Expert Picks: Verizon Heritage
Apr. 14, 2010
The PGA TOUR heads to Hilton Head for the Verizon Heritage this week. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts size 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 |
| MORE VERIZON HERITAGE: Power Rankings | Inside the Field | Inside the course | FANTASY GOLF: Play our game -- FREE! |
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| Expert picks: Verizon Heritage |
Nick
Zaccardi |
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CAMILO VILLEGAS. I'm very disappointed that Villegas isn't in this week's Power Rankings, given he started the season with a third, a T8 and a win. Worst finish here the last three years is a T37.
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Ryan
Smithson |
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JIM FURYK. His record at Harbour Town is crazy -- he either finishes top 5 or misses the cut, but obviously this course sets up perfectly for his game. Stat that I don't like: Furyk only has two multiple-win seasons in his long career.
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| If Smithson had the top pick ... Furyk |
Lauren
Deason |
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PAUL CASEY. Until missing the cut at the Masters, Casey had finished T10, 2nd, T4 and T6 on the PGA TOUR in 2010. He's currently coping with a few injuries, but his recent play makes him worth the risk. |
| If Deason had the top pick ... Casey |
Casey
Black |
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K.J. Choi. Choi hasn't finished outside the top 25 in his last four starts, including a T4 at the Masters, where he played tough despite the circus surrounding his playing partner for all four rounds: Tiger Woods. |
| If Black had the top pick ... Choi |
Anne
Szeker |
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LUKE DONALD. Donald has hit a bit of a rough patch with two missed cuts in his last two starts, but I think he'll find his game again at Harbour Town, where he finished T2 last year. |
| If Szeker had the top pick ... Choi |
Mike
McAllister |
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VAUGHN TAYLOR. Augusta State grad was disappointed in not making Masters field. But the momentum of his playoff loss in Houston and his past top-5 finishes at Hilton Head sets him up for his first TOUR win in five years.
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| If McAllister had the top pick ... Taylor |
Brian
Wacker |
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BRIAN GAY. The defending champ plays well at this course. In addition to the win last year, he was T16 in '07 and T9 in '06. Look for him to contend again.
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| If Wacker had the top pick ... Casey |
Helen
Ross |
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LUCAS GLOVER. Sea Island is the reigning U.S. Open champ's home-away-from-home, and Glover has three top-20 finishes in seven starts at Harbour Town, including a tie for seventh in 2009.
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| If Ross had the top pick ... Choi |
John
Swantek |
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MATT KUCHAR. Highest ranked player in FedExCup race (7th) without a victory, Kuch has been all over leaderboards this year, with three top 3 finishes. He's 12th in putting and 7th in birdie average, he will putt the lights out of those tiny Harbour Town greens.
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| If Swantek had the top pick ... Kuchar |
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| Standings after Week 14 |
LAST WEEK: Swantek and Ross picked No. 1 and No. 2 to shuffle the rankings this week:
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| Position |
Name |
Wins |
Top-5s |
Top-10s |
Top-25s |
FedExCup points |
| 1 |
Ryan Smithson
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
2 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
1491.5 |
| 2 |
Nick Zaccardi
Associate Site Producer. PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
4 |
9 |
10 |
1410.33 |
| 3 |
Brian Wacker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
1245.43 |
| 4 |
Helen Ross
Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
1186.1 |
| 5 |
John Swantek
Host, PGA TOUR Today |
1 |
- |
1 |
5 |
977.08 |
| 6 |
Mike McAllister
Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
940.49 |
| 7 |
Lauren Deason
Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM |
1 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
920 |
| 8* |
Anne Szeker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
292.5 |
| 9* |
Casey Black
Host, PGA TOUR Today |
- |
- |
- |
- |
56.5 |
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