Expert picks: U.S. Open

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Jun. 16, 2009

The 109th U.S. Open will take place at Bethpage State Park (Black Course) in Farmingdale, N.Y., this week. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts sized up the top contenders:

EXPERT PICKS
How it works: Our 10 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.
SLEEPER PICKS
Of the players who didn't make the cut for our top 10 picks, which have the best chance as sleepers? Here's how our experts see it. Click here
Expert picks: U.S. Open
Expert
 
Pick order Player selected
 
Mark
Spoor
TIGER WOODS. If I didn't pick Tiger Woods -- at the U.S. Open, where he captured the world's imagination last year - and at Bethpage Black, where he won by three in 2002, they'd probably take my space in this column away. So yeah, Tiger's my pick.
 
Win
McMurry
GEOFF OGILVY. The 2006 U.S. Open champ has won two big-time events this year -- the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship and the Accenture Match Play. Plus Ogilvy hasn't missed a cut all season and finished T10 at the Memorial in his last start.
If McMurry had the top pick ... Woods
Ryan
Smithson
PHIL MICKELSON. I don't blame Win for picking Ogilvy No. 2, because no one hits it higher, which is everything at Bethpage Black. I was fully ready to pick Ogilvy with the third pick, but happy to have Phil.
If Smithson had the top pick ...Woods
Mike
McAllister
PAUL CASEY. Yes, I know -- no European has won the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970. But Casey has all the tools to break that drought. And as his coach Peter Kostis told the Guardian newspaper, "Bethpage suits him perfectly."
If McAllister had the top pick ... Woods
Brian
Wacker
ZACH JOHNSON. Many thought Johnson couldn't win the Masters, and we saw how that turned out. If he can figure out how to dissect the ultimate long and high-ball hitter's paradise, he can and will figure out Bethpage Black. No one gets more out of their game.
If Wacker had the top pick ... Woods
T.J.
Auclair
ROBERT ALLENBY. It's almost impossible that this Aussie hasn't won on TOUR since 2001. He tied for 12th at Bethpage in 2002 and with the way Allenby's playing now, provided he can get the putter going, look for him to contend for his first major title.
If Auclair had the top pick ... Woods
Helen
Ross
JIM FURYK. He's not the biggest hitter, to be sure. But he's steady, finds fairways and he's playing great this year. Furyk was second at the Memorial on a challenging course. The 2003 U.S. Open champ has finished 11th or better in his last four starts, too.
If Ross had the top pick ... Woods
Ceri
Mobley
CAMILO VILLEGAS. He's got the game, he's got the fame and -- fifth in greens in regulation -- he's got the aim. He's been getting back to Camilo-the-winner form these last few weeks and is fresh off a final-round 66 in Memphis. Go Spider-Man, go.
If Mobley had the top pick ... Woods
Lauren
Deason
SEAN O'HAIR. Confident after a win and runner-up in two big '09 events, he has the game for Bethpage and seems healed from a forearm injury. Plus, his third child is due any day - remember how well Phil played at a U.S. Open under similar circumstances?
If Deason had the top pick ... Woods
John
Swantek
SERGIO GARCIA. It's time for Sergio to stop making excuses and win a major championship. Because his form is not sharp, no one expects him to win here so, oddly, this may finally be his time.
If Swantek had the top pick ... Woods

LAST WEEK: Mark Spoor picked Brian Gay at the St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx and earned 500 points to move into fourth. But he couldn't catch Win McMurry, who extended her lead when David Toms tied for second to give her 245 FedExCup points. Each week, we'll update the standings based on the FedExCup points accumulated by the players selected by our experts. Here's how it stands after Week 23:

Standings after Week 23
Pos. Expert Wins Top 5s Top 10s Top 25s FedExCup points
1 Win McMurry
Host, PGA TOUR Today
2 7 5 6 3,069.85
2 Mike McAllister
Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM
3 4 2 6 2,870.35
3 Ceri Mobley
Associate Producer, PGATOUR.COM
2 4 2 7 2,405.53
4 Mark Spoor
Coordinating Producer, PGATOUR.COM
2 2 1 4 1,890.80
5 Brian Wacker
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM
1 1 7 1 1,475.42
6 T.J. Auclair
Interactive Producer, PGATOUR.COM
1 1 - 7 1,292.75
7 Helen Ross
Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM
- 5 1 6 1,130.93
8 Lauren Deason
Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM
- 1 2 4 997.69
9 John Swantek
Fantasy Insider, PGA TOUR Productions
- 2 - 7 898.75
10 Ryan Smithson
Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM
- 2 4 1 791.12
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