins Top 5s Top 10s Top 25s FedExCup points
1 Win McMurry
Host, PGA TOUR Today
3 7 6 8 3,799.6
2 Ceri Mobley
Associate Producer, PGATOUR.COM
4 5 2 7 3,697.03
3 Mike McAllister
Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM
3 4 2 8 2,999.10
4 Mark Spoor
Coordinating Producer, PGATOUR.COM
2 3 1 4 2,076.38
5 Lauren Deason
Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM
- 4 3 6 1,755.02
6 T.J. Auclair
Interactive Producer, PGATOUR.COM
1 3 - 7 1,763.24
7 Brian Wacker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM
1 2 7 1 1,711.92
8 Helen Ross
Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM
- 6 4 6 1,691.46
9 Ryan Smithson
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM
- 5 4 1 1,471.62
10 John Swantek
Fantasy Insider, PGA TOUR Productions
- 3 1 8 1,173
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