Expert Picks: FBR Open

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T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer
Pick: Justin Leonard
He played great in the 2007 Fall Series and it has obviously carried over to 2008 where he has three top-10s in three starts. In previous years, Leonard has been hit or miss in Phoenix. In all he has four top-10 finishes there, highlighted by two second-place showings. Over the last six months, Leonard just looks like a far more confident player. So, why not pick up a win at the FBR Open?

Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
Pick: Phil Mickelson
Let's see -- he attended Arizona State University, has won the FBR Open twice and is coming off a sixth place finish at last week's Buick Invitational. Mickelson even said himself that his game at Torrey Pines was a week behind, partly due to an ongoing respiratory illness that kept him from his normal practice routine. "But as the week wore on, I started to play better, I started to feel better, and these two rounds under par on the weekend give me a little bit of momentum heading into next week," Mickelson said last week. Sounds like he -- and the rest of us -- know that he's poised for a good showing at the FBR Open.

Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Justin Leonard
Yes, his record here is spotty, but it reflects how well he's played here when his game is in sync. Sure, Phil Mickelson and Aaron Baddeley are great choices, but we're going contrarian with the red-hot -- as in three top 8s in three events -- Texan.

Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Vijay Singh
Singh has had indifferent results in first three events of 2008, but he returns to a place where he is very comfortable and rings up top 10s with seemingly the greatest of ease. Although this event has produced more than its share of surprise champions, it's about time for the chalk to come through.

John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor
Pick: Phil Mickelson
Lefty in the desert will once again reign. He started playing well on the weekend in San Diego and should be the odds-on favorite this week. Not to mention, the spotlight is always bright in Scottsdale, and no one thrives on that attention more than Phil. I may not go with his Big Game pick, but I would certainly wager on Phil this week.

Win McMurry
Host, PGA TOUR Today
Pick: Justin Leonard
Leonard's been rock solid the past two weeks. Flirting with victory at the Hope and finishing fifth at Torrey Pines shows his game is on form. He's already pocketed $933,000 this year.

Scott Pianowski
The Fantasy Insider
Pick: Phil Mickelson
He feeds off a hearty crowd as well as anyone, and surely there will be plenty of ASU peeps outside the ropes this week. Mickelson's track record here speaks for itself - he's collected more FBR Open cash than anyone. His swing started to come around in SoCal and we'll see the payoff this week. Making a case against Lefty here is almost like picking against the Patriots - it's a cute idea for a moment, but not the wise play in the end.

Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
Pick: Phil Mickelson
As a cold wind whipped across Torrey Pines late Sunday afternoon, Phil Mickelson talked about how much he was looking forward to the FBR Open. He said he felt like his game was in the kind of shape he'd hoped to start the season -- just a week late -- and he always enjoyed the atmosphere at the TPC Scottsdale. Look for Lefty to ignite the crowd and pick up his first win of the season.

Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent
Pick: Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods took his turn at the Buick Invitational, and now No. 2 Mickelson has a chance to rule the roost at one of his favorite spots, where he's won twice and is probably hungry to get on the board even though it's just his second start. His missed cut at last year's FBR Open will only make him more determined.

John Swantek
PGA TOUR Productions Fantasy Insider
Pick: Phil Mickelson
Up off the mat after picking against Tiger last week, I'll come out swinging with a heavy favorite in Scottsdale. Always needs one event to shake off the rust and a tie for sixth at Torrey Pines did the trick. With five career wins in the state of Arizona, he'll again feed off the energy of the crowd and soak up that Sun Devil love. You can lock up two winners on Super Sunday; Phil by day's end and the Patriots by nightfall.