Expert Picks: Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
May. 26, 2010
The PGA TOUR heads to Colonial CC for the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts sized up the top contenders:
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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.
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. Click here |
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| Expert picks: Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial |
Casey
Black |
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PHIL MICKELSON. Mickelson has won this event twice and has been runner-up once. He's looking to take the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking from Tiger -- he has a lot of motivation to play well. |
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Anne
Szeker |
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 | JIM FURYK. He has a great record here -- T9 last year, lost in a playoff in 2007 -- and I think we can ignore THE PLAYERS T47 in his last start and focus on what otherwise has been a stellar year for Furyk. He'll get back on track in Fort Worth.
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| If Szeker had the top pick ... Mickelson |
Mike
McAllister |
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STEVE STRICKER. Even though he's the defending champ, this could be a risky pick, considering his extended absence due to an injured clavicle. He may be rusty, but he'll also be rested.
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| If McAllister had the top pick ... Mickelson |
John
Swantek |
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TIM CLARK. If this was the week after winning THE PLAYERS, no way. But the South African says he's recharged after 3 weeks off, after some celebrating, and his record at Colonial is stellar; runner-Up the last two years and three top-20 finishes before that.
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| If Swantek had the top pick ... Furyk |
Lauren
Deason |
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PAUL CASEY. He's cooled down after a spectacular start to the season, but Casey has one of the best 2010 records on TOUR and finished fifth at Colonial last year. His lone PGA TOUR win came in Texas -- will he get his second in the Lone Star State as well? |
| If Deason had the top pick ... Mickelson |
Brian
Wacker |
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BEN CRANE. Back-to-back top 10s and a propensity for being straight off the tee and hitting a lot of greens is a good formula for anyplace, especially Colonial. I think Crane wins again this year -- why not here?
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| If Wacker had the top pick ... Stricker |
Ryan
Smithson |
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SCOTT VERPLANK. The Dallas native has placed in the top 35 11 times in this event, including a T7 in 2007. The five-time TOUR winner tied for fifth last week in Texas, and has three other top-25 finishes this season.
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| If Smithson had the top pick ... Mickelson |
Helen
Ross |
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IAN POULTER. I can't believe he's lasted this long. Poulter has played at Colonial twice and finished 15th and ninth, so he obviously has a comfort zone here. Not to mention, I'd love to see what clothes he picks to go with the plaid jacket.
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| If Ross had the top pick ... Mickelson |
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| Standings after Week 20 |
LAST WEEK: Ryan Smithson and Helen Ross both had top-10 finishes at the HP Byron Nelson Championship last week:
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| Position |
Name |
Wins |
Top-5s |
Top-10s |
Top-25s |
FedExCup points |
| 1 |
Ryan Smithson
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
4 |
4 |
7 |
11 |
2635.33 |
| 2 |
Helen Ross
Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
1496.10 |
| 3 |
Brian Wacker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
1439.93 |
| 4 |
Lauren Deason
Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
2 |
3 |
10 |
1249.5 |
| 5 |
John Swantek
Host, On The Tee |
1 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
1155.58 |
| 6 |
Mike McAllister
Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
1 |
4 |
9 |
1013.49 |
| 7* |
Anne Szeker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
- |
3 |
3 |
3 |
532.5 |
| 8* |
Casey Black
Host, PGA TOUR Today |
- |
- |
- |
- |
176.5 |
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