Sleeper Picks: The Honda Classic

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Mar. 2, 2010

The PGA TOUR heads east to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., this week for The Honda Classic. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts sized up the top contenders:

EXPERT PICKS
How it works: Our 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. The player who wins the previous week picks last the following week. Click here
SLEEPER PICKS
Of the players who didn't make the cut for our top picks, which have the best chance as sleepers? Here's how our experts see it.
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Sleeper picks: The Honda Classic

Expert	Pick order	Player selected
Ryan Smithson			GREG OWEN. It never hurts to go with a good iron player on a course with trouble surrouding all 18 holes. Shot a final-round 66 at The Honda Classic in 2009 and finished tied for 13th.
Lauren Deason			SCOTT PIERCY. He tied for fifth at The Honda Classic last year and T8 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open last week. He's missed three cuts in six starts this year, but he certainly seems to like PGA National and enters the week with a little confidence.
Brian Wacker			JEFF KLAUK. He missed his last two cuts, but the Floridian played well in this event last year, finishing fourth.
John Swantek			BRETT QUIGLEY. No top 25s in first 5 events of the year is not exactly confidence inducing. But the south Florida resident always gets it cranked up when the TOUR swings into the Sunshine State. He's finished inside the top 13 at the Honda in the last two years.
Mike McAllister			JASON DUFNER. Dufner finished T9 at last year's Honda, which set the table for a career year (11th in FedExCup). He opened this year with two top-20s and comes off three weeks' rest.
Helen Ross			KEVIN STREELMAN. The Duke product tied for 13th a year ago at The Honda Classic, and he shot three rounds in the 60s at Phoenix last week. Maybe this will be the week he finally breaks through.
Nick Zaccardi			MATT EVERY. A Florida native who went to school in Gainesville, he should be fine at PGA National. In his last four, Every has three top-30s and a DQ for signing an incorrect scorecard after he made the cut.

Standings after Week 6

LAST WEEK: Ryan Smithson moved from last to first in the sleeper standings thanks to Rickie Fowler's runner-up finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, while Lauren Deason moved into the second-place spot:
Position	Name	Wins	Top-5s	Top-10s	Top-25s	FedExCup points
1	Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	-	1	1	1	371.92
2	Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	-	1	1	1	256.33
3	Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	-	2	2	2	254.5
4	Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM	-	-	1	2	172.83
5	Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM	-	-	1	1	152.5
6	John Swantek Host, PGA TOUR Today	-	-	1	1	137.83
7	Nick Zaccardi Associate Site Producer. PGATOUR.COM	-	-	-	-	126