2011 HP Byron Nelson: Charlie Wi and the 5 Dark Horses for This Week

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This week's PGA Tour stop is at the HP Byron Nelson Championship at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas in Irving, Texas. 

Byron Nelson is one of only two golfers to have a PGA event named after them, along with Arnold Palmer.

This tournament is a popular stop for many Tour pros.

There are many superstars in the field this week, including Dustin Johnson, Anthony Kim, Vijay Singh and defending champion Jason Day.

Despite the number of stars teeing it up this week, there are certainly some lesser-known players that can take home the trophy.

These are the top five dark horses for the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

5. Tommy Gainey

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Tommy Gainey is one of the few players without a win to make headlines this season.

Not only has he been playing some very impressive golf, with two top-three finishes and four top-10s, but Tommy also has one of the most unusual styles on Tour. 

Gainey may be the only player on Tour to wear two gloves all the time, no matter the weather, earning him the nickname Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey. This habit comes from being an avid baseball player as a child.

His swing comes from a baseball career as well. The swing is hard to describe other than being the closest thing to a baseball swing that a golfer could use effectively. You can view it here.

Gainey may very well finally capitalize on those many close calls this week.

4. D.A. Points

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With a win already this season, it wouldn't be too surprising if D.A. Points made it a second this week.

That win came at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where he was paired with Bill Murray, which could have been an easy distraction to many people, but Points enjoyed playing with one of the funniest men in the golfing world.

Points is around the Tour average in all statistical categories. This means that he has no glaring weaknesses but also no glaring strengths.

Points also has a fifth-place finish this season at the Farmers Insurance Open.

3. Andres Romero

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Andres Romero had a breakout period in 2007-2008 where he finished third in the British Open and won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

That year, he also won PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honours.

Up until just recently, Romero has struggled.

But Romero is coming off a couple strong finishes, including an eighth-place finish at New Orleans and a 16th-place finish at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Newfound confidence and youthful enthusiasm can be a deadly combination.

2. Sergio Garcia

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Sergio Garcia may not seem like a dark horse name, but I bet not many people have him in their top-10 pool for this week.

Sergio's struggles with the flat stick have been well documented, but the time he took away from the game at the start of the season has certainly helped.

Sergio had an eighth-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

He also finished T-12 at the Masters—a place where putting is essential.

Garcia has the experience and the confidence to maybe earn his first PGA Tour victory since the 2008 Players Championship.

1. Charlie Wi

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Charlie Wi comes in first on the list of HP Byron Nelson Championship dark horses.

Wi has had a steady career with four runner-up finishes in four seasons on Tour.

Wi is coming off a runner-up finish to David Toms just last week at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, where he held the 54-hole lead by one shot with a third-round score of 66.

Charlie is probably playing with more confidence than anyone in the tournament, and confidence is one of the most important factors in having a successful tournament.