Mar. 9, 2010
The second World Golf Championships event of the season takes place in Doral, Fla., this week at the TPC Blue Monster. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts -- including the newest member of our editorial team, producer Anne Szeker -- size up the top contenders. Since Anne is the new kid on the block, we're giving her the honor of the first pick this week.
| Expert picks: CA Championship |
Anne
Szeker |
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 |
STEVE STRICKER. He moved to No. 2 in the world earlier this year, with three top 10s in his first three starts. He'll step up again this week with former No. 2 Phil Mickelson in the field.
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Lauren
Deason |
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 |
PAUL CASEY. Just can't pull the trigger on picking Phil with the way he's been playing lately, so I'm going with the Englishman who's finished T10, second and T4 in his three starts of the season.
|
| If Deason had the top pick ... Casey |
Ryan
Smithson |
 |
 |
PHIL MICKELSON. Obviously, he's been struggling, but a feel player like him can make a minor adjustment and be back to normal. For Phil, "normal" includes shooting 15 under at TPC Blue Monster.
|
| If Smithson had the top pick ... Mickelson |
Helen
Ross |
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 |
CAMILO VILLEGAS. He was T5 at TPC Blue Monster in '09 and joint second when the course hosted the Ford Championship. He's also on a major-league hot streak right now, so it seems like a no-brainer.
|
| If Ross had the top pick ... Villegas |
John
Swantek |
 |
 |
ANTHONY KIM. With improved results in each of his five '10 starts, AK is peaking after Honda runner-up. Finishing five strokes back of another young star, Camilo Villegas, will provide added incentive. |
| If Swantek had the top pick ... Kim |
Brian
Wacker |
 |
 |
JIM FURYK. Mr. Top-10 hasn't had any so far this year, but Doral sets up perfectly for his game and the results have proven that with a third last year and a second the year before.
|
| If Wacker had the top pick ... Kim |
Nick
Zaccardi |
 |
 |
LEE WESTWOOD. I'll take Europe's No. 1 again this week. His last three stroke-play finishes were T3, 2 and T9. Throw out that third-round 78 in Doral last year, and he places much higher than T61.
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| If Zaccardi had the top pick ... Mickelson |
Mike
McAllister |
 |
 |
OLIVER WILSON. In his last four WGC starts in the U.S., he's finished no worse than a T11 -- including a T5 at Doral in '09. He's bound to break through with a win soon, so why not this week?
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| If McAllister had the top pick ... Casey |
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| Standings after Week 9 |
LAST WEEK: Nick Zaccardi grabbed the top spot from Brian Wacker when Lee Westwood tied for ninth at The Honda Classic, while Mike McAllister moved from last into third with Camilo Villegas' win:
|
| Position |
Name |
Wins |
Top-5s |
Top-10s |
Top-25s |
FedExCup points |
| 1 |
Nick Zaccardi
Associate Site Producer. PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
2 |
6 |
7 |
1008.83 |
| 2 |
Brian Wacker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
988.93 |
| 3 |
Mike McAllister
Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
766.33 |
| 4 |
Lauren Deason
Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
738 |
| 5 |
Ryan Smithson
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
- |
1 |
2 |
4 |
366 |
| 6 |
Helen Ross
Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM |
- |
- |
1 |
4 |
293 |
| 7 |
John Swantek
Host, PGA TOUR Today |
- |
- |
1 |
4 |
291.83 |
| 8* |
Anne Szeker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
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