Sleepers: John Deere Classic

text size

Editor's note: PGATOUR.com has tried to make our experts work a little harder when they make their picks each week. The favorite can be anyone in the field, although Tiger Woods can only be used seven times during the year. Sleepers can't have won in 2008 or had a top-10 in their last five starts. A sleeper can't be ranked in the top 30 in the field, either.

• Who could win? Expert picks
• Join our new Facebook fan page and get in the discussion: Give us your picks on Facebook

T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer
Pick: Brad Adamonis
The John Deere Classic has a history of producing first-time PGA TOUR winners -- Sean O'Hair, John Senden, Mark Hensby and David Gossett, to name a few. That's why I'm going with Brad Adamonis. The TOUR's oldest rookie in 2008 at age 35 will be making his fourth start in as many weeks. In the first of those four starts, the Rhode Island native enjoyed his best career finish, a tie for sixth at the Travelers Championship. He missed the cut the following week at the Buick Open, but tied for 36th at the AT&T National. Adamonis is an outstanding ball striker and if he can get the rock rolling the way he did in Connecticut he could have a big week in Silvis.

Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
Pick: Bill Haas
Earlier in the season, in the midst of a run where he missed five straight cuts, Haas was understandably frustrated at the Wachovia Championship. "I am ready to do something else with my life, I think," Haas told the Charlotte Observer. "I really am. Something is going to have to change pretty soon for me to keep playing golf. ... It's getting old." Fast forward to this week: Haas has now made five out of six cuts, which includes four top-30 finishes. The John Deere Classic, where he tied for 17th in 2006, would be the perfect place for him to put away those discouraging thoughts once and for all.

Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Kevin Sutherland
It came down to Sutherland and Todd Hamilton and it was close. The edge went to Sutherland, who had a nice run in the spring in Texas. He's just been hanging around ready to do something. Closed with a 67 at Congressional and has two top-sixes here over the past four years.

Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Correspondent
Pick: Scott McCarron
Slow to round into form after an elbow injury sidelined him for a year and a half. Without a top-10 in 2008, but showed he may be hitting his stride by finishing 6th in a recent British Open qualifier. Has five top-25s in last six appearances here.

John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor
Pick: Nick Flanagan
Remember him? The former U.S. Amateur champ dominated the Nationwide Tour for a while last season but has been a non-factor on the PGA TOUR in 2008. That trend might continue, but I keep getting my hind end kicked by my colleagues each week, and I thought that I would go for the green in two this week in hopes of picking up some ground. We all know that Nick has the game to compete at this level. If he would just go and read his own resumé before he plays this week, he might just turn the corner.

Win McMurry
Host, PGA TOUR Today
Pick: Kevin Sutherland
Heath Slocum, Carl Pettersson and Jeff Overton are all good bets this week, but their recent top-10s disqualify them as "sleepers." But Sutherland fits the criteria and is looking for his fourth top-10 of the year. His last two starts have produced decent paychecks, finishing tied for 27th both at the AT&T National and at the Travelers Championship. A year ago at the John Deere, Sutherland finished tied for sixth. He also has a tie for fifth in the Quad Cities tournament in 2003.

Scott Pianowski
The Fantasy Insider
Pick: Nathan Green
He's been off his game a little bit of late, but he ran third here last year, and he's capable of painting the leaderboard red (18th in birdie average, 24th in par breakers).

Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
Pick: Nathan Green
Forget about the missed cuts in his last two starts. Green makes a lot of birdies -- 222 already this year -- and that's what it takes to win at the TPC Deere Run. Not to mention, the young Aussie had the low round of the tournament last year and tied for third.

Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent
Pick: Nathan Green
Green finished third last year at TPC Deere Run after holding the 54-hole lead. I really thought his putting prowess would see him through at the Buick Open, but a birdie blast never materialized. I still have faith that he's due for a fine finish.

John Swantek
PGATOUR.com Productions Fantasy Insider
Pick: Todd Hamilton
Four consecutive top-40 finishes is not usually a run to get that jazzed about, but the way Hamilton has been grinding his way back to respectability, it's huge. After an abysmal 2007, making only nine of 28 cuts, Hamilton has made seven of his last eight. The 04' British Open champion is making small steps, which will lengthen this week as the Galesburg, Ill. native crashes the top 10 in the Quad Cities.