Sleeper Picks: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

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Apr. 26, 2011

The PGA TOUR travels to TPC Louisiana this week for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. 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. To see who our experts picked, click here.
SLEEPER PICKS
Of the players who didn't make the cut for our top picks, which have the best chance as sleepers?

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Sleeper picks: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Expert	Pick order	Player selected
Chris Dunham			BRINY BAIRD. A true sleeper -- battling to regain full status on the PGA TOUR. Only six players have accumulated more FedExCup points in fewer starts than Baird this year. He's got a T44 and a T12 at TPC Louisiana sandwiched between two missed cuts.
John Schwarb			DAVID TOMS. Kicking myself for not taking Tommy Gainey in his native South Carolina last week, not making that mistake again here. Give me the resident LSU fanatic, a past champion whose solid 2011 includes at T3 last month at Bay Hill.
Amanda Balionis			NICK O'HERN. Comes off a tie for sixth last week at Harbour Town. His accuracy off the tee is a big benefit at TPC Louisiana, where medium hitters like Jerry Kelly and Jason Bohn have won in the last two years.
Anne Szeker			GREG CHALMERS. He's been a little hot and cold this year, but he has managed two top 10s and ranks 5th in putting average, 3rd in putts per round and 7th in sand saves. He finished 5th here in 2010.
Ryan Smithson			CHARLES HOWELL III. He's a spray hitter off the tee but that doesn't hurt him too much here. He'd be a solid fantasy pick for your team: He'll either top-10 it or miss the cut. Tied for second here in 2009 when his putter caught absolute fire.
Mike McAllister			CHARLIE WI. Wi has never won a TOUR event, but he does have three second-place finishes, his last one coming in New Orleans in 2009 when he finished T2. He's still looking for his first top-20 finish of this year, however.
Helen Ross			J.J. HENRY. He hasn't missed a cut all year and has placed in the top-20 five times in 11 starts. Henry does have some history in New Orleans, too, with a tie for fifth at TPC Louisiana in 2005.
John Swantek			PAT PEREZ. Cashed as my sleeper last week with a T6 at Harbour Town, following a T5 at TPC San Antonio. Consecutive high finishes on two vastly different courses shows how sharp his current form is.
Brian Wacker			JASON DUFNER. He's still looking for his first win after losing in a playoff in Phoenix earlier this year, but he's also fresh off a T14 at The Heritage and was top 10 in New Orleans last year despite a second-round 74.
Lauren Deason			BOO WEEKLEY. Loves TPC Louisiana, where he tied for 10th in 2010 and tied for 13th in 2009. His long, straight driving is a real asset anywhere, but it'll really come in handy if the wind picks up this week. Is quite used to the hot, muggy conditions of TPC Louisiana.

Standings after 13 events

LAST WEEK: Ryan Smithson, who had Ricky Barnes (T4) at Harbour Town, completed his ascent from No. 8 to No. 1 in just four weeks on the strength of four consecutive top-11 finishers.
Position	Name	Wins	Top-5s	Top-10s	Top-25s	FedExCup points
1	Ryan Smithson Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	3	3	5	622.32
2	Mike McAllister Managing Editor, PGATOUR.COM	0	2	2	5	620.97
3	Anne Szeker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	2	3	518.00
4	Helen Ross Chief of Correspondents, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	1	4	346.00
5	Brian Wacker Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	0	2	4	341.73
6	Chris Dunham Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	0	2	2	3	287.05
7	Lauren Deason Editorial Coordinator, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	1	1	252.50
8	John Schwarb Site Producer, PGATOUR.COM	0	1	1	2	203.00
9	John Swantek Host, On The Tee	0	0	1	1	189.16
10*	Amanda Balionis Host, PGA TOUR Today	0	0	1	1	107.00