Quick 18: World Cup champs generate Ryder Cup buzz

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Could Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar's good vibes travel from Mission Hills to Medinah?

1. Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar didn't even have time to let their win at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup sink in before folks started hinting that they might make a great pairing in the 2012 Ryder Cup. Ok. Becoming the first Americans to win the World Cup since 2000 is one thing. But ... .a leap to a Ryder Cup pairing? They're talented, but they've both got a lot of work to do if they hope to make it to Medinah next fall. Q-18 isn't saying anything they don't already know.

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2. Has it really been 11 years since Tiger Woods and David Duval won the World Cup in Argentina? So much has happened since ... Having said that, we did see Tiger's self-deprecating sense of humor come out last week. When Darren Rovell asked Tiger what he'd look like in 2012, Tiger said, "Still balding. The skylight's going to continue to grow.''

3. If you're not paying attention to Woodland, you should be. The former basketball player-turned-golfer hits it a mile and has been working with Randy Smith to tweak his game. And, even though he's not technically the longest player off the tee according to TOUR stats, Tiger said he beats Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson."Gary Woodland hits it forever,'' Woods said. "He's got another gear that Dustin or Bubba just don't have. The stats sheet is very misleading so, to us as players, that means nothing. When you see guys on the range, that's when you know who's longest."

4. Forget that it's only an 18-player field. If -- yes if -- Tiger would win his Chevron World Challenge this week ... it would be more than interesting. It wouldn't be like winning a full field event, but at this point in his comeback process it would be huge. Why talk about it now? That impressive singles win at the Presidents Cup and a third at the Emirates Australian Open have everyone wondering, not just Q-18.

5. Big stories -- and perhaps some gutwrenchers -- will come from PGA West where more than 100 players will tee it up for a chance at fully exempt status on the TOUR for 2012. Players to watch include former world No. 1 Duval, major champs Rich Beem, Lee Janzen and Shaun Micheel, Jason Gore, Tommy Armour III and Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer's grandson. Another following-in-the-footsteps story? Travis Wadkins, Lanny's son.

6. Donald Trump a poacher? Kinda. Sorta. According to Forbes, The Donald's crew at Trump International got a confidential list of members at The Falls Golf and Country Club and sent invitations to Falls members offering to waive the $250,000 initiation fee if they joined Trump International. Trump told Forbes he wasn't poaching, just adding members. "In some selective cases, we offer new members a good deal,'' he told Forbes. "At least, we're not asking people to quit their clubs; just to join Trump International." Bottom line: if you can afford to join one, you can probably afford both.

7. Paddy Harrington is thinking. Maybe too much. We all know how he is when it comes to his game -- inveterate tinkerer is the best description -- but it's the mind that's getting in his way. Yes, he hired Bob Rotella earlier this year but the process is, well, a process. "I very much work on the mental side and if anything, I work on it too hard,'' he told Irish Golf Desk. "I don't think stale is quite the word to use but it hasn't had the same effect over the last couple of years."

8. Two down, one to go ... for Australian triple crown? Just in case you missed it, Greg Chalmers beat Robert Allenby and Marcus Fraser in a playoff to win the Australian PGA. While we were paying attention to Aussies like Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Jason Day, Aaron Baddeley and Greg Norman, the lefty won the Australian Open two weeks ago for win No. 1. Chalmers will ponder teeing it up Dec. 15 for a chance to win the last leg of the crown -- the JBWere Australian Masters. He had planned a break to see family in Perth, but now? Allenby is the only other player to win all three (2005) so Chalmers has a chance at history. And just so you know, Norman didn't overlook him. Chalmers has never won on the PGA TOUR. His best TOUR finishes this year were a pair of T8s at the Shell Houston Open and Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

9. Can't think of a nicer tribute to a member than the one Cape Arundel Golf Club gave President George H.W. Bush. The clubhouse is now called 41 House after the 87-year-old Bush, who won the club championship some six-plus decades ago and has hosted a who's-who of politicians and golfers at the Kennebunkport course. Q-18's favorite Kennebunkport story is about the day in 2004 Bush took Phil Mickelson for a little boat trip and 41 decided to crash a wedding along the coast. Fun story and great memories for the bride and groom.

10. So much talk about Texas freshman Jordan Speith and UCLA's Patrick Cantlay, but it was Alabama's Cory Whitsett who won the who's who of college golf last week in El Paso -- the Western Refining All-America Classic. Whitsett jumped from 94th to 45th in the individual rankings while Dylan Fritelli and Speith -- Nos. 1 and 2 in the rankings -- kept Texas No. 1.

11. Ground zero for golfers and these Orthokine treatments? Golf World's Tim Rosaforte points to Hank Kuehne, who hasn't played a TOUR event since 2007, but is working hard on a comeback. Kuehne's dad Ernie talked him into making the trip to Germany and Kuehne spread the word to Fred Couples and Vijay Singh. Without it, Kuehne would still be on the sidelines. With it? "I feel like a kid again,'' he said. "I've got a new lease on life." Will the former U.S. Amateur champ make it back? Back to back rounds of 65 and 66 at The Medalist isn't a bad place to start.

12. It's been a tough month emotionally for Luke Donald. He lost his father and welcomed his second daughter in the same week. And now, after spending time with family, he's ready to tee it up in Sun City at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. His Thanksgiving tweet pretty much says it all: "The last few weeks have opened my eyes to how thankful I am for everything in my life."

13. Tom Watson was in the hunt again last week. Just not on a golf course. Instead, he was hunting pheasants. An avid hunter, he joined former Kansas City Royals star George Brett and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback in Brownback's Ringneck Classic. Watson started hunting when he was 10 and calls it his passion. So how did he get hooked? His dad let him tag along when he went duck hunting. "My feet froze, but I didn't care,'' he told the Kansas City Star. "I had a great time watching the ducks decoy in, seeing the dogs go out to retrieve, watching the guys call. I was too young to shoot, but I couldn't wait to join in." Not long afterward, he secretly bought his first BB gun, but his parents took it away. He just bought another and hid it better.

14. A different kind of request. Jason Day said he'll ask Augusta National if he can fulfill his father's request and spread some of his father's ashes on the grounds. Day's father Alvyn died when Day was 12, but Day didn't make the Masters field until this year. "It's a plan but obviously if I don't get clearance from Augusta, I am not going to do it," Day said. "That was one of my dad's wishes and if I was allowed to do it, that would be great. Obviously I know how the rules are at Augusta, it would be probably very unlikely, but we will see how it goes."

15. Where's Andy Roddick today? Apparently living out the dream by playing Augusta National: @andyroddick "Getting the chance to play Augusta national today.... It doesn't get better than this ..."

16. They haven't even been for dating six months, but "Wozzilroy" -- Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy if you've forgotten -- are already getting the question ... about the question. Will they marry in 2012? Unbelievable perhaps, but DR news asked Wozniacki just that. Her answer? "I think one has to wait a couple of years yet ... in any case.''

17. Ask Keegan Bradley to wrap up his season and it you'll hear just two words - "Pretty unbelievable." That's the way the PGA champ summed it up for the Los Angeles Times.

18. And finally ... leave it to Ian Poulter to find humor in shaving. Seems he took a divot, er, chunk, out of his face this morning. He tweeted the photo -- http://twitpic.com/7kx6ff -- and followed with an explanation -- "Will my face stop bleeding No proper divot out of head that one, back blade on my Gillette got bent & took half my head off. Stinging..." Then the kicker: "The cleaners in the room are going to think I murdered someone this morning the towel is more red than white."

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.