Jul. 28, 2010
The PGA TOUR travels to The Old White Course for The Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., this week. 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: The Greenbrier Classic |
Mike McAllister |
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JIM FURYK. On a course that's hosting a PGA TOUR event for the first time, the safe choice is to go with a veteran. And Furyk generally seems to do well on the shorter, classic layouts.
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Helen Ross |
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 | MATT KUCHAR. He's been quietly having a great year, missing only two cuts in 2010. Not to mention, four of his eight top-10s have come in his last five starts -- including a tie for fourth last week in Canada.
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| If Ross had the top pick ... Kuchar |
Brian Wacker |
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JEFF OVERTON. How good has Overton been the last three months? He's finished in the top 3 in four of his nine starts and also has a tie for 11th (British Open) and a tie for 12th (the Memorial tournament).
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| If Wacker had the top pick ... Overton |
Lauren Deason |
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JOHN ROLLINS. My original pick, Nick Watney, withdrew on Wednesday morning. This is a regional tournament for Rollins, a Richmond native. He hasn't had the best year, but most of that has been lackluster putting. He remains one of the TOUR'S best tee-to-green.
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| If Deason had the top pick ... Furyk |
Anne Szeker |
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J.B. HOLMES. A bomber like Holmes might be a risky pick at Greenbrier, where accuracy and a strong short game are key, but it's hard to ignore how well he's playing. Two runner-ups this season and nine top-15s. Fingers crossed this is his week.
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| If Szeker had the top pick ... Kuchar |
Casey Black |
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CHARLIE WI. One of the hottest players on TOUR, he lit up the leaderboard in July -- 4th at AT&T National, T15 at the John Deere Classic, and T4 last week in Canada. Should be ready for his first TOUR victory this week in West Virginia.
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| If Black had the top pick ... Kuchar |
John Swantek |
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SERGIO GARCIA. Remember him? Slowly emerging with a T22 at the U.S. Open and a T14 at the British Open, he remains one of the purest shotmakers in the game and will love this week's old-style layout. And he performs best when expectations are lowest.
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| If Swantek had the top pick ... Furyk |
Ryan Smithson |
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CARL PETTERSSON. He didn't get enough credit for that fabulous weekend in Canada, where he looked like Ben Hogan in his prime. It's tough to ask someone to win two weeks in a row, but I am honestly surprised Carl was left on the board this long.
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| If Smithson had the top pick ... Furyk |
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| Standings after Week 30 |
LAST WEEK: The standings remained the same after last week's RBC Canadian Open, but Ryan Smithson increased his commanding lead after Luke Donald's third-place finish in Toronto.
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| Position |
Name |
Wins |
Top-5s |
Top-10s |
Top-25s |
FedExCup points |
| 1 |
Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
5 |
7 |
9 |
15 |
3606.58 |
| 2 |
Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
2200.18 |
| 3 |
Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
2 |
4 |
12 |
1815.08 |
| 4 |
Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
2 |
7 |
12 |
1600.99 |
| 5 |
Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
2 |
4 |
14 |
1576.72 |
| 6 |
John Swantek Host, On The Tee |
1 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
1524.83 |
| 7* |
Anne Szeker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
2 |
5 |
5 |
7 |
1332.66 |
| 8* |
Casey Black Host, PGA TOUR Today |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
1169.00 |
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