Quick 18: No U.S. Open favorite, Ryder Cup interest heating up

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Chris Condon/PGA TOUR

Rickie Fowler shot a 1-over 73 in Sunday's final round at Muirfield Village.

1. If you weren't thinking about the Ryder Cup, you are now. Graeme McDowell wins in Wales with Rhys Davies finishing second for a second consecutive week and Luke Donald third. Justin Rose wins at The Memorial and the next eight spots go to Americans -- like Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Bo Van Pelt and Ricky Barnes. And then Jim Furyk and Rory McIlroy tie for 10th. Oh my.

2. Then, there was Captain Colin Montgomerie. He spent much of the week extolling the virtues of the tweaks at the Twenty Ten course at Celtic Manor.

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3. Tough weekend for Oklahoma State. First, the Cowboys were seriously upset by Augusta State in the NCAA tournament, then Fowler finishes second.

4. Memo to those who wondered if Fowler was all flash: Rethink that... fast. He didn't close it out at Muirfield Village, but he didn't fold. He kept going for it. Plus, he's 32nd in the world -- one ahead of Rose. As he tweets -- GO TIME! He's a star in the making -- charisma, talent, confidence -- so get ready for more Cowboy orange Sundays. Q-18 favors the Smurf blue/blue plaid pants outfits.

5. When was the last time we went into a major with no clear-cut favorite? Um. The last one -- the Masters. And, just in case you're wondering, Phil Mickelson has to finish second at the U.S. Open to pass Tiger Woods for No. 1. Depending, of course, on what Tiger Woods does.

6. Count Bo Van Pelt among those Cowboy alums who don't wear orange in the final round. Or, well, very often period. "Every time I wear it, I play bad. Orange on the weekend doesn't work for me." And one more thing. Van Pelt has been in Fowler's shadow this year despite an impressive season (five top 10s, Sunday's T3). And, well, it's happening at home too. Seems 9-year-old Olivia Van Pelt, a budding gymnast, has a crush on Fowler. Said dad: "I'm the second-favorite golfer in the house."

7. Would it be great to see Jack Nicklaus at St. Andrews in July? Absolutely. But get over it. He felt like he had the perfect goodbye in 2005 and wants to do this his way. He's earned it.

8. Saw a little of the old Tiger Woods at Memorial. He was working the ball better, hitting some of his old shots. He still felt his game was a little defensive and one-dimensional. Maybe he can be his own best coach. Q-18 still thinks a visit to Jackie Burke would help. So would another set of eyes. He needs someone to smooth out his swing. Why not think more natural with Billy Harmon?

9. Phil Mickelson showed flashes at Memorial too, but this week it's back to the game plan and some more serious -- four, maybe five days -- putting work with Dave Stockton. That's the good news. The interesting part? Mickelson's record when he doesn't play the week before the Open isn't great -- two missed cuts, two top 10s in seven Opens. Not a must, but remember, he played at the Shell Houston Open the week prior to the Masters this year and look what happened.

10. Can Tony Romo do it? We're about to find out. The Dallas Cowboys QB is teeing it up just outside Houston Monday in the U.S. Open sectional qualifier. The field isn't stacked, but he still has to finish in the top three to advance to Pebble.

11. Nothing against Vijay Singh, but Q-18 is wondering how the USGA gives Hall of Famer Singh an Open exemption and ignores HOF-er Tom Kite, who won that windblown open at Pebble in 1992? Kite is trying to play his way in through today's sectional qualifying at Columbine CC in Colorado (29 players, two spots) in hopes of joining Tom Watson, who also got an exemption, as the only other player to play in all five U.S. Opens at Pebble.

12. A bit of Pebble trivia via tweet from AP writer Doug Ferguson: Tiger played last 26 holes without bogey at '00 US Open. He also played first 22 holes without a bogey. A good week for him.

13. World Cup or U.S. Open? Nathan Green went with soccer. According The Sydney Morning Herald, Green would have had to drive all night or fly private from Columbus, Ohio to get to the Memphis qualifier. He withdrew. " I'm really not that interested in playing it (the U.S. Open)," Green said. "I'd rather sit home on the couch and watch soccer than beat my head against a brick wall for four days."

14. One last Open qualifying thought: Yes, Green pulled out and Kenny Perry declined to go through the 36-hole grind a few years ago and they aren't alone. On the flip side, Lucas Glover jumped in last year, survived the grind and won at Bethpage.

15. Keep a treasured golf course or turn it into a major residential/commercial tract? The debate rages on in Austin where University of Texas owns the land and the Board of Regents will decide the fate of Lions Municipal Golf Course -- Muny. It's a wonderful municipal course whose supporters include both Ben Crenshaw, whose dad bought "Little Ben" from a bin at Muny, and Kite. As Crenshaw said in a letter supporting the course: "Each time we lose one of these places, we lose a bit of our identity'.'' Q-18 couldn't have said it any better.

16. Players hoping to get a quick round or two in at Pebble Beach next week to prep for Open week may want to rethink that part. With several events scheduled at Pebble, players will have to work around events Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

17. Under the sometimes-it-just-takes-patience-and-time category: Rose and Barnes. Rose caught everyone's attention with that hole-out on the 72nd hole at Birkdale in the 1998 British Open, while Barnes couldn't miss coming out of Arizona. Both struggled. "I think everyone gets humbled by this game,'' Barnes said. "I was humbled pretty early in the transition period.'' Now, with five top 10s this season -- and that 62 at Muirfield and last year's T2 at the Open -- he's one to watch.

18. You think you're busy? Greg Norman zipped around Down Under to about a half-dozen golf course projects, shot a tourism promotion, did a couple of hours of interviews surrounding the Australian Open followed by a golf outing and another one the following day. During the week, he also found time to see his family in Brisbane and have dinner with Australian officials. Whew.

But wait... To kick off the week, Norman, actor Russell Crowe and two equally wealthy Aussie businessmen toured Marysville, Victoria, a town being rebuilt following brush fires. Norman and Crowe have helped raise more than $1.3 million for the town. Q-18 is worn out reporting the Cliff's Notes.