Quick 18: Watney, Americans arrive while Nos. 1-2 struggle

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Dustin Johnson was one of seven Americans to finish in the top 10 at Doral.

1. Have we found a new closer? Hmm. Perhaps so. Until Sunday, it was easy to think of shy Nick Watney as a top-10 machine. Then, he came from behind and scrambled to a win at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. The guy has gone from losing this same event to Phil Mickelson two years ago to being the forgotten man in the bunker dust-up at Whistling Straits last year to a smother-hook-off-the-tee-into-the-water double-bogey at 18 Saturday to a hmm for the Masters. Amazing what learning to finish will do. More amazing what going from 146th in scrambling last year to second. He's been on Q-18's radar for a couple of years. Now he's 15th in the world with a bullet.

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2. Got to point two things out. First, it was a one-two finish for Butch Harmon's concentrate-on-the-fundamentals stable, although most people thought it would be Dustin Johnson winning instead of Watney. And . . . the American players finally woke up with seven Americans finishing in the top 10.

3.The Tavistock Cup used to be a friendly little Orlando match between serious international big names. Now, it's a televised event that's really gone global. Now there are four teams -- including clubs from the Bahamas and London where the big boys are joining/investing. Some even drop into this little event via helicopter. All wear color-coded shirts. FYI, the teams are Isleworth, Lake Nona, Albany and Queenwood. Best thing about it? David Feherty announcing on the first tee.

4. Ignore the closing 66 if you must, but don't discount Tiger Woods saying he was finally able to fix all those geez swings on the fly. That was always why he was Tiger. Yes, he hit some seriously ugly shots earlier in the week, but . . . he hit eight shots inside 15 feet Sunday. Is this the start? Guess we'll have to wait a week to see what he does at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He's only won six times at Bay Hill since 2000.

5. In case you haven't heard -- which means you haven't seen a second of Golf Channel recently -- Morning Drive's Gary Williams is taking on Tiger Woods in the latest EA Sports game Thursday. Q-18's money is on Tiger. Big Time.

6. Phil Mickelson in 14 bunkers? In one day? Who saw that closing 76 coming? No question Lefty is searching, but, unlike the former world No.1, he has managed to fly under the media's radar. Q-18 thinks he'll find something, even if it takes a drive down Magnolia Lane to find it.

7. Anyone else notice Roger Maltbie's headset dinging DJ in he head at the end of the interview? DJ took it in stride.

8. Where were world's No. 1 and 2 last week? Laboring. Meanwhile world No. 3 Luke Donald was top-6ing it. Q-18 told you this top-10 was going to be volatile this spring. No. 2 Lee Westwood slid into a T-18 with a closing 68, but world No. 1 Martin Kaymer closing with back-to-back 74s. A lull or a sign of things to come? Just asking.

9. Watney's caddie Chad Reynolds isn't cutting his hair until Team Watney finishes outside the top 10? This should be interesting.

10. Fifty-something update. Nick Price and his new putter -- he built it in his garage -- opened with a 60 and wins the Toshiba Classic. Fun, yes, but the buried lede was that Sandy Lyle won for the first time in 19 years. Lyle beat Australia's Peter Fowler to win the ISPS Handa Senior World Championship, his first win since . . wait for it . . . the 1992 Volvo Masters. Really?

11. Two pieces of mental lint, both on Watney. His Fresno State buddies nicknamed him "Rube'' -- after the Major League II character -- because he was so darned nice and polite. And, his college car -- an old Chevy -- blew so much smoke from the tailpipe he had to park off campus. Buddy Sam Reeves -- the same one who introduced him to Harmon -- teased him that the car wasn't environmentally safe.

12. Ah, the power of social media. Last week in Miami, Jhonattan Vegas sent out a twitpic of the meal he was about to eat at a Venezuelan restaurant. Not long thereafter, fans showed up asking for autographs. "I guess they recognized the table, which was crazy," Vegas said. "They came and got a few pictures and autographs. It was pretty cool." By the way, he's headed to Augusta this week to take a look at the course. Amen Corner, baby.

13. Once again, Ben Crane spoofs himself, this time about his glacial pace of play. "Do you think that I want to be this way? Do you like everything about yourself?" He ponders. But the kicker? "There are some things that are quick about me... Like when someone insults me, I quickly feel bad about myself."

14. Not tweedledee and tweedledum. Rather tweet and retweet. First, @ogilviej (Joe Ogilvie), who tweeted: Was given a fortune cookie w/no fortune 15 minutes ago & now my hotel room is locked from the inside, may need to sacrifice a live chicken. And the retweet of his wife's tweet by @BoVanPelt: Before bed 8 yr old said hey mom remember when dad hit it in the water twice today Yes son I remember but I think dad is trying to forget.

15. Former 49ers receiver Dwight Clark, who owns two Super Bowl rings, wasn't sure he'd make Bill Walsh's team back in the day. A 10th-round pick out of Clemson in 1979, Clark wasn't even on Walsh's radar until he answered the phone when Walsh called for Clark's roommate Steve Fuller. So, Clark brought his clubs with him to his first training camp. "I figured after I got cut, I'll drive down and play Pebble Beach and then go back home to North Carolina."

16. What were those Florida state legislators thinking when they introduced a bill to build golf courses in state parks? The bill would have mandated courses be designed by Jack Nicklaus to create a Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail. Nice sentiment, bad economic climate. Plus the state already has more than 1,000 courses. After listening to the taxpayers, who weren't behind it, the bill was withdrawn.

17. Everyone's thoughts are with the Japan after the earthquake and tsunami, but we can't forget last month's earthquake devastation in New Zealand, either. Hearing from Golf Channel/Golf World minutia man Tim Rosaforte that Kiwis Steve Williams and Frank Nobilo are working on a relief effort for their home country.

18. The increase in charity dollars from sponsor RR Donnelley means a strong field this week for the LPGA's play-for-charity Founders Cup. Headliners include world Nos. 1 and 2, Yani Tseng and Jiyai Shin, oldies-but-don't-count-them-out duo of Juli Inkster and Laura Davies and the star power quad of Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel, Christina Kim and Paula Creamer.

Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM and can be reached at melaniehauser@gmail.com. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR. Follow her on Twitter @melaniehauser.