Bob Hope Chrysler Open... fun in the desert!

Here we go again... and expect the wind to blow, too. That will present the biggest challenge. Playing 90 holes and having all the amateurs in the field will be the least of their problems. Wind will put teeth into the Classic Course.

I just checked the Weather Underground and it's calling for winds 15 to 20 mph for Wednesday and Thursday. Now, here in Utah, we're expecting the jet stream to run nearly north to south right over our western border through the weekend. That's because there's a very strong high pressure area building over the Nevada desert.

This is reminiscent of the weather pattern last year... so, I look for the wind to blow again this year.

With that in mind, here are my picks. I allowed last year's finish to influence my decision.

Scott Verplank is nearly unflappable... unless it has to do with a possible rules infraction. You can bet he won't be soling or grounding his club anywhere near the ball this week.

Robert Allenby finished T8 last year. That tells me he can hang in there under very difficult conditions. Having missed the cut at the Sony Open, he's had plenty of time to get ready for the duel in the desert.

Heath Slocum is another high finisher last year finishing T4. He's playing well this year, having gone T10 at the Sony Open. I look for Heath to have a breakout year.

Lucas Glover plays well with the Amateurs, and seems virtually unflappable when it comes to slow rounds, and high winds. Last year he finished T13 and that's good enough for me to select him this year.

Chad Campbell gets my nod again. He's won here previously, and is playing solid golf this year. Yes, he missed the cut last year, but I'll forgive him. He's playing much better golf this year.

Vaughn Taylor rounds out my team. This year he began his tournament play at the Sony Open and played through the weekend, finishing T25. Last year he began his season with the Bob Hope Chrysler Open, and finished T33.

So, there you have it. My goal is to have all six make the cut and play. That means they all have to do better than just making the cut, as only the top 78 will progress to the weekend. I'd love to have a winner, and I'll hedge my bets with either Lucas Glover or Chad Campbell.