ESPN Golf Experts' picks: Frys.com Open

Each week of the season, our experts share their insights into which players fit the criteria for our four categories: Horse for the Course (a golfer who knows the track inside and out), Birdie Buster (a guy who could take it low), Super Sleeper (a player who could unexpectedly contend) and Winner.

This week, the PGA Tour opens the 2014-15 season at Silverado Resort & Spa (North Course) for the Frys.com Open in Napa, California.

Frys.com Open

- Defending champion: Jimmy Walker

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- Photos from Frys.com Open, golf tours

- Venue: Silverado Resort & Spa (North Course); par-72, 7,203 yards

- Location: Napa, Calif.

- TV coverage: Thursday-Sunday, 5-8 p.m. ET, Golf Channel

- Monday qualifiers: Mathew Goggin, Jarrod Lyle, Eric Axley, T.J. Vogel

- Field changes: David Toms (WD); Patrick Reed (WD)

- Payout: A 144-man field with winner taking $1,080,000 of an $6 million purse

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Horse for the Course

Michael Collins, ESPN.com senior golf analyst: Vijay Singh

I don't care that he's 167 years old and still has an unresolved lawsuit against the PGA Tour. He's teed it up here the last two years and finished fourth (2012) and second (2014), which is all that really matters in this category. His age will give him the "nerves" advantage over all the youngsters making this their first start of the new PGA Tour season.

Farrell Evans, ESPN.com senior golf writer: Jimmy Walker

The 35-year-old Texan's 2-shot win last year at the Frys was the first of his three victories in 2013-14 season. His 17-under total included a third-round 62.

Bob Harig, ESPN.com senior golf writer: Jimmy Walker

The defending champion won on a different course, but Silverado would appear well-suited to Walker, whose length could be an advantage on a par-72, 7,200-yard course.

Kevin Maguire, ESPN.com senior golf editor: Brandt Snedeker

One of the hardest parts of playing a new venue on the PGA Tour is figuring out the green complexes. Even though Snedeker didn't have his typical stellar season on the greens -- he was still 27th in strokes-gained putting -- look for improvement in 2014-15 with a revamped long game that will take pressure off the putter.

Birdie Buster

Collins: Graham DeLaet

Not making it to the Tour Championship in Atlanta had to be motivation enough for the Canadian to start his 2014-15 season at this event. Of course knowing DeLaet, he just might be timing the start of his season with the NHL opening night on Wednesday (my Philadelphia Flyers vs. the Boston Bruins). His hockey beard might be early season, but his golf game will be in midseason form.

Evans: Derek Fathauer

The 28-year-old Louisville graduate had top-10s in three of his past four events on the Web.com Tour in 2014, including a win at the season-ending Tour Championship.

Harig: Lee Westwood

OK, it's a bit of a stretch, but who enters the Frys.com Open on a bigger high than Westwood? He is coming off the uplifting experience of another Ryder Cup victory for Europe.

Maguire: Brooks Koepka

The American who played most of last season on the European Tour is coming off a T-9 at the Dunhill Links in Scotland and has been playing well of late across the pond. His new status as a PGA Tour member will make these early season starts much easier than in years past.

Super Sleeper

Collins: Tony Finau

After turning pro in 2007 at 17 before his high school prom, he's had a long and sometimes bumpy road to get to the PGA Tour. But after only one season on the Web.com Tour, he's more than ready to be successful on the big stage. Averaging 310 yards off the tee and hitting 71 percent of your greens doesn't hurt, either.

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Evans: Andy Miller

Now a golf course designer since giving up professional golf in 2003 to fulfill his Mormon mission, Johnny Miller's son got a sponsor's exemption to this week's event at the Silverado Country Club, where he first learned the game.

Harig: Brooks Koepka

He held the lead on the back nine a year ago before letting the tournament slip away, but he's now a full member of the PGA Tour after some strong finishes at big tournaments.

Maguire: Max Homa

The 23-year-old Cal Bears product gets just his 10th PGA Tour start and first as a full-time member after finishing 19th on the Web.com money list in 2014. Having played collegiately in Northern California will serve him well this week at Silverado.

Winner

Collins: Bo Van Pelt

And this, ladies and gents, is how you bounce back quickly from a couple of down seasons. The Oklahoman produced a stellar year in 2012 with 10 top-10s in 20 made cuts. But the past two years have been dismal, seeing only two top-10s total. The time off he's had after the Deutsche Bank Championship allowed him to rest, regroup and come back fresh. This ought to do the trick.

Evans: Matt Kuchar

With 11 top-10s in the 2013-14 season, Kuchar is the most accomplished player in the field at the Frys, where oddsmakers favor him to win at 14-1.

Harig: Charles Howell III

The new wraparound schedule proved to be great for Walker a year ago, and perhaps it is Howell's turn. He has had numerous high finishes, just not victories. A win here also gets him into his hometown Masters in April.

Maguire: Justin Thomas

Last year at the Frys.com Open, Jimmy Walker went the older veteran route to claiming victory. This year, we're going in the opposite direction as the extremely consistent Thomas (20 Web.com Tour starts in 2014, 18 made cuts for the 21-year-old) puts one on the board for the younger set.