Expert Picks: HP Byron Nelson Championship

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May. 25, 2011

The PGA TOUR travels to TPC Four Seasons this week for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts sized up the top contenders:

MAKE YOUR PICKS: Tell us who you think will win this week at Colonial.

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: HP Byron Nelson Championship

Expert	Pick order	Player selected
Chris Dunham			DUSTIN JOHNSON. DJ is quietly having a solid season with three top 10s and a 28th-place FedExCup standing. He still lacks a 2011 victory but with T4 and T7 finishes the last two years here, don't be surprised to see Johnson get his fifth career victory.

John Schwarb			JASON DAY. A T31 at Crowne Plaza was disappointing for the Colonial member, but it's just a blip in an overall fine season that is only missing a win. We don't see many successful title defenses on TOUR, but this is a good spot for one.
If Schwarb had the top pick ... Day
Ryan Smithson			RORY SABBATINI. He's played a Cal Ripken-like 15 times this year, including the last four. On TOUR, five in a row is an awful lot, but he's also playing the best golf of his career. Obviously, he loves this course. Hopefully he can stay fresh.
If Smithson had the top pick ... Johnson
Mike McAllister			NICK WATNEY. Has just three under-par rounds in 12 career rounds in this event, and he hasn't played here since 2008. No worries. He ranks top 20 on TOUR in driving distance, greens in regulation and strokes gained-putting. Gotta like his well-rounded game.
If McAllister had the top pick ... Watney
Lauren Deason			K.J. CHOI. The newly minted PLAYERS Champion doesn't have the best history here, though he hasn't played the event since 2007. No matter -- he took last week off and now he'll pick up right where he left off at TPC Sawgrass.
If Deason had the top pick ... Watney
Anne Szeker			MATT KUCHAR. He hasn't been posting the top-10s that he was earlier in the season, but how bad can you feel about a guy who's worst finish was a T54 at THE PLAYERS? He's second in scoring average. Solid pick almost any week. That's Kuchar.
If Szeker had the top pick ... Johnson
John Swantek			ANTHONY KIM. Purely a gut pick, a roll of the dice based on talent more than current form. This feels like a top 5 or a missed cut, but maybe playing at home will awaken the game of the mercurial 25-year-old.
If Swantek had the top pick ... Johnson
Brian Wacker			BRIAN GAY. Last week was a struggle for Gay, who tied for 31st at a tournament he should have fared much better in. That won't happen two weeks in a row for Gay, who tied for second at the Nelson last year after a final-round 63.
If Wacker had the top pick ... Sabbatini
Amanda Balionis			CHARLIE WI. Wi has hit his stride after finishing second last week at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Wi was third in putting last week and he also has a great track record at the TPC Four Seasons, twice finishing in the top 25 including a T7 in 2008.
If Balionis had the top pick ... Watney
Helen Ross			BEN CRANE. I think last week's missed cut was just an aberration. Crane knows he can play TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas well after last year's tie for seventh and solo second in his debut. Look for him to find his spot in the middle of the now and prosper.
If Ross had the top pick ... Watney

Standings after 21 events

LAST WEEK: Tip of the golf cap to Helen Ross, who got into the winners' circle with David Toms and vaulted from ninth to sixth in the standings.
Position	Name	Wins	Top-5s	Top-10s	Top-25s	FedExCup points
1	Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM	1	6	6	12	2138.71
2	Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	2	6	8	10	2025.65
3	Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	1	5	6	10	1409.82
4	Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	3	6	13	1394.41
5	John Swantek Host, On The Tee	1	3	7	11	1246.61
6	Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM	1	1	4	9	1082.40
7	Anne Szeker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	2	12	858.32
8	Chris Dunham Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	0	2	7	9	796.99
9	John Schwarb Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	5	9	746.37
10*	Amanda Balionis Host, PGA TOUR Today	0	1	1	2	305.00