Fantasy Central

Fantasy Island: Honda Classic

By Golf Channel Digital
Mar 1, 2011 3:21 PM ET

GolfChannel.com experts offer up their picks for the the Honda Classic. Each week a panel of experts will offer up their picks from three 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 and Randall Mell; contributors John Hawkins and Charlie Rymer; editorial director Jay Coffin; "Morning Drive" hosts Gary Williams and Erik Kuselias; contributor Win McMurry; writer for NBCSports.com's ProGolf Talk, Ryan Ballengee; and RotoWorld.com's Rob Bolton.

You can battle the experts and play along as well. Just click here to get into the game.

2007 Honda Classic

*Ranking among the 14 GolfChannel.com experts (Ballengee and Bolton are new)

Rex Hoggard

Rex Hoggard

Score (Rank*):

3,149,477 (2)

Group A:
Matt Kuchar

Group B:
Spencer Levin

Group C:
Steve Marino

Won this event in a former life and on another golf course (2002), but the current version is a machine with just one finish outside the top 10 in his last seven starts.

Tough playoff loss last week in Mexico and he’s never played well in Florida (T-25 last year in Tampa is his best finish) but he’s been steady since last fall and is due for a breakthrough.

Neither his consistency nor his record at PGA National are much to look at, but he’s a ballstriker and that matters on the Champion Course.

Randall Mell

Randall Mell

Score (Rank):

1,590,341 (11)

Group A:
Lee Westwood

Group B:
Vijay Singh

Group C:
Brett Wetterich

Former No. 1 motivated to get his top spot back and create some momentum for Augusta National.

His game's coming back, and he's got some history working for him at this event.

Showed some signs of life last week, and he knows his way around those South Florida courses.

Charlie Rymer

Charlie Rymer

Score (Rank):

1,878,765 (8)

Group A:
Lee Westwood

Group B:
Rickie Fowler

Group C:
Charl Schwartzel

Losing that No. 1 ranking may be the wake up call Westwood's game needs.

Fowler now spends time in south Florida, and hey, he's gonna notch his first PGA Tour victory sometime.

Schwartzel has the game and confidence to win on the PGA Tour on any given week. Plus he almost has a really cool first name.

John Hawkins

Score (Rank):

1,608,309 (10)

Group A:
Matt Kuchar

Group B:
Heath Slocum

Group C:
Ben Curtis

Playing well, has won here before.

Just a flier pick. This is a good place to keep the ball in front of you.

Good tough-course player, and they don't get much tougher than this one.

Jay Coffin

Score (Rank):

1,869,932 (9)

Group A:
Graeme McDowell

Group B:
Rickie Fowler

Group C:
Chris Stroud

Banking that his strong play from the Match Play will carry over to PGA National, a place he didn’t play extremely well last year with a T-31. He should play well with all his Euro buddies watching.

The kid is going to win sooner or later, I just hope it’s a week when I pick him. Like McDowell, I’m hoping that his success last week will propel him to a strong finish here.

A risky pick, even for Group C. He had three consecutive missed cuts but rebounded with a fourth-place finish last week at Mayakoba. Just need him to collect a check this week.

Gary Williams

Gary Williams

Score (Rank):

1,558,119 (12)

Group A:
Graeme McDowell

Group B:
Vijay Singh

Group C:
Trevor Immelman

Fellow Europeans Kaymer, Donald and Casey have all won in 2011, and while G-Mac has been close, it is time to join them in the winnner's circle.

After a couple of years of injuries, has two top-3s in his last three starts and finished T4 at PGA National in 2010.

Showed signs of life at Riviera, but faded on the weekend. However, he is due for a good week as his injuries are hopefully behind him.

Erik Kuselias

Erik Kuselias

Score (Rank):
3,115,534 (3)

Group A:
Graeme McDowell

Group B:
Rickie Fowler

Group C:
John Rollins

Fourth in the world, three top-10s in three starts in 2011. He just seems to be knocking on the door for a win.

Recorded his first top-10 last week in Tucson and is having a solid 2011. He's ready for a win at PGA National

Has gotten off to a slow start in 2011, but finished runner-up at PGA National in 2009 with four sub-70 rounds.

Win McMurry

Win McMurry

Score (Rank):
3,422,053 (1)

Group A:
Graeme McDowell

Group B:
Vijay Singh

Group C:
Michael Connell

He made it through three rounds in Tucson, a good showing, but had the weekend off. That gave him time to travel back to Florida to prep for his second event after a four-week hiatus. He tied for 31st last year at PGA National after a 76 on Sunday, however he opened strong with rounds of 68-67.

He’s coming off a runner-up finish at Riviera and with last week off Singh is ready to get back at it. The last two times he teed it up in the event he tied for fourth in 2010 and was T2 in 2005. Singh is also a past champ, winning in 1999.

He tied for sixth here last year in his first start at The Honda. So far this season he has two top-30 finishes.

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee

Score (Rank):

NA (NA)

Group A:
Luke Donald

Group B:
Camilo Villegas

Group C:
Steve Marino

Donald just came off of a very impressive total game exhibition in the desert and the Honda was his last PGA Tour win before the match play. While it wasn't at The Bear Trap, Donald's precision should play well at Jack's place.

This guy can't seem to catch a break in 2011, but this event loves him. He won last year, should've won two years ago.

PGA National doesn't seem like a place where Marino might do well, but for some reason he does. He hovers around the top 25, which earns well.

Rob Bolton

Rob Bolton

Score (Rank):

NA (NA)

Group A:
Graeme McDowell

Group B:
Vijay Singh

Group C:
Charl Schwartzel

One victory and two third-place finishes in his last three stroke-play starts.

Investment in short game paying immediate dividends.

Five consecutive top-10s in stroke-play events entering this week.

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