The Man Out Front
Despite not making the European Ryder Cup team last year, 2010 was a breakthrough year for Justin Rose. He shot a final-round 66 to win his first PGA Tour event at the Memorial. Rose added another title a month later when he won the AT&T National.

Turns out his win in Philadelphia meant more than just another trophy. It was the first time Rose won after starting the final round with at least a share of the lead -- before that, Rose was a dismal 0-5.

That's why it will be interesting to see what Rose does on Sunday at Innisbrook as he takes a one-shot lead into the final round over Webb Simpson and Brendon de Jonge. But the good thing for Rose is he's now a proven winner, and he can draw on those experiences as opposed to answering more questions about when he's going to break through.

"When you do deal with those questions, it makes getting into contention early in the week a very long week," Rose said. "Because obviously I'm aware of it -- and I know how to deal with it -- but it doesn't make it any easier. So, yeah, from that sense it's nice not to have to fend that one off."

Watney's Streak
Nick Watney -- tied for sixth and only three shots off the lead -- will be a player to watch on Sunday for several reasons. Coming off a win last week at Doral, Watney has a chance to post a number and add pressure on the players behind him.

Watney also has a chance to extend his impressive top-10 streak. Dating back to the 2010 Tour Championship, Watney has finished in the top 10 in his last seven events. Oh, and don't forget the side bet he has with his caddie -- they're not getting haircuts until Watney finishes out of the top 10. The way he's playing, Watney will eventually have longer hair than this guy ...

(Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

(Really) Young Guns
Matteo Manassero can't legally drive a car back home in Italy. Peter Uihlein should be hanging out with his Oklahoma State buddies on spring break. But both players find themselves playing the weekend at the Transitions Championship.

Uihlein, the 2010 U.S. Amateur champion, made the cut on the number after a 2-under 69 on Friday. He's playing in only his second PGA Tour event, and Uihlein is tuning up for his first appearance at the Masters.

Manassero, who is only 17 years old, is trying to get back to Augusta, where he tied for 36th last year. Currently No. 55 in the world rankings, Manassero needs a high finish this week to get into the top 50, and then he needs to stay there until a week before the Masters. Of course being only three shots off the lead, Manassero could also win this week and get into the year's first major championship. 

Wilson Watch
The only two-time winner so far this season, Mark Wilson is back in contention again this week at Innisbrook. Wilson, who ranks 11th on Tour in driving accuracy, is having trouble finding the fairways this week, but with lower rough on the course, Wilson said it's been easier to recover from poor tee shots.

Wilson hasn't finished higher than T17 in four events since his last win in Phoenix, but with another solid weekend, Wilson could find himself in position for another run at a title.

(Photo: David Walberg/SI)

American Firepower
European players have been dominating the headlines for several months, especially with Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell in the top four spots in the world rankings. But heading into the final round at Doral, there are American flags next to three of the four names at the top of the leaderboard.

Dustin Johnson leads by two strokes after a 7-under 65 on Saturday. Johnson opened with two top 10s in 2011, but he's failed to crack the top 25 in his last four starts. With a win on Sunday, Johnson would capture his fifth-career title, further cementing his status as the best twenty-something on Tour.

Two shots back are Matt Kuchar and Nick Watney. Kuchar and Watney have notched four top 10s this season, tied for the most on Tour. A win would be mean more than another trophy and a big paycheck for both players. Kuchar is already heading toward his third-straight top-10 finish in a World Golf Championship event, and a win would position him as one of the favorites for Augusta and a possible challenger for the No. 1 ranking.

Watney, who was tied for the lead until a double bogey on 18, is likely going to record his seventh straight top-10 finish dating back to last season. But a win would be his third-career title, which would tie him with fellow twenty-somethings Sean O'Hair, Camilo Villegas, Anthony Kim, Aaron Baddeley and Hunter Mahan.

Luke's Finish
Donald, who is tied for second with Kuchar and Watney, is trying to win his second-straight WGC title after capturing the Match Play title last month. Donald would be in elite company if he were to pull out a victory at Doral. Only Tiger Woods has won back-to-back WGC titles (he's actually done it on six different occasions). 

But if Donald's going to win, he'll have to overcome his troubles on the tough par-4 18th, which played as the toughest hole in the third round. Donald has bogeyed the hole the last two days, and at 467 yards, the 18th will play much longer for Donald, who's been averaging 272 yards off the tee this week.

(Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

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Down to the Wire?
Hunter Mahan, a three-time winner on Tour, leads by one stroke over Martin Kaymer and Francesco Molinari heading into the weekend. According to the PGA Tour, this is the first time in Mahan's career that he's held the lead after 36 holes. Mahan also has a chance to win wire-to-wire for the first time in his young career.

The opportunities couldn't come at a better time. Mahan is still trying to erase any scar tissue left by his painful loss to Graeme McDowell in the Ryder Cup. And it didn't help last month when he lost to Kaymer in the third round at the Match Play by doing the exact same thing he did against McDowell -- duffing a chip shot.

Mahan looked shaky coming in on Friday with bogeys on Nos. 14 and 16, but a 1-under 71 was about on par with the rest of the field. One guy who didn't look shaky was Kaymer, who carded one of only three bogey-free rounds on Friday. Mahan and Kaymer will meet again in the final group on Saturday.

Watney Watch
With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson struggling to find their respective games, an interesting debate has surfaced: Who's the best American right now? The favorite is Matt Kuchar. Coming off a great 2010 season, Kuchar already has four top 10s in six starts.

But a guy who is flying under the radar is Nick Watney. The Butch Harmon pupil didn't win in 2010, but he recorded eight top 10s, highlighted by strong showings at the Masters (7th), British Open (T7) and the Tour Championship (T4). 

He has four top 10s in four starts this season, and after two rounds at Doral, Watney is only two shots off the lead. It's only his third start at Doral, but Watney's already had plenty of success on the Blue Monster. In his first appearance in 2009, Watney lost a memorable duel against Mickelson.

(Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

How Low Can Rory Go?
For the last two days Rory Sabbatini has carded the low round of the day. On Friday, Sabbatini tied the course record with a 6-under 64. On Saturday, he made only one bogey and five birdies for a 4-under 66 and a five-shot lead heading into the final round.

The good news for Sabbatini is he may not have to go low on Sunday. With a five shot lead, Y.E. Yang, Jerry Kelly and the rest of the field will need to play aggressive if Sabbatini manages to stay at 9 under or better. That could be a tall order for Sabbatini's challengers as PGA National is one of the toughest courses on Tour -- only 14 of the 77 players shot under par in the third round.

And Sabbatini is not known to give up the lead. In his five previous wins he's won four times with at least a share of the lead. 

The Challengers
Sabbatini's 6-under 64 on Friday is the low round of the week, so given that number it seems there's only a select few with a realistic shot of winning. Charles Howell III, Ricky Barnes, Tommy Gainey and Matt Bettencourt are tied for sixth, eight shots behind Sabbatini. If any one of those players shoots a 64 that leaves them at 7 under. Couple that with a bad round by Sabbatini and they'd have a shot.

Rookies Kyle Stanley (2 under) and Gary Woodland  (3 under) are also in the picture, but it's hard to see an inexperienced player going low in the final round at PGA National. 

If Sabbatini slips up, he'll likely have to worry about Yang or Kelly, both tied for second and five shots back. Keep a close eye on Yang. He won the Honda in 2009, a few months before he took down Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship. Plus, Yang already has two top 10s this year, including a T5 last week at the match play.

(Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

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The Big Fijian
Vijay Singh turns 48 on Tuesday, but he's not biding his time until he gets the call to join the Champions Tour. After dealing with a knee injury for two years, Singh is back in contention, only two shots off the lead as he tries to win his 35th PGA Tour event on Sunday.

Singh's putting and short game saved him on Saturday -- 3-for-3 in bunker saves with 25 putts. For the week, Singh ranks third in putting, a good sign for someone who's tried every kind of putter and putting grip imaginable.

"I had one of the best putting rounds I've had for a long, long time," Singh said after carding a 4-under 67. "Didn't hit the ball like my score reflected, but I putted and I scored really well, like I did yesterday, too. My game is coming along, but my short game and my putts are paying off."

Singh has been showing signs this season that his game is back on track. He tied for 20th at Torrey Pines, then he shot four rounds in the 60s for a T3 finish in Phoenix. Singh opened with 69-68 at Pebble Beach before fading on the weekend.

"I don't know what to expect right now," Singh said. "I'm really -- you know, really fired up for tomorrow. I know I have a good position. I'm in a good position to win tomorrow, so we'll see what happens."

Top Trio
Sunday could be a huge day for Aaron Baddeley, Fred Couples and Kevin Na. Baddeley, who has a one-shot lead over Couples and Na, is trying to get his first win since the 2007 Phoenix Open. Baddeley would also join Dustin Johnson, Anthony Kim, Sean O'Hair, Hunter Mahan and Camilo Villegas as the only 20-somethings with three or more wins.

Couples, 51, admits he's a Champions Tour player now, but he could further pad his resume for the World Golf Hall of Fame with a 16th PGA Tour win. Despite his bad back, Couples is averaging more than 296 yards off the tee and tied for third in greens hit in regulation.

Na is still looking for his first win, and it couldn't come at a better time. His father is battling leukemia back in South Korea, and Na said he hopes his mother can take a trophy to him. The key for Na will be getting his approach shots close to the hole. Averaging only 257 yards off the tee, Na will be giving up more than 20 yards to Baddeley and almost 40 yards to Couples.

(Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

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Freddie's Back at It
It's a shame every time Fred Couples does something great on the golf course he has to be asked about his back. With temperatures expected to only be in the high 50s, and Couples saying he's going to try something "pretty drastic" next week to help ease his back pain, it looks like he will be battling more than the golf course and a long list of challengers this weekend.

But after his bogey-free 66 on Friday, Couples easily brushed aside the back questions with his laid-back demeanor that's become his trademark.

"I can play this course blindfolded," Couples said. "It doesn't mean I'm going to shoot a good round, but I've played here 29 years, pro-ams, practice rounds, haven't missed many cuts, so I've got 150 rounds on this thing, so it's an advantage for me. But you know, I did play well, and my back feels pretty good."

Bombs Away
With a list of past champions such as Nick Faldo, Corey Pavin, Mike Weir and Steve Stricker, Riviera has never been described as a bomber's paradise. Not so fast, says J.B. Holmes. Holmes, who is averaging more than 318 yards off the tee this week, would be tied for the lead if not for a sloppy double bogey on 18 Friday.

Despite the gaffe, Holmes is only two shots behind Couples and likes his chances this weekend on a course that's known for putting a premium on accuracy and angles.

"I really like this golf course," Holmes said. "I don't see it as much precision as everybody else says they do. There's not a whole lot of rough, and the fairways are fairly big. The greens are -- you've got to hit it to the right spot on the greens, but you've got to do that on every golf course."

Coming off a T5 in Phoenix and a T13 at Pebble Beach, Holmes says his swing is fine, but he needs to stay mentally focused for the final 36 holes.

"I can hit all the shots, so I'm trying to get where I need to be to compete out here between the ears," Holmes said.

Immelman's Comeback
If trying to rebound from a 2009 wrist surgery wasn't enough, Trevor Immelman nearly withdrew from the Northern Trust Open on Thursday after spending the night battling food poisoning. Immelman told Reuters, "From about 10 o'clock [Wednesday] , I was throwing up all night long. I didn't get much sleep. My alarm went off at five and I took some medication to try and slow things down."

The 2008 Masters champion held it together to shoot a 1-under 70 in the first round. Then with rain falling late on Friday afternoon, Immelman made four birdies on the back nine to shoot a 4-under 67, finishing three shots behind Couples.

Immelman, who has fallen to No. 294 in the world, is seeking his first top 10 since 2008.

(Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

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Nervous Nellies
With only three PGA Tour winners in the top 10, Sunday at Pebble Beach will serve as a serious gut check for several players near the lead. None more than Steve Marino, who had a four-shot lead to start the day but watched it fall to one stroke after shooting a 1-over 71 at Monterey Peninsula.

After taking a whopping 33 putts on Saturday, Marino needs his putter to heat up in the final round. Fortunately he's not playing Monterey again. The entire field plays Pebble on Sunday, where Marino shot a 6-under 66 on Friday.

Jimmy Walker, who's tied for second with Bryce Molder, had much better luck at Monterey. Walker fired a tidy 7-under 63. It's always tough to follow up a crazy-low round, so it will be interesting to see if Walker can keep a hot putter going on Pebble's fast greens.

But the guy to look out for is Alex Cejka. He's yet to win on the PGA Tour, but Cejka has won 11 times around the world. Sitting only three shots off the lead, Cejka has the advantage of trying to post a low number early and add more pressure to the players behind him.

Pros and Joes
It really could be a "Cinderella Story" for Bill Murray on Sunday. Murray and playing partner D.A. Points are only one stroke behind Bryce Molder and Harry You in the Pebble pro-am. Despite all of Murray's antics on the course, he and Points have combined to shoot rounds of 59-65-62. So will Murray tone down his act if they're still in the hunt on the back nine? It will be fun to watch.

(Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

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The Harrington Project
The world of golf is focused on the seemingly never-ending "Tiger Woods Project," but to me, "The Padraig Harrington Project" is just as fascinating. Harrington quickly collected three majors and then seemed to take his swing apart in an attempt to get better. Or so we thought. Turns out Harrington began fine-tuning his swing even before he started winning majors. Seems the guy just can't stop trying to improve his swing.

"I've made substantial changes at many tim[es] in the past," Harrington said. "I like doing it. Gets me out there, gets me working on things, gets me up in the morning, and gets me excited about it."

Through two rounds at the AT&T, the changes seem to be working. Harrington made six birdies and two bogeys on Friday at Pebble Beach, and he finds himself tied with nine other players at six shots back. Fortunately there are only three guys in front of him.

Watney Watch
One of the players tied for fourth with Harrington is Nick Watney. Watney is off to a hot start in 2011, with top-6 finishes at Torrey Pines and the Phoenix Open. In both events Watney has made a lot of noise on the weekend. He went nuts on Sunday at Torrey Pines, finishing with a 63. And at TPC Scottsdale, he shot rounds of 65 and 68.

Too Far for Phil?
After watching the first two rounds of the AT&T on the Golf Channel, it doesn't even seem like Phil Mickelson is in the tournament. Most of the broadcast is focused on Pebble Beach, so Mickelson hasn't been on TV much as he's played Monterey Peninsula and Spyglass.

Mickelson shot a bogey-free 67 Friday at Spyglass, finishing at 4 under. With Marino at 13 under, it seems like Mickelson has a tall order if he wants to get back into the tournament. But with D.A. Points in second place at 9 under, the task doesn't seem as daunting. With two tee times at Pebble Beach this weekend, we'll be seeing a lot more of Phil.

(Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

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Knock, Knock, Knockin' on the Door
Last year at the Masters, I stood on the 10th tee and watched Steve Marino blast a drive down the fairway. After watching his effortless power, I was left wondering why in the world hasn't this guy won a tournament?

It's not like he hasn't been close. Marino has already tied for second this year at the Sony Open, and he finished tied for fourth last year at Pebble Beach. It's no surprise then that he's back on top of the leaderboard after firing a bogey-free 65 at Spyglass Hill. So is this the week that Marino will finally break through and get his first win? There are still three rounds to play, but Marino says he's carrying a better attitude this year, which he thinks might help get him over the hump.

"I just was excited about playing this year," Marino said. "I did not play well for the majority of last year; towards the end of the year last year I started to play a lot better. I was just real excited to come out this year and start playing. Had a great tournament in Hawaii; had a pretty good tournament at the Hope; not so great in Torrey Pines. But I am just really excited to be playing good golf again, and I'm having fun out there. It's a blast."

Weir's Comeback
It's always strange to see former champions struggle to keep their card. It's even more puzzling to see former major champions struggle to stay on the PGA Tour. But that's the reality facing 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir. After struggling with swing changes and an injured elbow, Weir, who last won at the 2007 Fry's Electronics Open, is playing on a major medical extension. Having earned $559,092 last year, Weir needs to make $227,885 in five starts to equal the 125th spot on the 2010 money list. 

After a 4-under 68 Thursday at Spyglass Hill, Weir is off to a solid start in a tournament where he's had plenty of success. In 13 starts, Weir has seven top 10s at Pebble Beach. A high finish would secure his playing privileges for the rest of the year. If he doesn't earn enough scratch in five events, Weir will have to fall back on his past champion status.

Not Done Yet
Coming off two-straight winless seasons, former World No. 1 Vijay Singh, 48, has been largely forgotten with the emergence of several young faces on the PGA and European tours. But after a T3 finish in Phoenix and an opening 3-under 69 Thursday at Pebble Beach, Singh is showing he still has plenty of game. It was his sixth-consecutive round in the 60s and 17th-straight round at par or better dating back to last season.