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:
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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 |
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| Expert picks: Buick Open |
Helen Ross |
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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.
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T.J. Auclair |
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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.
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| If Auclair had the top pick ... Woods |
John Swantek |
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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.
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| If Swantek had the top pick ...Furyk |
Lauren Deason |
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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.
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| If Deason had the top pick ... Woods |
Ceri Mobley |
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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 |
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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 |
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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.
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| If McAllister had the top pick ... Woods |
Ryan Smithson |
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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.
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| If Smithson had the top pick ... Woods |
Mark Spoor |
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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 |
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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.
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| If Wacker had the top pick ... Woods |
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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 |
| 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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