Jay suggested that I do the same, to see if I can predict just as well, if not better. I'm not promising anything, but here goes.
1. Paul Haley II
A generic and easy pick, sure, but the guy is No. 1 on the money list, in his first year out of college. Haley has already won and contended a handful of times, and I bet he would just love to be the next guy to earn the 3-victory battlefield promotion to the PGA Tour. Coming off a second-place finish in Mexico, there is no reason to think Haley's game isn't in fine form for the summer stretch, and there's no question he has the talent to consistently contend.
2. Aaron Watkins
I explained yesterday why he is my choice to win this week, even though Haley earned the 1-spot in the Power Rankings. The stars just seem to be aligning for Watkins: three top-13 finishes in four starts here, a top-15 finish at Olympic last week, and he's a Kansas State alum. Why not?
3. Brad Elder
Don't ask me why, but the name jumped out at me when I was glancing through the pairings sheet today. The 1999 and 2007 champion here, Elder has struggled this year, missing seven consecutive cuts after an encouraging T7 to start the season. Maybe I just feel he is due for a good week, and he has played good enough before to win here.
It's been either feast or famine for Elder in Wichita over the years. Along with his two victories and a T5 in 2004, he has missed the cut five times, including the last three years.
This pick may make no sense. But just wait a few days to make any rash judgments.
4. Casey Wittenberg
Another common-sense pick, but I can't knock someone who just tied for 10th against the best players in the world, at the Open. Wittenberg is also having a nice year on the Nationwide circuit, with a victory of his own and four top-25 outings. If he can handle Olympic, I say he can handle Crestview, a course where the winner has shot at least 20-under in two of the last four years.
5. Andres Gonzales.
This first note has nothing to do with his golf game, but I just have the sense that Gonzales is a good guy. At last summer's Open at Congressional, I walked with Gonzales' group on Friday, relaying scores to NBC through a headset. On his last hole of the day, Gonzales completely shanked his approach shot into the woods. There is nothing nice to say about the shot; it was just an awful shot.
Gonzales missed the cut easily, but he still made a point to shake my hand and thank me after his round. Nobody else in his group bothered to do so, and I don't even remember who the other players were. But Gonzales made a great impression on me, and I'm happy to see that he's having a nice year.
Oh yeah, his golf. With a win and a runner-up finish on his 2012 resume, Gonzales certainly has the ability to notch another high result. Objectivity aside, I'll be rooting for him. Objectively, I do think he'll play well.
I'm excited to see how well I stack up with John Dell, even though there's no way he knows anything about this "competition."
I'm already starting to wonder if the Brad Elder pick will cost me. Brad, you now have a new fan this week.
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