Monday Backspin: Pettersson's win a sign of European strength

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Carl Pettersson and Richard S. Johnson each won on Sunday -- Pettersson in Canada, Johnson in Sweden -- yet neither is likely to get more than a passing glance from Colin Montgomerie. That's how good the European Ryder Cup team looks with two months to go until Wales.

Consider this: As of Sunday night, seven of the top 13 players in the Official World Golf Rankings are European. Pettersson and Johnson are not among that group.

Yet Pettersson recorded a tournament-record 60 in the third round on his way to victory at the RBC Canadian Open. And Johnson beat a field that included British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen with a 30-foot birdie on the final hole.

Pettersson's week was eerily similar to one that Rory McIlroy, who looks like he will be one of those European stalwarts for years to come, had earlier this year at Quail Hollow.

Champion's Replay

Want to hear what Carl Pettersson had to say about winning the RBC Canadian Open? Click here RBC Canadian Open: Final Leaderboard More coverage: • Highlights • Pettersson interview • Complete tourney coverage

On the verge of missing the cut, McIlroy hit what he would later call his best shot of the year -- a 4-iron approach from 206 yards that set up an eagle in the second round. McIlroy, of course, made it to the weekend on the number then closed with a record-setting 62 to win for the first time on the PGA TOUR.

Friday in Toronto, Pettersson had his moment, sinking a 10-footer for par on the final hole of the second round before throwing back seven beers (more on that in the Back Nine) and anxiously waiting to find out that he made the cut on the number. Pettersson closed with rounds of 60-67 for his fourth career victory on TOUR.

Part of Pettersson's success might be attributable to being back to his old self -- he stopped focusing on fitness, which he said hurt his swing in 2009 -- or the recent putter and driver switches he recently made, but it goes deeper than that. It goes all the way back to Sweden and throughout Europe.

And as big a story as Pettersson's victory might have been on Sunday, it could be a telling piece to a bigger one come September.

Stock up

Dean Wilson: Thanks to his second-place finish -- and easily his best result of the year -- Wilson went from well outside the Playoffs picture to squarely in it in whats been an otherwise abysmal year with five missed cuts in nine events. FedExCup rank: 110 (198 last week) Michael Letzig: Sometimes all it takes is one good week and that's what Letzig had with his tie for fourth in Canada for his first top 10 of the season. He cant afford very many missed cuts the rest of the way, however, sitting just inside the top 125. FedExCup rank: 123 (148 last week) Bob Estes: Two top 10s -- one in Canada, another in Memphis -- in the last five weeks have moved Estes inside the top 125 on the FedExCup points list. Estes has qualified for the Playoffs in two of the last three years, reaching the BMW Championship last season before withdrawing from the tournament. FedExCup rank: 121 (145 last week)

Stock down

Mike Weir: This has been Weirs worst season since his rookie year on TOUR. Lately, hes been battling an arm injury and has missed three of his last four cuts (a combined 41 over in those four events). If he keeps it up hell tumble out of the Playoffs picture altogether. FedExCup rank: 118 (115 last week) Brett Quigley: A missed cut could not have come at a more inopportune time for Quigley, who has just one top 10 this season. As of now, Quigley is one spot out of the Playoffs with a few weeks remaining. FedExCup rank: 128 (121 last week) Todd Hamilton: The one-time British Open champion has now made the cut just twice in 13 events. The result? Hes going to need a miracle turnaround to keep his TOUR card, much less get into the postseason. FedExCup rank: 207 (205 last week)

THE BACK NINE: 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. When Carl Pettersson finished Friday at 1 under, he thought he was going to miss the cut. Jay Williamson had all the scenarios written out, though, and he told Pettersson to grab a beer. But one turned into seven. "I can usually handle seven beers," Pettersson said. "I wasn't in that bad of shape, but I didn't want to drive. My caddy had to drive me home." The next day he shot 60.

2. Not only is Pettersson's victory a sign of Europe's depth and strength, it shows just how strong the game is globally -- players from nine countries having now claimed a Canadian Open title. Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and the United States are the others.

3. As mentioned, Dean Wilson's runner-up finish was a big boost to his rank in the FedExCup. It also validated the work he recently put in with his swing coaches Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, the stack-and-tilt guys -- something that has been pretty rare with a number of players having given up that method of the golf swing.

4. Anthony Kim was in Canada last week, but he didn't have his golf clubs. Kim, whose bag is sponsored by RBC, had hoped to play the event but his wrist is still not healed and he's not going to do anything to risk his Ryder Cup future. Look for Kim to return at Firestone.

5. What does it tell you about Mike Weir's season when the low Canadians from last week were Adam Hadwin, Stephen Ames and Jon Mills?

6. One of the best (and most logical) decisions of the year was made last week when the World Golf Hall of Fame ceremony was moved to the Monday of THE PLAYERS Championship. Hosting the induction ceremonies the week of the TOUR's flagship tournament when the two venues are just some 30 miles apart makes perfect sense.

7. Before Tom Gainey became known as "Two Gloves," he worked on an assembly line wrapping insulation around water heaters. Believe it or not, he learned pretty good hand-eye coordination doing 850 to 1,800 water heaters a day, according to a recent Q&A with Sports Illustrated. At the time, Gainey earned about $9.50 an hour. Now, he's one win away from the TOUR after recording his second Nationwide Tour victory a couple of weeks ago.

8. Monday marks the 30th anniversary of Caddyshack. If that isn't the greatest golf movie ever, I don't know what is. Tiger Woods has seen it more than 100 times and it's one of the most quotable movies of any genre. One of the more interesting facts about it, however, was that it never won any awards and was actually panned by critics when it was first released. Like a fine wine, though, it's gotten better with age.

9. Was I the only one who found it odd that players teed off from Nos. 1 and 9 last week? I know it was for logistical purposes, but it was still strange. Then again, so is the CFL.

Last week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-4, 446-yard 14th at St. George's Golf and Country Club LAST WEEK: Brendon de Jonge moved to within one shot of leader Rickie Fowler after sinking a 16-foot birdie putt in the final round at St. George's. Click here to tour the Kodak Challenge holes | Current Kodak Challenge standings

The Forward Spin

The Greenbrier Classic is new to the schedule this season and by all accounts should make for a popular destination if for no other reason than its a five-diamond luxury resort. That said, it will have some big shoes to fill replacing the Buick Open, which provided some memorable moments a year ago. As for the course itself, it's a C.B. Macdonald masterpiece that has played host to the 1979 Ryder Cup, 1994 Solheim Cup and the Champions Tour from 1985 to 1987.