Woodland, Simpson steal the show at Innisbrook (Yahoo! Sports)

Once Justin Rose began to falter on the front nine, the Transitions Championship came down to a battle between a handful of players in pursuit of their first PGA Tour victory. The scramble allowed a few to shine while others must wait a little longer for
their breakthrough moment …

Gary Woodland: Given the circumstances, the birdie he made at 17 was one of the year’s highlights, which he then followed up with a wonderful up-and-down from long range on 18. Woodland, who lost in a playoff in January to Jhonattan Vegas at the Bob Hope, joins the list of surprising young players whose success has defined the young season.

His putter, good early on, failed Webb Simpson at the 18th hole.
(Sam Greenwood/Getty)

Webb Simpson: Simpson made every putt he looked at during the front nine to stay in the game, but couldn’t make the most important of all – the 20-foot par attempt at 18 – to extend the duel with Woodland. Still, he served notice that his turn may not be far off.

Brandt Snedeker: Snedeker wasn’t even supposed to be in the field at Innisbrook, but the early birth of his first child several weeks ago allowed him to adjust his schedule. As a result, he finished fourth, his third top-10 finish in 2011. It’s a bit surprising he’s won only once on tour.

Sergio Garcia: There was a time when a T15 would have qualified as a major disappointment for the supremely talented Garcia. That time is long gone. To play as well as he did in his first PGA Tour start in seven months is a small indication that perhaps better days are ahead for Garcia, who is still only 31 years old. It sure can’t get any worse.

Matteo Manassero: The kid won’t be 18 for another month, but he continues to impress every time he tees it up. At Innisbrook, he was in the hunt after opening with two 68s, and though he struggled a bit over the weekend, he kept his game together enough to finish in a tie for 20th. Another good performance at Bay Hill might put him in the Masters.

Jim Furyk: For Furyk, who has struggled so far this season, finishing in a tie for 13th is progress, and a signal that he should soon be back in contention on a regular basis.

David Duval: After making the cut in his previous five starts, Duval recorded rounds of 73 and 74 to come up six strokes short at Innisbrook. He’s posted two solid weeks in 2011 – T17 at Torrey Pines and T9 at Riviera – but another win, which would be his first since the 2001 British Open, remains a remote possibility.

John Daly: Another start, another mediocre performance for Daly, who has now missed five cuts in six appearances this year. He believes he’s close to putting it all together. He’s not. In 15 rounds, he has broken 70 only three times.

Justin Rose: His Sunday collapse, which featured four straight bogeys, was very reminiscent of the difficulties Rose suffered earlier in his career when he couldn’t close a tournament. The bogey at No. 7 was his first since Friday’s second round. Nonetheless, look out for him at Bay Hill and Augusta National.

Paul Casey: In his opening round of 64, Casey made seven birdies to take the lead. He then proceeded to make only five the next three days. Casey, one of the best players in the world, has not posted a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour since the Tour Championship last September.

Vijay Singh: With three solid rounds heading into Sunday, Singh was in position to rebound nicely from the final-round 75 at Doral that cost him a likely top 10. Instead, Singh came apart on Sunday once again with a 3-over 74 which put him well back in the pack. At his advanced age (48), this is one trend he needs to reverse – and quickly.

Padraig Harrington: After a T10 last week at Doral, there was reason to believe Harrington was on track to being one of the premier players in the game again. Now there is reason to believe that he’s the same Paddy who has struggled mightily since he went through a swing change several years ago. He missed the cut with rounds of 73 and 70.