Expert Picks: Reno-Tahoe Open

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The PGA TOUR has come to a fork in the road this week with some players heading overseas to compete in the British Open at St. Andrews and others heading out West to be tested in the Reno-Tahoe Open. Here's how the PGATOUR.com experts size up the top contenters stateside at Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nev.:

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. MORE RENO-TAHOE: Power Rankings | Inside the Field | Inside the course | FANTASY GOLF: Play our game -- FREE! MORE EXPERT PICKS: British Open | Sleeper picks

Expert picks: Reno-Tahoe Open

Expert   Pick order Player selected   Casey Black JOHN ROLLINS. With seven top-25s this year in addition to winning by three stokes at this ever last year, I think he's a solid pick...   Brian Wacker VAUGHN TAYLOR. He's a two-time winner at Montreux Golf & Country Club and has five top-10s this season, including two in his last three starts to go with a T11 at the AT&T National. If Wacker had the top pick ... Taylor Mike McAllister SCOTT McCARRON. As tournament host, McCarron has a lot on his plate this week. But if he can maintain focus inside the ropes, he should contend. He has three top-10s in eight starts at Montreaux, and has 18 under-par rounds in 28 trips around the course. If McAllister had the top pick ... McCarron John Swantek CHAD CAMPBELL. After a slow start to the year, has made his last three cuts, including a fifth at the Travelers Championship. Remains one of the best ball-strikers in the game .. just has to get the putter going to show it off. If Swantek had the top pick ... Taylor Helen Ross JOE OGILVIE. Hard for a Carolina grad to pick a man who went to Duke. But he's the one with more than $500,000 in his bank account, not me, and he's coming off a pair of top-25 finishes. Not to mention, Ogilvie tied for fourth in Reno last year. What's not to like? If Ross had the top pick ... Ogilvie Ryan Smithson KRIS BLANKS. Quietly having a wonderful year. Already has his card locked up for next year, and probably a good spot in the Playoffs, too. He's had that good a season. Wouldn't be a huge surprise if he pulled a McLachlin. If Smithson had the top pick ... Taylor Lauren Deason MARK WILSON. He started the year off with several top-30 finishes and even a T7 at the Quail Hollow Championship, but has struggled lately. One of Wilson's two TOUR wins, however, came in an opposite field event, though, so I'm betting he will feel comfortable. If Deason had the top pick ... Wilson Anne Szeker Ryan Palmer. This is the place for Palmer to break out of his slump. He's finished in the top 5 at this event each of the last two years and currently ranks 23rd in driving distance, which helps on this course. If Szeker had the top pick ... Taylor

Standings after Week 27

LAST WEEK: Anne Szeker took advantage of the No. 1 overall pick, selecting John Deere Classic champion Steve Stricker and earning 500 points. Position Name Wins Top-5s Top-10s Top-25s FedExCup points 1 Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM 5 6 9 14 3356.33 2 Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM 1 7 7 9 1847.93 3 Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM 1 2 4 12 1815.08 4 Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM 1 2 7 12 1583.74 5 Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM 1 2 4 13 1543.22 6 John Swantek Host, On The Tee 1 1 2 10 1399.83 7* Anne Szeker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM 1 4 4 6 1143.66 8* Casey Black Host, PGA TOUR Today 1 2 2 2 1022.75

* - Joining the panel a little late