Expert Picks: The Heritage

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Apr. 19, 2011

The PGA TOUR travels to Harbour Town Golf Links this week for The Heritage. Here's how the PGATOUR.COM experts sized up the top contenders:

MAKE YOUR PICK: Tell us who you expect to win this week's event.

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? To see who our experts picked, click here.

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Expert picks: The Heritage

Expert	Pick order	Player selected
Brian Wacker			LUKE DONALD. Harbour Town is a ball-striker's golf course and Donald has finished in the top 3 there each of the last two seasons. He's also finished in the top 10 each of his last four starts, which includes a win at the WGC-Acenture Match Play.

Ryan Smithson			MATT KUCHAR. Like Wacker, I want someone who isn't a bomber this week. Kuchar obviously fits the bill, and he's already had a monster year. This is the week he finally gets his first win of the year. Tied for 14th here last year. Tied for seventh in 2008.
If Smithson had the top pick ... Donald
Amanda Balionis			GRAEME McDOWELL. Sure, G-Mac missed cuts at Bay Hill and Augusta. But he did the same thing last year before going on to win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach -- another course that has small greens and requires good scrambling.
If Balionis had the top pick ... Donald
John Swantek			JASON DAY. A T-2 finish at The Masters showed a lot of nerve for a 23-year old in his first trip to Augusta National. The Aussie brings a lot of game and confidence to Harbour Town, where his countrymen have captured two of the last six titles.
If Swantek had the top pick ... Donald
Lauren Deason			BRANDT SNEDEKER. He's played well in three of four events, with a solo fourth in Texas, a T-15 at the Masters, and a solo fourth at Innisbrook. This Southern gentleman's lone TOUR win came in North Carolina. I think he will earn his second win in South Carolina.
If Deason had the top pick ... McDowell
Anne Szeker			JIM FURYK. His putting seems to be improving and his game seems to be on an upswing in his last three tournaments -- highlighted by a T9 at Bay Hill. The defending champ is comfortable at this course, with several top-5 finishes at this event in addition to his win.
If Szeker had the top pick ... Donald
Mike McAllister			AARON BADDELEY. The 2006 champ has played 22 career rounds at Harbour Town ... and 18 have been under par. In his last five starts here, his lowest finish is last year's T22. Sure, he's already won once in 2011, but who says he can't win twice before May?
If McAllister had the top pick ... Baddeley
Helen Ross			WEBB SIMPSON. Here's hoping youth will be served again this week, Simpson is coming off a tie for 16th in Houston, and he had two top-10s in his previous four starts. Not to mention, he ranks 21st in greens in regulation, sixth in birdies and ninth in scoring.
If Ross had the top pick ... Donald
Chris Dunham			RICKIE FOWLER. Could this be the week Rickie Fowler learns what Rafiki meant in The Lion King when he said "It is time"? Fowler made his TOUR debut here in 2008 and notched a top-10 finish here last year in his return.
If Dunham had the top pick ... Donald
John Schwarb			BO VAN PELT. As a fellow Hoosier, it was a blast seeing BVP as part of that crazy Sunday at the Masters. After a decompression week at Valero (T59) he'll be refocused for Harbour Town, where he finished T3 last year, T13 in 2009 and T10 in '07.
If Schwarb had the top pick ... Furyk

Standings after 16 events

LAST WEEK: John Schwarb selected the panel's only top-10 finisher of the week with Martin Laird, who tied for ninth in Texas. Schwarb added 77.5 points to his total and moved to No. 7 in the standings.
Position	Name	Wins	Top-5s	Top-10s	Top-25s	FedExCup points
1	Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM	1	6	6	10	1958.55
2	Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	1	5	7	8	1442.15
3	John Swantek Host, On The Tee	1	3	4	7	997.50
4	Chris Dunham Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	0	2	7	9	794.99
5	Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	3	9	794.08
6	Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	3	4	7	692.82
7	John Schwarb Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	4	8	630.37
8	Anne Szeker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	2	7	604.54
9	Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	3	6	482.90
10*	Amanda Balionis Host, PGA TOUR Today	0	0	0	1	91.50