Expert Picks: RBC Canadian Open

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Jul. 19, 2011

The RBC Canadian Open is this week at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts sized up the top contenders. Make your picks here.

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: RBC Canadian Open

Expert	Pick order	Player selected
Anne Szeker			RICKIE FOWLER. He's been all over the place this season, but showed some real grit at the British Open with his T5 finish. And he was T13 at AT&T National before that. Momentum enough to win? I hope so.

Chris Dunham			MATT KUCHAR. Kuchar had made 29 consecutive cuts prior to missing last week at the British Open. I wouldn't bank on him missing a second. Kuch tied for fourth in this event last year, albeit at a different course a few time zones away.
If Dunham had the top pick ... Kuchar
John Schwarb			LUKE DONALD. His missed cut at the British was a surprise, but a bounce-back here wouldn't be, as he finished third here last year and had winning form just two weeks ago in Scotland. I'm banking on those efforts, not what we saw at Royal St. George's.
If Schwarb had the top pick ... Donald
Brian Wacker			BO VAN PELT. Prior to the British Open, Van Pelt had five straight top-15 finishes. That's good enough for me. Van Pelt is a streaky good player and right now that streak is a very good one.
If Wacker had the top pick ... Donald
Lauren Deason			RYAN MOORE. Tied for second here at Shaughnessy way back in 2005. This is a home game for him -- he grew up just across the border -- and he's playing awfully well right now. Tied for 28th last week despite a 76 in the third round.
If Deason had the top pick ... Donald
Helen Ross			CHARL SCHWARTZEL. He's made 10 starts this year and has seven top-25 finishes, including a tie for 16th at last week's British Open. The South African doesn't appear to be resting on his Masters laurels.
If Ross had the top pick ... Donald
Mike McAllister			HUNTER MAHAN. Although he's cooled off the last few weeks -- his best finish in his last four starts on TOUR is a T30 at the AT&T National -- Mahan still ranks fourth in greens in regulation. I think he's got at least one win in him this year.
If McAllister had the top pick ... Kuchar
Amanda Balionis			LUCAS GLOVER. Glover has had a great year with a win at the Wells Fargo Championship and finishing T12 at the British Open. He'll also fit right in in Canada with the beard, so that has to count for something.
If Balionis had the top pick ... Moore
Ryan Smithson			BEN CRANE. Can't believe he lasted until the ninth pick. Nobody hits the ball straighter than this guy, and he's got a lot of success on poa annua greens. Along with Ryan Moore, this is like a home game for him. Tied for second here in 2005.
If Smithson had the top pick ... Crane
John Swantek			JIM FURYK. Not a high degree of confidence with this pick, because 2011 has been such a struggle. But an old-style, shot-maker's course could be just the venue to snap the two-time Canadian Open winner out of his funk. Needs to start defending that FedExCup.
If Swantek had the top pick ... Donald

Standings after 30 events

LAST WEEK: A downright mediocre week for Expert Picks for the British Open last week, with only John Swantek and Ryan Smithson managing to finish in the top 25. For the Viking Classic, things went much better: Anne Szeker had winner Chris Kirk for her first win of the year :
Position	Name	Wins	Top-5s	Top-10s	Top-25s	FedExCup points
1	Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	1	7	10	19	2541.66
2	Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM	1	6	7	16	2406.21
3	Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	2	7	9	13	2335.38
4	Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	2	6	8	15	2127.32
5	John Swantek Host, On The Tee	1	5	10	16	1846.36
6	Anne Szeker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	1	4	6	19	1598.82
7	Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM	1	2	6	13	1557.10
8	Chris Dunham Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	1	3	9	13	1496.99
9	John Schwarb Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	1	2	7	12	1460.12
10*	Amanda Balionis Host, PGA TOUR Today	0	2	2	5	640.75