Sleeper Picks: Valero Texas Open

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Apr. 13, 2011

The PGA TOUR travels to TPC San Antonio this week for the Valero Texas Open. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts sized up the top contenders:

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. To see who our experts picked, click here.
SLEEPER PICKS
Of the players who didn't make the cut for our top picks, which have the best chance as sleepers?

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Sleeper picks: Valero Texas Open

Expert	Pick order	Player selected
Helen Ross			JUSTIN LEONARD. You can't go wrong with a three-time champion as a sleeper pick. Granted, the three wins didn't come at TPC San Antonio and Leonard hasn't had a top-10 all season, but that never seems to matter when he gets to the Valero Texas Open.
Amanda Balionis			TIM HERRON. A 1997 winner of the Valero Texas Open and a four-time winner on TOUR, Herron has been slowly but steadily improving his performance in each tournament in 2011. He's not had a top 10 since 2008 but this could be his time.
Chris Dunham			GARRETT WILLIS. Picked up his first top-20 finish of 2010 here and went on to post five more in his next eight starts to qualify for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. If he hits fairways and greens like last year, this could again be his springboard.
John Swantek			BO VAN PELT. A quiet season was blown up by an explosive performance at The Masters, finishing T8; his 4th straight top 35 finish after missing 4 of his first 5 cuts. Bo knows momentum; always heats up this time of year.
Brian Wacker			J.J. HENRY. Three-straight top-20s and six top-25s this season. Henry is relatively long and straight off the tee, which will play well in San Antonio, and he's 13th on TOUR in greens in regulation. He's on a roll right now.
John Schwarb			TOMMY GAINEY. Something about taking a guy with a homemade swing for a Texas event just feels right. "Two Gloves" has had a great season with two top-10s, and in a year with so many surprises there's no reason he can't break through with a win.
Ryan Smithson			FREDRIK JACOBSON. Hasn't had the best of years, but had missed just two cuts in 2011. His 13 under here last year gave him solo second to Adam Scott, when he made just three bogeys in 72 holes. Still looking for his first win in 179 PGA TOUR starts.
Anne Szeker			CHARLEY HOFFMAN. Charley Hoffman has had some good rounds this season and hasn't missed a cut since February. Last year at TPC San Antonio he finished T13 after kicking the week off with a 68.
Lauren Deason			CHRIS STROUD. One of my favorite sleepers. His solo fourth at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun remains by far his best finish of the year. Missed the cut here last year, but is a native of Texas who loves playing in his home state.
Mike McAllister			JOHN SENDEN. Another in the long list of players who added this event to his schedule. Senden has finished in the top 25 in four of the last five events. One of the best ball-strikers on TOUR, so if he gets the putter going, watch out.

Standings after 10 events

LAST WEEK: There were a couple minor moves in the standings highlighted by Brian Wacker's jump into the top 3 after K.J. Choi's tie for eighth at Augusta.
Position	Name	Wins	Top-5s	Top-10s	Top-25s	FedExCup points
1	Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM	0	2	2	3	575.97
2	Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	1	2	399.82
3	Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	2	4	340.50
4	Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	1	4	307.50
5	Anne Szeker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	1	2	273.00
6	Chris Dunham Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	0	2	2	3	256.55
7	Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	1	1	230.00
8	John Schwarb Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	1	1	157.00
9	John Swantek Host, On The Tee	0	0	0	0	88.50
10*	Amanda Balionis Host, PGA TOUR Today	0	0	0	0	37.00