Expert Picks: Turning Stone Resort Championship

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Aug. 3, 2010

The PGA TOUR travels to Atunyote Golf Club in Verona, N.Y. this week for the Turning Stone Resort Championship. 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.
SLEEPER PICKS
Of the players who didn't make the cut for our top picks, which have the best chance as sleepers?
MORE PICKS: WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Expert Picks | Sleeper Picks

MORE TURNING STONE: Power Rankings | Inside the Field | Inside the Course | FANTASY GOLF: Play our game -- FREE!

Expert picks: Turning Stone Resort Championship

Expert	Pick order	Player selected
Casey Black			D.A. POINTS. Was flirting with a 59 in the third round of The Greenbrier Classic and ultimately finished T4. Look for him to make a move at Turning Stone.

John Swantek			BRENDON DE JONGE. Having risen to 20th in the FedExCup standings, the big man from Zimbabwe is the hottest player in the field, posting five top-15 finishes in his last seven starts, including solo 3rd at The Greenbrier last week. This week will be the breakthrough victory.
If Swantek had the top pick ... De Jonge
Ryan Smithson			DAVID TOMS. I wanted Brendon de Jonge. I wanted Brendon de Jonge. I wanted Brendon de Jonge. This is going to be Toms' first start at Turning Stone. Having a bad 2010 because his iron play has been off. Accuracy off the tee will help here, especially if the wind picks up.
If Smithson had the top pick ... De Jonge
Lauren Deason			RORY SABBATINI. We haven't seen much from him over the last year, but he did tie for 12th at the Memorial Tournament in June and tied for 14th at the Heritage earlier this year. I think Sabbatini is ready for a comeback.
If Deason had the top pick ... Sabbatini
Helen Ross			CHARLES HOWELL III. He didn't make a bogey last week at The Greenbrier Classic so he's got to be doing something right. Howell finished 14 under and tied for ninth -- maybe this is the week the three-year victory drought ends.
If Ross had the top pick ... Howell III
Anne Szeker			VAUGHN TAYLOR. He's quietly having a great season and he'll have something to prove when he returns to Atunyote Golf Club after losing a sudden-death playoff to Matth Kuchar last year.
If Szeker had the top pick ... Taylor
Mike McAlister			JOHN SENDEN. In the Aussie's 12 rounds at Atunyote, 10 have been under par. He finished tied for fifth at Turning Stone last year. Has two top-25 finishes in his last three starts, so maybe this is the spot he notches that second career win on TOUR.
If McAllister had the top pick ... Senden
Brian Wacker			SHAUN MICHEEL. Call it karma for some off the course difficulties Micheel is going through. Micheel has three top-5s this season and upstate N.Y., where he won a PGA, is a place I like him to continue that trend.
If Wacker had the top pick ... Toms

Standings after Week 31

LAST WEEK: The standings, once again, went unchanged. Jeff Overton's second-place finish, however, helped Brian Wacker to make up some ground on overwhelming leader Ryan Smithson.
Position	Name	Wins	Top-5s	Top-10s	Top-25s	FedExCup points
1	Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	5	7	9	15	3622.58
2	Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	1	9	9	11	2500.18
3	Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM	1	2	5	13	1858.08
4	Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM	1	2	6	13	1667.13
5	Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	1	2	4	15	1619.72
6	John Swantek Host, On The Tee	1	2	2	11	1533.33
7*	Anne Szeker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	2	5	5	8	1385.66
8*	Casey Black Host, PGA TOUR Today	1	3	2	3	1176.50