Expert Picks: Northern Trust Open

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Feb. 15, 2011

The PGA TOUR travels to Riviera Country Club for the Northern Trust Open this week. 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.
SLEEPER PICKS
Of the players who didn't make the cut for our top picks, which have the best chance as sleepers? To see who our experts picked, click here.

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Expert picks: Northern Trust Open

Expert	Pick order	Player selected
Lauren Deason			PHIL MICKELSON. Lefty leads the all-time money list at the Northern Trust Open, where he's won twice. After his T9 at Pebble Beach, the four-time major champion said, "I feel like I'm right on the cusp of playing some great golf."

Anne Szeker			J.B. HOLMES. He might not seem like the obvious choice with the second pick, but Holmes has a great record here -- three top-10s in his last three starts. He's finished in the top 15 in his last two starts. No doubt he's finishing well this week, hopefully No. 1.
If Szeker had the top pick ... Mickelson
John Swantek			LUKE DONALD. The Englishman makes his 2011 TOUR debut, and had this one circled on the calendar. Runner-Up last year at Riviera, where he's finished top-6 last 3 years, posting 12 straight rounds of par or better.
If Swantek had the top pick ... Donald
Chris Dunham			STEVE STRICKER. My dad taught me better than this. It's very difficult to defend, yet here I am picking a reigning champ for the second consecutive week. Hopefully Stricker holds true to form at Riviera where he's finished T11, T2 and won in the last three years.
If Dunham had the top pick ... Donald
Helen Ross			HUNTER MAHAN. His record at Riviera isn't stellar but why not go with the hot hand? He's posted two top-10s in four starts this season, including Sunday's solo second at Pebble Beach that likely stoked the fire even more.
If Ross had the top pick ... Mickelson
John Schwarb			MATT KUCHAR. After three consecutive top-10s to begin the year, picking up right where he left off in 2010, Kooch took three weeks off. So he's rested and ready to play better here, where his best is a T20 last year.
If Schwarb had the top pick ... Mickelson
Ryan Smithson			DUSTIN JOHNSON. The thing I really like about him this week: The rain is coming. He might be the best mudder on TOUR, and he tied for third here last year in less-than-great conditions. Would have beaten Stricker had he not shot 74 in the third round.
If Smithson had the top pick ... Holmes
Brian Wacker			ANTHONY KIM. In four starts, Kim has three top-20s, including a tie for sixth two weeks ago in San Diego. He also played well in L.A. last year until the final round when he shot 78. He's redidcated himself -- again -- and that should start paying dividends.
If Wacker had the top pick ... Donald
Mike McAllister			BILL HAAS. Did that final-round 76 at TPC Scottsdale end his momentum or was it just a blip on the screen? I'll say the latter. Haas has three top-10s in four starts this year and is a collective 47 under par. I think he still has the hot hand.
If McAllister had the top pick ... Johnson

Standings after Week 5

LAST WEEK: Three consecutive weeks with the best pick of the bunch has landed Mike McAllister atop the standings for the first time in 2011.
Position	Name	Wins	Top-5s	Top-10s	Top-25s	FedExCup points
1	Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM	0	3	3	4	779.00
2	Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	0	3	4	4	612.00
3	Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	3	5	571.60
4	Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	2	3	3	358.57
5	Chris Dunham Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	3	3	283.16
6	Anne Szeker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	2	3	274.50
7	Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	2	3	267.40
8	John Schwarb Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	0	3	206.50
9	John Swantek Host, On The Tee	0	0	1	2	194.00