Quick 18: Simpson's penalty, Tiger's injury, bibs and bobs

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If not for a penalty on the 15th green Sunday, Webb Simpson may have avoided a playoff and won last week.

1. We open Q-18 with a bit of a head scratcher. Lee Westwood goes two-for-two in Asia, puts distance between himself and No. 2 Martin Kaymer and . . . people are still quibbling about who's No. 1? Really? We've been listening and wonder if top-10 machine Luke Donald had closed it out at The Heritage would there still be a question? Next two weeks -- boldfaced fields without Westy at the Wells Fargo Championship and THE PLAYERS -- will be interesting, won't they?

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2. Another win, another Bubba moment. Yes, tears from Mr. Watson, whose mom had asked him to play at the Zurich Classic so she could be there. Can you blame him when she was there to give him a hug? Bubba's second win of the year landed him at No. 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking and has us wondering what's next? Whatever it is, it will involve a tear or because that's just Bubba.

We must also note his hair fell victim to the Gulf Coast humidity, which made that long mane look a bit fuller.

3. Twitter was awash in red-white-and-blue -- as well as international -- 140-character tweets from the golf world following the death of Osama Bin Laden. Some backing the troops, most just saying . . . it's about time. The golf angle? Isn't there always one? The compound where he was hiding was a short drive from Abbottabad Golf Club.

4. All eyes this week will be on ... Rory McIlroy. The lad -- hard to call the world No. 6 that, but he is -- fired a closing 62 last year and won on the fairly smashing Quail Hollow layout. Now, he heads into the Wells Fargo Championship on the heels of that Masters collapse. How will he do? More on that in Tuesday's column.

5. Like the rule or hate it? Doesn't matter. Right now, a rule's a rule, which is why Webb Simpson found himself in a playoff when he called a penalty on himself when he grounded his putter on a baked green in windy conditions and the ball moved, oh, a quarter of an inch. Harsh rule? Yep. Should, perhaps, it be tweaked to allow the player to replace the ball? Probably won't happen. Smart move -- just don't ground the putter.

6. A duo in this week's news? Dustin Johnson and Dan Quinn. The former NHL player takes DJ's bag this week. Could it be a serious tryout?

7. In case you haven't seen it ... the latest Ben Crane video is about dance. Yes, dance. And not with the stars. Think spandex and polyester. Click to watch

8. Two best Royal Wedding tweets last week go to @luke_donald -- "Dear Will & Kate, congrats & sorry I couldn't be there. C U both nxt week at the Horse & Hound for a pint of stout & a wine spritzer!" -- and @paulstankowski -- "After watching this wedding thing, I feel like I want to watch The Open Championship."

9. Best quip -- always -- comes from Rich Beem. This one on being mic-ed up for a round. "For those of you watching at home, I have no idea what I'm going to do next." That's why Q-18 loves him. Everything's funny and life comes with a disclaimer. And, last week, a triple.

10. Before you ask, no, Q-18 has no inside scoop on when Tiger Woods will be back on the course. THE PLAYERS? Maybe. Smart guess would be The Memorial, but that's just a guess. He's being cautious after all his knee issues, but wouldn't you do the same? More to the point, the Achilles tweak is not just an oh-by-the-way. Could cause practice issues, but those protective boots work magic. Realy. If you want to see a great frame-by-frame sequence of the shot where he was injured, check out J.D. Cuban's shots here.

11. And while we're on Tiger . . . he hosted Tiger Jam last weekend in Las Vegas with Keith Urban and John Mayer headlining the Saturday night Jam. Tiger spoke at Friday night's VIP reception and was on stage for a quick welcome Saturday. According to a release, the event raised approximately $750,000 for the Tiger Woods Foundation.

12. Lexi Thompson was poised to make history, but didn't. Had the 16-year-old phenom, who was tied for the lead going into the fourth round, won the Avnet LPGA Classic, it would have been interesting. Instead, she closed with a 78 and shared 19th . All you need to know? She learned what she didn't know from the stumble -- how to stop a slide -- and walked away frustrated and disappointed, but determined. And still 16. All of which prompted Golf Channel's Judy Rankin to say, "Even the most seasoned player cries back in the (hotel) room every once in a while."

13. Wondering what's up with Graeme McDowell missing two cuts in a row? Chalk it up to the first major kerfuffle every player faces. Suddenly, everyone wants something and he's expected to be an instant expert on everything. It hasn't changed McDowell one bit, but it has spun a whirlwind around him and he's working to find a new normal. "Life is a hell of a lot busier than it used be," he told the Belfast Telegraph. "At my management company the phone rings a lot more these days, people with requests and commitments and various bibs and bobs like that." That means sponsors, media, etc. Things that used to take a back seat. "I feel like the last four or five weeks, we've kind of got our head around that a little bit,'' he said. "At the end of the day I'm still a golfer, so nothing has changed from that viewpoint. It's not that I wasn't enjoying the game. It's just that I was feeling a little distracted at times. Now I'm just ready to go."

14. The talk that just keeping simmering? Or bubbling? Colin Montgomerie for 2014 Ryder Cup captain. No matter what other names are tossed around -- notably Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley -- Monty's keeps popping up. He keeps saying he's not going to campaign for another turn at the helm, but ... he'll accept if asked to captain at Geneagles, which is just around the corner from his house. Hmmm ... Serious hmmm.

15. Members of all-male St. Andrews Golf Club have received letters from the club's committee recommending that women be admitted for membership. There are more than 2,000 members so expect some lively discussion.

16. Press pause on any rumblings/wishes of a part-time comeback for a while. Lorena Ochoa is ... pregnant. About eight weeks. She was glowing at the Golf Writers Association of America Awards dinner at the Masters where she received the Charlie Bartlett Award for her charitable work in Mexico. Q-18 told her that marriage was agreeing with her; that she looked great. Little did we know ...

17. Another reason to like Geoff Ogilvy? That sense of humor. Not only does he Tweet a photo of hair fertilizer he adds "Fingers crossed."

18. Today's final word? It comes from Iowa where it came down to golf or cash. Seems like the new owner of a nine-hole course in Algona, Iowa has chosen cash. As in cash crops. The Chicago Tribune reports the owner plans to plow the land and plant. The reason? Well, the price of corn doubled and there's been a 55 percent increase in soybean prices.

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.