Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun
Thursday Feb 21 – Sunday Feb 24, 2008

Picks: Mayakoba Golf Classic

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Feb. 20, 2008

• Sleeper Picks: Who may surprise? | Get in the discussion: Give us your picks

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T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer
Pick: Bubba Watson
I had initially picked Ryuji Imada until it was brought to my attention by a fellow expert that he was no longer in the field. With Imada out, I now turn my attention to Bubba Watson. In five starts this year, Watson has missed the cut just once and his best finish to date is a tie for 14th at last week's Northern Trust Open. I think Watson will carry that momentum down to Mexico and have a reasonable chance of winning.

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Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
Pick: Joe Ogilvie
Fred Funk is a solid choice and I wanted to give him some love, but he's played six out of seven weeks on the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour and could be feeling a tad peaked. After picking Geoff Ogilvy to win the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, I went with the other Ogilvie to win in Mexico. He proved that he has what it takes to win on the PGA TOUR after capturing his first title at the 2007 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. Ogilvie has been slightly inconsistent in 2008 -- two missed cuts but a top-10 at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am -- but look for him to succeed this week.

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Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Bill Haas
Yep. It's time. Too easy to pick Fred Funk back-to-back. Solid start, including a tie for ninth at the FBR, which precludes him from being a sleeper.

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Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Fred Funk
The course asks for precise driving and who is more precise than the defending champion. Forget the fact that he's a senior. Funk won in 2007 inbetween gigs on the Champions Tour. He had rounds of 62 and 64 on the way to the title.

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John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor
Pick: Corey Pavin
I like Corey Pavin this week in Mexico. He has been playing well and the stars seem to be aligning for the old guys on the Gulf of Mexico. By all accounts, the golf course is quite similar to Sea Pines at Hilton Head. A year ago, Fred Funk showed us that length will not be a huge factor. So look for one of the wiley old vets to play well. I am going with a man who has been playing as well as anyone in his age group.

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Win McMurry
Host, PGA TOUR Today
Pick: Fred Funk
The defending champ already has a 2008 title in his name after winning the Champions Tour MasterCard Championship and he's made four straight cuts on the PGA TOUR, including a top-10 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. I'm sure he wants to obliterate his Northern Trust Open finish from memory and a trip to Mexico might be just the ticket.

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Scott Pianowski
The Fantasy Insider
Pick: Fred Funk
He's still capable of competing with the young bucks -- witness the four PGA TOUR checks he's cashed this year, including the solid 10th-place run at the Sony Open. There's a lot to be learned from Funk's approach to life -- stay positive, keep it in the fairway.

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Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
Pick: Parker McLachlin
He opened the season with a solid tie for 10th before the home crowd at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and McLachlin hasn't finished lower than 29th in his other two starts. He played well at El Cameleon last year, tying for 18th. Could this be the week he breaks through?

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Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent
Pick: Joe Durant
Played exceedingly well at tough Riviera Country Club, finishing tied for 14th. Also tied for sixth at Buick Invitational, not an easy venue either. Driving accuracy fuels his game, and Fred Funk proved last year how important that can be at El Camaleon Golf Club.

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John Swantek
PGA TOUR Productions Fantasy Insider
Pick: Jose Coceres
El Chameleon is a track that's only been tested once under TOUR competition, so any degree of positive experience helps. Which leads me to the Argentine, last year's playoff runner-up to Funk. hE'S especially tough early in season; HE just missed at Honda last year in a playoff, the week after Mayakoba. He's due for the "W" that comes every few years.

Expert Standings
Following the Northern Trust Open
PGATOUR.com Experts 1st 2nd 3rd Top-10s Missed Cuts FedExCup Points
Win McMurry 2 - 2 4 2 12,351
Dave Shedloski 1 1 1 5 2 12,272
Scott Pianowski 1 1 1 5 3 11,799
Melanie Hauser 1 1 - 4 3 10,724
Lauren Deason 1 1 1 4 5 10,185
John Maginnes 1 2 1 3 5 10,042
Helen Ross 1 1 - 3 3 9,098
T.J. Auclair 1 - - 2 4 7,047
John Swantek - 1 1 2 2 5,184
Dave Lagarde - - - 3 3 4,550
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