Quick 18: Sergio on a roll; latest on Stricker's health

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Steve Stricker has numbness in a couple of his fingers but is still planning to play in The Presidents Cup.

1. Lots of storylines at this week's World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, not the least of which is . . . with Luke Donald home awaiting the birth of his second daughter, Keegan Bradley has a chance to make up ground in the PGA TOUR Player of the Year race. A win this week by Bradley would be his third of the season and could shake things up when ballots go out.

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2. It's been a when-you-least-expect-it kind of year so you can't really be surprised that Sergio Garcia is the game's player of the moment. Back-to-back wins in Spain -- first one by 11 shots, Sunday's at the Andalucia Masters by one over Miguel Angel Jimenez -- and a jump to 18th in the Official World Golf Ranking. But . . . there's always one, isn't there? . . . he won't make it a three-fer. He's passing on this week's event, which means Jim Furyk slides into the field.

3. You know a guy is playing well when he sets his alarm for 4 a.m. China time to call and check on his alma mater's football game. Yep, Bo Van Pelt did just that before the final round of the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic. His wife Carrie said simply, "Don't worry, we're up 28-0, you can go back to sleep." Oklahoma State went on to close out Baylor 59-24, then Van Pelt threw out a closing 64 for a six-shot win. Quick 18 has been reminding you to keep an eye on BVP, but he's struggled when he's led after three rounds -- as in an average closing round of 75.5. Now he's put that behind him. Expect him to set his alarm next Sunday morning, too, since his Cowboys host Kansas State.

4. Can Tom Lehman go where no one has gone before? Can he become the first player -- and maybe the only player -- ever to win the PGA TOUR, Nationwide and Champions Tour Players of the Year? We'll see this week at TPC Harding Park when he tees it up the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Lehman, who won the then-Hogan Tour Player of the Year in 1991 and the TOUR Player of the Year in 1996, leads the Schwab Cup standings over Mark Calvavecchia, but it won't be easy with Calc and John Cook -- to name two -- chasing him. Peter Senior andRuss Cochran are in the mix too, and if Fred Couples gets on another one of his rolls . . . Stay tuned.
•Power Rankings: Charles Schwab Cup Championship

5. Another honor, by the way, for Couples. The Presidents Cup captain was voted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He headlines the 2012 class along with another former Houston Cougar/Heisman winner Andre Ware and University of Texas coach Mack Brown.

6. He wasn't the only great story on this year's list of 25 Nationwide-turned-PGA TOUR players. Just the most inspiring. Quick 18 knows how much Erik Compton wants to be known as something other than the double-heart transplant, so we'll just go with a guy who has a solid game and a lot of heart.
• Video: Compton aims to give back

7. It was a limited-field win for Rory McIlroy Sunday at the Shanghai Masters, but it was his first since the U.S. Open romp in June. He called it winning with "scrappy golf," but a win is a win. And momentum. "I haven't won enough in my four years,'' he said. "I should have won more."

8. Another week, another win for Yani Tseng. That makes 11 wins worldwide, two less than Annika Sorenstam had in an exceptional 2002 season. The real news? She hinted that she'd like to follow Sorenstam's lead and tee it up against the guys. At least once. "If an opportunity presents itself,'' she said, "I would like to play in a PGA tournament to learn more from male golfers."
• Discuss: Should Yani give it a try on the PGA TOUR?

9. Freshmen rule. It's not a trending topic yet, but give it time. Texas freshman Jordan Speith ran away with the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational last week, beating teammate Dylan Fritelli by eight shots. Speith, who has two more top-six finishes this year, joined the list of blue chip recruits to pick up college win No. 1 in three tournament starts or less. Alabama's Justin Thomas and Stanford's Patrick Rodgers both won their first starts and Washington's Cheng Tsung-Pan won in his second start. Speith and Fritelli, a senior, are one-two in the college rankings -- Rodgers is third -- and Texas is ranked No. 1 in the team standings. Another key player for UT is junior Julio Vegas, Jhonattan's little brother, who is ranked 17th.

10. Who did Rickie Fowler dress up as for an early Halloween party? Glad you asked. A nerd. Comic T-shirt, suspenders, jean shorts, high socks, Velcro shoes, Transformer watch and, of course, glasses.

11. Among those advancing to the final stage of Champions Tour Q-school? Damon Green, who caddies for Zach Johnson. Green, an accomplished player who has won 70-odd mini-tour events and came within a 3-foot putt of getting his TOUR card in 1994, finished T 13 at the Senior U.S. Open in July. Only the top five get their Champions Tour cards for 2012.

12. He broke the barrier. The first African-American to play on the then-PGA, Charlie Sifford had to put up with everything from heckling to excrement in the cup to spectators kicking his ball into the rough -- or worse. What he did, what he endured, changed the all-white face of golf in 1961 and he was honored once again -- this time with induction into the Southern California Golf Hall of Fame (LPGA Hall of Famer Amy Alcott was the other honoree). His history in California includes wins at the 1957 Long Beach Open and 1969 LA Open. He never did get an invitation to play at The Masters -- tournament winners were not automatically exempt at the time -- and, to this day, he says he'll never set foot inside the Augusta National gates. But, he said, honors like this one and induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame, well ... "It makes you think what you did was worthwhile.''

13. The latest on Steve Stricker? Despite conflicting treatment suggestions for his herniated disk problem and calls from both Couples and International captain Greg Norman (who offered the name of his doctor), Strick said he's playing The Presidents Cup. "My arm would have to be falling off for me not to play," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Rest, traction and rehab have helped his problem, but he said his left hand is still weak and the tips of his index and middle finger are numb. "I can tell I don't have the strength in there even now," he said. "My left arm feels a little bit different than my right. Opening a jar at home or whatever, I don't feel like I have the finger strength." He put off surgery to play, and said he's not backing down.

14. Need somewhere to stay in Palm Desert? Bing Crosby's former estate -- just outside the gates of Ironwood C.C. -- is available for rent. According to the Desert Sun, the seven-bedroom, two casita, one-tennis court home, just pulled in $48,500 for a 30-day stay. You can rent it for parties, too.

15. Not the stat you want to see: A nightmarish 14 bogeys, two doubles, one triple and no birdies in the final 36 holes. That was the Graeme McDowell's line at the Andalucia Masters where he shot 81-82 over the weekend. Yes, G-Mac is searching. "I'm very happy with my equipment,'' he said. "I'm very unhappy with my golf swing. Technically, I'm not the same guy I was last year and I have work to do to put it right."

16. Know you've been waiting for this one. The Kardashians are launching their "Kardashian Kollection Home" which reportedly -- by TMZ -- includes golf and football towels (as well as window blinds, bath towels and candlesticks). Just thought you'd like to know.

17. Ouch. According to WUSA-TV, the U.S. Open at Congressional left Montgomery County with a very large tab for police and fire overtime. The cost of overtime was $747,560, but, according to the contracts, the USGA paid just 10 percent of that, which means the county has to pick up the remaining $678,265. "I thought it was a fair deal, was it the best deal? We'll never know the answer to that," Chief Administrative Officer Tom Street told WUSA.

18. And today's final word? We could go with BOO!, but instead, we choose a tweet from @Paul Azinger during Dallas' 34-7 loss to Philadelphia: "America's team performing like America's economy.."

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.