Golf Gear Newswire : Expert Picks: Moonah Classic

PGATOUR.COM will have expert picks and sleepers for each Nationwide Tour event this year. Our experts—Nationwide Tour producer Nick Zaccardi and Nationwide Tour Insider John Dell—will each choose two players they consider favorites that week and a sleeper pick (a player who is not inside "THE 25"). Here are their selections for this week's Moonah Classic.

Dell's picks:

Jamie Lovemark. With a third-place finish in the season opener, the future is now for this phenom. He shot a final-round 68 to finish at 12 under in Queenstown at the Michael Hill New Zealand Open. He'll be more comfortable this week in Australia and should have another outstanding showing. He's played a lot so far this year (T48 at the PGA TOUR's Bob Hope Classic), but he's young and he can take it.

Martin Piller. I'm sticking with the players who performed well in the first week. Piller tied for seventh last week and tied for eighth last year at the Monnah Classic. And I'm going with another Texas A&M guy to win again, following Robert Gates' victory last week in Queenstown. He's due for his first Nationwide Tour victory.

Dell's Sleeper:

Skip Kendall. The former PGA TOUR veteran, who turned 45 last September, tied for fourth last year at the Monnah Classic. If Kendall gets hot with the putter, look out.

Zaccardi's Picks:

Robert Gates. I'm hoping it wasn't just beginner's luck at the Michael Hill New Zealand Open for Gates, who notched a victory in his first career Nationwide Tour start. Gates, 24, does have some experience on big stages, though. He shot a second-round 64 at the Valero Texas Open last year and played his college golf at a big school in Texas A&M, experience that should help him handle any added pressure.

Mark Hensby. I have to take an Aussie at home this week, and who better than Hensby? The three-time Nationwide Tour winner finished solo fifth in New Zealand. A third-round 66 marked his best round on either the PGA TOUR or the Nationwide Tour since June. Hensby, 37, was once one a young phenom and still has time to hone that potential.

Zaccardi's Sleeper:

Chris Kirk. Kirk has the talent. Just look at his trophy case, which features a Ben Hogan Award from his University of Georgia days. He was tied for 16th in New Zealand before that final-round 79.

--PGATour.com

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Expert Picks: Moonah Classic

2010-02-02

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