This week the PGA Tour heads to West Virginia as the Old White course plays host to the Greenbrier Classic. Scott Stallings defends his maiden PGA Tour title, which he won in a playoff last year over Bill Haas and Bob Estes. Each week a panel of experts will offer up their picks from four groups of players based on Golf Channel’s new fantasy game, Fantasy Challenge. We will also keep track of their scores and standings. The panel consists of: senior writers Rex Hoggard, Randall Mell and Jason Sobel; contributors John Hawkins and Win McMurry; editorial director Jay Coffin; RotoWorld.com’s Rob Bolton; ‘Morning Drive’ host Gary Williams; and Golf Talk Central contributor Ryan Ballengee.
Rex Hoggard
Group 1: Tiger Woods: As well as he hit the golf ball last week at Congressional, it was his putting that suggests he’s entering another phase in the comeback. He opened his round on Saturday with five consecutive one-putts and finished the week ninth in putting average.
Group 2: Brendon de Jonge: Sunday’s pairing with Woods at the AT&T National was predictably not kind to de Jonge, but the native of Zimbabwe is quietly putting together his best year on Tour and he tied for fourth last season at the Greenbrier.
Group 3: Andres Romero: The Argentine continues to make progress, following his runner-up showing at the Memorial with a tie for 34th that was only slightly soured by his Saturday 74. Like de Jonge, Romero has had success at the Greenbrier, having finished T-4 here last year.
Group 4: Gavin Coles: The Australian had the best putting week of his year at the Travelers Championship and the Old White course is the type of ball-striking ball park that suits Coles’ game.
Ryan Ballengee
Group 1: Tiger Woods: I would pick him to win a tournament on Saturn right now.
Group 2: Brendon de Jonge: Learned something from Tiger on Sunday. He finished third and T-4 here the first two years of the event.
Group 3: Bob Estes: Estes was in a playoff here a year ago and he is playing steady golf.
Group 4: Derek Lamely: A shot in the dark. Lamely is fourth in strokes gained putting on Tour, despite missing 11 of 16 cuts.
Tune in to Golf Channel Thursday-Friday from 3P-6P ET for live coverage of the Greenbrier Classic.