Monday Backspin: One big group of survivors in Hartford

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On one hand, there was Justin Rose's epic meltdown, which started with three bogeys in his first 12 holes and was complete with a double-bogey 6 on the short par-4 15th at TPC River Highlands. On the other, there was Bubba Watson's epic meltdown as the game's resident bombardier completely broke down following his first career victory on the PGA TOUR.

Throw in Corey Pavin, all 50 years and all 257.5 yards of him, along with journeyman Scott Verplank and the Travelers Championship had one of its more intriguing and memorable finishes after what looked like would be a complete blowout.

That's golf, though, and for Watson he was just glad he was able to get through it all.

"I shot 4 under; there's no way that wins," said Watson, who began the final round six strokes back. "For us three guys to be in the playoff, I mean we weren't one or two starting the day, so for us three guys to be in the playoff was weird. There was no way you could write it like that."

Champion's Replay

Want to hear what Bubba Watson said about his win in the Travelers Championship? Click here Travelers: Leaderboard More coverage: • Emotional Watson • Watson interview • Complete tourney coverage

There was no way you could write Watson's story, either. He grew up in a tiny town of less than 2,000 people on the Florida panhandle. He's battled ADD and had finished second a fistful of times in his career.

On Sunday night, it all came pouring out in an emotional overflow that one veteran golf scribe said he's never seen the likes of in his 40 years covering the game.

" My dad, he took me to the golf course when I was six years old and just told me he was going to be in the woods looking for his ball, so he just told me to take this 9-iron and beat it down the fairway," said Watson, unable to fight back a river of tears. "And now look at me after beating a 9-iron on the fairway coming from Bagdad, Florida, I never dreamed this."

Just four years ago, no one might have dreamed this tournament would be where it is today. It was dead and buried without a date on the 2007 schedule and headed for possibly the Champions Tour or LPGA. But it fought through adversity and continues to find a way to survive.

Just like its latest winner.

Stock up

Ricky Barnes: The former U.S. Amateur champion now has three top-7 finishes in his last four starts following a tie for fifth in Hartford. He also has six top-10s this season after just one all of last year. The reason: An improved short game that came out of the work he put in to adapt to the new grooves rule. FedExCup rank: 23 (26 last week) Retief Goosen: The South African appears to be on his way back to form, despite missing three starts with a broken finger. In two of his last three starts, he's finished in the top 15, and he has the British Open at his favorite course, St. Andrews in a few weeks. FedExCup rank: 27 (34 last week) Brendon de Jonge: He's having the best year of his young PGA TOUR career with four top-10s this season, one of which came in Hartford. And two weeks ago he was in contention at the Memorial tournament until being derailed by a final-round 75. FedExCup rank: 41 (46 last week)

Stock down

Hunter Mahan: After rounds of 71-72 -- and some terrible putting -- Mahan missed his fourth straight cut and he's now broken 71 just once in his last 11 rounds. On the bright side, he did recently get engaged to Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Kandi Harris. FedExCup rank: 20 (19 last week) Charles Howell III: Two missed cuts in his last three starts plus just one top-25 since the end of March has Howell doing a little searching after he opened the season with two top-10s in the first two months of the season. FedExCup rank: 47 (43 last week) Adam Scott: It's hard to get on Scott considering he won just six weeks ago but since then the Aussie hasn't exactly been in his best form. He's broken 70 just once in his last eight rounds and missed his second straight cut last week in Hartford. FedExCup rank: 25 (23 last week)

THE BACK NINE: 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. File this under interesting facts you might not know: Bubba Watson's caddie, Ted Scott, was the 1994 world champion in foosball. And yes, he cried when he won, according to Watson.

2. I did not expect Justin Rose to shoot 75 on Sunday at the Travelers Championship, but that's exactly what happened. Once the wheels came off, the train went tumbling off the track in a big way. The culprit was the putting as Rose said he never felt comfortable over the ball all day.

3. I don't root for players, I root for stories. Shaun Micheel is the exception. Anyone who's lost a parent or had a loved one who's gone through cancer can relate to what Micheel is dealing with. On one hand, he says he feels guilty for playing golf, on the other he's trying to keep his job. Another good finish in Hartford will help. Micheel, by the way, isn't the only one on TOUR who's had to deal with personal difficulties away from the course.

4. Stat of the Week that seems overly appropriate: The longest playoff in TOUR history was 11 holes at the 1949 Motor City Open, where Lloyd Mangrum and Cary Middlecoff were declared co-winners. That, of course, is nothing compared to the three-day marathon between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon that finally ended with Isner winning 70-68 in the fifth set. On the second day of the match, the two played for nearly 10 hours. Asked if he'd ever done anything for that long, Hunter Mahan replied, "Sleep."

5. Anyone seen Sergio Garcia? In case you missed it -- and it's quite possible given that he was playing in Germany and missed the cut -- Garcia shot rounds of 77-76 to finish in 150th at the BMW International Open. You have to wonder where he'll be -- literally -- come Ryder Cup time.

5a. There don't seem to be any lingering effects from Padraig Harrington's knee surgery last month. He shot a pair of 64s in Hartford and hasn't lightened his practice routine any. It is a little mind-boggling, though, that he hasn't won since 2008.

6. I'm a bit of a homer when it comes to the Travelers Championship because I grew up in Connecticut and went to the tournament a lot as a kid. Having been to plenty of other venues, however, I can honestly say from a media and fan standpoint it's one of the best run events on TOUR. Travelers took over the event four years ago and never stops trying to make it better.

7. Was that the last we'll see of Corey Pavin at the Travelers Championship? It might be. The only reason he's playing as many TOUR events as he is this year is because of his duties as Ryder Cup captain. But something tells me, and it's just a gut feeling, that he'll back back at Colonial and TPC River Highlands for another couple of years.

8. It won't be the last time we see Kenny Perry in Hartford. He's been going there for more than 20 years and is exempt on TOUR through 2014. From the sound of it, he'll continue to play out there, too, even though he'll turn 50 in August. It might be the last time his annual host, Steve Kirsch, caddies for him, though. Kirsch dropped the bag a couple of times and Perry averaged more than 30 putts a round.

9. Pavin also put whatever overblown controversy was still left to bed by saying he wants Tiger Woods on the Ryder Cup team and he fully expects him to make it on his own.

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-3, 212-yard 17th at Aronimink G.C. THIS WEEK: Named the "Seneca" by the Architect Donald Ross. The 17th is a downhill par 3. Any errant shot will trickle down the steep bank into the lake guarding the large green. The lead could easily change hands here on the final day, making for an interesting finish. Click here to tour the Kodak Challenge holes | Current Kodak Challenge standings

The Forward Spin

The what's-wrong-with-Tiger-Woods-watch resumes this week at the AT&T National. Coming off a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open, Woods said his game feels like it's finally getting closer. We'll find out at Aronimink Golf Club just outside Philadelphia, which takes over as the host of this event as the USGA prepares Congressional to hold next year's U.S. Open. You would think defending champion Woods will have a pretty good chance to fare well there, even if the venue has changed for 2010.