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| Feb. 14, 2007• Who will win? • Tournament Coverage • Play Official TOUR Fantasy Games
Which player could sneak up on the field in this weekend's Nissan Open? Our experts weigh in:
| T.J. Auclair |
| PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer |
| Pick: Robert Allenby |
| In three starts this season, he's got three top-10s. Riviera will bring back great memories for the Australian, who won there in 2001 on the first hole of a six-way playoff with a birdie after hitting a miraculous 3-wood approach to 5 feet in a driving rain. For a guy who seems to be in contention a good bit of the time, it's hard to believe I'm writing that he's looking for just his first TOUR win since 2001 in Pennsylvania. |
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| Brett Avery |
| The Fantasy Insider |
| Pick: Billy Mayfair |
| Chastened by panning him for the FBR Open due to his lengthy convalescence for cancer (he placed fifth), TFI jumps in with both feet. This guy usually blazes through the West Coast but this year's truncated schedule applies pressure to perform beyond expectations. The 1998 winner was top 12 here the past two years. |
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| Lauren Deason |
| PGA TOUR.com Editorial Coordinator |
| Pick: Bo Van Pelt |
| Van Pelt, who tied for 11th at last weeks AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, earned 11 top-25 finishes last year, including solo 11th at the 2006 Nissan Open. All those 11s are probably just a coincidence -- or proof that you can find a pattern in anything -- but at the very least Van Pelt should finish higher than No. 11 this year and could possibly earn a No. 1. |
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| Melanie Hauser |
| PGATOUR.com Correspondent |
| Pick: Lucas Glover |
| Lucas Glover. Nissan rookie, but so what? He's got game. |
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| Dave Lagarde |
| PGATOUR.com Contributor |
| Pick: Fred Couples |
| Fred Couples. He returns to a comfortable setting and could contend if his back holds up. |
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| John Maginnes |
| PGA TOUR Network on XM Radio analyst |
| Pick: John Daly |
| My dark horse is John Daly because he is the anti-Ben Hogan. I remember a story about Hogan playing in a pro-am when one of his partners walked up. She said, "My friend told me that you wouldn't say three words to me today." Hogan's apparent reply was, "you lose." Heck, by the time a pro-am partner gets to the third tee with John they are old friends. I know the Nissan Open is not a pro-am, but you get the point. If Rory didn't make the old guard turn over in their graves by winning at Riviera last year, then big John is certain to this year. |
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| Helen Ross |
| PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents |
| Pick: Mike Weir |
| Mike Weir. The two-time Nissan Open champ is looking to jump start his year, and this could be the place. He's still doing the things he's always done well -- hit fairways, where he ranks 13th in driving accuracy, and greens, where he stands 59th. Weir just needs some putts to go down and he knows Riviera as well as anyone. |
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| Dave Shedloski |
| PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent |
| Pick: Robert Allenby |
| So many choices here, from TOUR scoring leader Heath Slocum, who has never made the cut at Riviera, to Corey Pavin, the 1994 Nissan Open winner who continues to defy the odds by competing against fields younger and stronger. But the TOUR Insider has to go with Allenby, whose last TOUR title was six years ago. He's shown great promise the first three weeks of 2007 as he appears recovered from hand problems the previous season, but he still needs to prove he's got the goods to win again. |
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| Mike Vitti |
| PGATOUR.com ShotLink Analyst |
| Pick: Justin Leonard |
| Leonard has an interesting track record at the Nissan Open. In 10 starts, Leonard has managed to alternate making, and missing, the cut each season for an equal total in each category. This year the pattern falls on making the cut and as he enters the tournament ranked second in driving accuracy and tied for 13th in proximity to the hole he, may have a better than usual finish at Riviera. |
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Wondering how our experts are doing so far this season? Here's a look:
| How they're doing |
| The 2007 record of PGA TOUR.com experts after last week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am |
| PGATOUR.com Experts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Top 10s |
Missed Cuts |
Total FedExCup Points |
| Helen Ross |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
13,386 |
| Melanie Hauser |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
11,060 |
| T.J. Auclair |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
10,917 |
| John Maginnes |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
10,670 |
| Lauren Deason |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
7,766 |
| Dave Shedloski |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
7,741 |
| Dave Lagarde |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
7,029 |
| Brett Avery |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
5,988 |
| Mike Vitti |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4,875 |
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2008 Fantasy Golf Official PGA TOUR Fantasy Games.
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