Quick 18: Let the party begin for U.S. Open champion McDowell
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
1. You had to believe things were rocking at Royal Portrush on Sunday night. When Graeme McDowell won the Celtic Manor Wales Open two weeks ago, he tossed a party. Think there will be another one when he flies back?
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2. In case you didn't notice, McDowell has more than a little of countryman David Feherty in him. And it's not just the brogue. The newly minted U.S. Open champ has that same little devilish wit about him. Check it out tonight on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He's up just after Leno's monologue. Too bad we won't be hearing a Top 10 from the other coast.
3. What were the odds that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson would wind up tied after 72 holes at Pebble and not be playing 18 more there today? That would have been worth the top Q-18.
4. Corey Pavin's consternation as to whether or not to choose Tiger Woods for the Ryder Cup is a moot point. Like there was ever a question. Tiger's now fifth in the standings now with a bullet.
5. One less story line next spring: Davis Love III needing to play his way into the Masters. He's in, courtesy of a T6 at the Open. Others joining him include Gregory Havret, who'll be playing in his first Masters, and Matt Kuchar. The top 8 from the U.S. Open automatically make the Masters field.
6. Q-18 is right there with former Ryder Cup captain and major champ Paul Azinger, who tweeted: Whining about bumpy greens at Pebble Beach is like complaining about bad calls at an NBA game. it's the way it always is and always will be.
7. Dustin Johnson had a reputation as flatliner. Nothing bothered him; nothing got his pulse racing. Until Sunday. Johnson tied the worst stretch of his professional career with a triple bogey-double bogey-bogey run from the second through fourth holes (the first was 2009 British Open, first round, eighth through 10th holes) closed with an 82 and didn't stop to talk to anyone. Can you say serious pulse? As in chili running hot? Ernie Els passed go and didn't stop either.
8. Tiger's Q rating dropped from first to 25th? Really? He's a tougher sell than Anton Apollo Ono? Hard to think that number will stay there.
9. Confirmed. Mickelson hitting right-handed is much more effective than Dustin Johnson hitting left-handed. At least at Pebble Beach.
10. The incredible shrinking par-3 got everyone's attention. Yes, the seventh hole went 114 yards on Friday to 99 on Saturday and 92 yards on Sunday. If the Open had gone to a playoff? Think putter.
11. Steve Stricker is among those who think Tiger will be just fine without a swing coach. "He's got the capabilities to handle it better than anybody on his own. I don't think there's a teacher in this world who could teach that guy what he doesn't already know. What you need is a good set of eyes to see what he's doing, but it looks like he's going to do it on his own. He's got his camera, his iPhone out. He knows the positions he wants to be in. He knows he has some problems to fix. He's working at it.''
12. The feel good story of the week would have been Erik Compton making the cut. Everyone knows it. Even Compton. But he'd like to -- at least once -- be seen as a golfer first. "This is where I'm supposed to be,'' he said after missing the cut. "I'm supposed to miss the cut. I'm supposed to be the guy with the three hearts, but that's not the way I want it to be. . .
" . . . Getting here was really difficult to qualify and that's why I'm frustrated. I just didn't play well this week. I wish I would've been at least in contention to try and make the cut. I had to play the last nine holes kind of not even being in the tournament. That always puts a bad taste in your mouth. But, I think I've learned a lot playing this year and this Open. '' Q-18 hopes he gets to Congressional in 2011.
13. Y.E. Yang's 49 on the back nine at Pebble was a nightmare for him. Would have been a great score for most of us.
14. Moore not a fan. Ryan Moore has won three USGA events -- the 2004 U.S. Amateur and two U.S. Amateur Public Links championships -- but he's not a fan of the U.S. Open. He was vocal -- as were several players -- about Pebble Beach's greens, but said he would play another U.S. Open. "Probably, just to torture myself," he said Sunday afternoon. "I get angry, and it makes me hate golf for about two months, and then I'm OK again."
One green he's really not crazy about is Pebble's 14th hole and the slick green. ""It would take not much to make that green at least halfway reasonable, and they refuse to do it," Moore said of the USGA officials. "I think they go for a spectacle; they want some hole to draw attention and make everybody look stupid, I guess. It doesn't reward good golf shots like Augusta (National) does, and I don't understand why you'd have a tournament that doesn't reward good golf shots."
15. Rush Limbaugh is Hank Haney's new project? An athlete, an entertainer and a talk show host. Who's next? Condi Rice? Tom DeLay? A certain former president? Think how much fun a reunion show would be.
16. In case you're wondering, Tony Romo finally played a tournament where he didn't have to withdraw to make a Dallas Cowboys' OTA (Organized Team Activity). Romo made it to the quarterfinals of the Wisconsin State Golf Association Match Play where he lost 1-up to eventual champ Jordan Elsen.
17. Birdies overrated? In the last 21 years only four U.S. Open winners have birdied one hole or less in the final round -- McDowell, Hale Irwin (1990), Lucas Glover (2009) and Payne Stewart (1991).
18. The hottest player in the game? It has to be Ai Miyazato, who won her fourth LPGA tournament of the year at the Shoprite LPGA Classic and took over the No. 1 spot in the Women's World Rankings.
Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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