Fantasy Focus: Sluman's the pick
By John Hawkins | |
| Sluman |
Don't blame the folks who run the John Deere Classic for inviting Michelle Wie to play in their tournament. Just two of the world's top 30 players are expected to tee it up this week at the TPC at Deere Run, making Wie a perfect deflection to any focus on what is by far the year's weakest field. Nobody can whine about Wie "taking a spot" from some underprivileged tour pro. My goodness, even James H. McLean, who sneaked into one PGA Tour gathering in 2004, then another (Memphis) this year, got a starting time at the John Deere.
This tournament deserves better. Deere Run is one of the better-liked TPCs on the schedule, and the title sponsor absolutely loves its relationship with the tour, but no event, regardless of venue, stands a chance the week before the British Open. David Toms, whose position on the tour's policy board probably has nothing to do with his first appearance here since 2000, is the only 2005 winner in attendance. I'd pick Toms except that he hasn't played Deere Run since the year it opened and because he recently became a father for the second time.
Instead, I'm going with Jeff Sluman. Not exactly a daring pick in this field, but Slu has finished fourth and eighth at Deere Run. Former Chicagoan Mark Hensby won here last year; Sluman has long been a resident of the Windy City. More significantly, he's experienced enough to deal with the hunt Sunday afternoon, talented enough to beat anyone around him and smart enough to know his lack of distance off the tee (161st on tour) won't hurt him in a third-rate field.
Sluman's last strong finish was a T-3 at the Memorial. I'd be surprised if he wasn't in the mix this week.
John Hawkins is a senior writer for Golf World magazine
