Power Rankings: Transitions Championship

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In the first 12 events on the PGA TOUR this year, three have been won by 20somethings, including 29-year-old Nick Watney, who claimed the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship on Sunday.

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Meanwhile, Michael Bradley, 44, is the only champion (Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com) north of 36 (Mark Wilson, two wins) -- but he's in the age range that has fared best at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club's Copperhead Course, host of this week's Transitions Championship.

Since this event migrated from its traditional fall date to March in 2007, Sean O'Hair is the only new breed player to emerge victorious, and he was the beneficiary of veteran Stewart Cink's Sunday slide. O'Hair was 25 when he won in 2008. Others: Mark Calcavecchia, 46 years of age in 2007; Retief Goosen, 40 in 2009; Jim Furyk, 39 in 2010.

The par-71 layout has a full set of four par 5s, but it boasts five par 3s, giving it one of the more unique scorecards on the schedule.

Of the 11 par 71s employed in non-majors last year, Copperhead was the second-most difficult, averaging +0.722 strokes to par. In the last four years, the course has ranked inside the top third in greens hit and putting. It placed 12th and 10th, respectively, a year ago.

It's also historically inside the top 10 in birdie average (T2 in 2010) and birdies of better on par 4s (2nd in 2010) over the last four years. Therefore, the goal is to minimize mistakes -- and that places premiums on greens in regulation and bogey avoidance, characteristics often found in cagey veterans.

This week's field of 144 couldn't request better weather, as nothing but sunshine is forecast. High temperatures should hit 80 degrees throughout, and winds will be light.

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Power Rankings: Transitions Championship

Rank Player   Comment Bubba WATSON Missed Doral due to the flu. First start since losing consolation match at the Match Play. Leads the PGA TOUR in greens, sits fourth in birdie average and T24 in bogey avoidance. Placed third here last year. Padraig HARRINGTON Steady performance en route to a T10 at the WGC-Cadillac; inside top 20 in all relevant stats. Placed T8 at last year's Transitions, when he sat 10th in putting and went 8-under during first two rounds Nick WATNEY Law of averages keeps him from sitting atop this feature. En route to victory at Doral, ranked second in putting and led the field in birdies. Overall, he leads the TOUR in the all-around, adjusted scoring average and bogey avoidance. Jonathan BYRD Shot 68-68 at Doral to finish T10. Ranked 10th in putting for the week. Great record at Copperhead despite its spot on the schedule, with five top 15s -- three since 2007 -- including a T8 last year. Martin KAYMER First-timer at Copperhead. Closed out a T24 at Doral 74-74, but sat 8-under at the midpoint. No top 20s in his last three stroke-play starts, but the world's No. 1 has one win (Abu Dhabi) and a second (Match Play) this year. Martin LAIRD Finished T10 at Doral, where he led the field in distance off the tee, ranked 12th in putting and T5 in birdies. Currently 13th on TOUR in putting, 15th in birdie average, 15th in the all-around and 13th in bogey avoidance. Charles HOWELL III Four top 15s in seven starts this year. Ranks 19th on the PGA TOUR in greens in regulation, ninth in scoring average and fifth in bogey avoidance. Two top-six paydays at Copperhead since 2007. Bill HAAS Finished T16 at last year's Transitions, ranking T9 in greens, fourth in putting and T7 in birdies. Overall, he's currently fourth on TOUR in greens, 13th in birdie average, second in the all-around and fourth in bogey avoidance. Vijay SINGH First appearance since 2007 (T19). Won here in 2004, when it was held in October. Sits 10th on TOUR in adjusted scoring average and seventh in birdies or better on par 3s. Placed T22 at Doral last week. Stephen AMES En route to a share of third place in Puerto Rico, he ranked T5 in greens, third in putting and co-led the field in birdies. A bona fide horse-for-course touring pro, he's finished inside the top 20 here in the last two years