Quick 18: Luke's next target, hot Quiros, and skirts

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Luke Donald won money titles on both sides of the pond this year. Next target: a major title.

1. No more whispering or head-shaking about Luke Donald now, right? After 19 worldwide top 10s and winning the money title on both sides of the pond, his consistency is indeed an enviable trait. Having said that, one of the first things out of Luke's mouth Sunday after finishing third at the Dubai World Championship was about that elusive major. Yes, he needs one. So, it's on to 2012.

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2. One of the more eye-popping numbers related to Luke's 2011 run? How about going 182-under par for the year?

3. Yes, we're all talking Luke, but what about Yani Tseng? She won one more Sunday -- the Swinging Skirts TLPGA Invitational in Taiwan by seven shots -- to make it an even dozen wins worldwide.

4. What's in a name? Well, you'd probably skip over a tournament named the Swinging Skirts, wouldn't you? Figure it was a club event somewhere, right? But the field was solid with Paula Creamer, Stacy Lewis, Suzann Pettersen, Cristie Kerr, So Yeon Ryu and Jiyai Shin. As for wearing skirts? Not Tseng. "I didn't prepare any skirts because I'm too shy,'' she said. "I'm afraid I won't do well with a skirt on."

5. Fun to see the kids -- Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele -- come up big at the Franklin Templeton Shootout. Could these buddies wind up as a Presidents or Ryder Cup pairing down the line? Just asking. More fun from Naples? Nick Price and Mark Calcavecchia coming thisclose to a win for the fiftysomething set.

6. The season is winding down, but there are still a few interesting storylines Down Under this week at the JBWere Masters. First, Greg Chalmers, who won the Australian PGA and Australian Open, will be going for the Australian Triple Crown. Second, Luke is making the trip to play one more time before a much-needed break. Third, the venue -- Victoria GC -- was where Geoff Ogilvy learned the game as a kid. Fourth? It'll be the first time Ogilvy and Robert Allenby since their verbal kerfuffle following the Presidents Cup.

7. Keep an eye on Alvaro Quiros. While everyone was talking Luke and Rory McIlroy last week, the 28-year-old Spaniard bookended his second with his second win in Dubai this year. He opened the year with a win at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and this second win pushed him into the top 25 in the world -- he jumped Tiger Woods to take the 21st spot (he was 52 to start the week) and pushed Tiger to 22. He grabs you with his length off the tee and if he can find a short game this off-season? Look out.

8. Q-18 has gotten a number of questions on this so ... just so you know, yes, Tiger won the most money on both the European and PGA TOUR several times. But ... he was never a full-time European Tour player so, that's why Luke made history.

9. An early Christmas present? Q-18 sends congratulations to Lorena Ochoa on the birth of her first child -- Pedro -- last week. Wasn't just yesterday, Q-18 was visiting with her at a dinner at the Masters and remarking at how radiant she looked? A few weeks later, she revealed her pregnancy.

10. Dana Quigley's son Devon remains in neurological intensive care after a BMW-semi-truck collision almost two weeks ago. Doctors weren't sure Devon would make it the night he was brought in, but he's fighting. Dana said the family sees progress and is trying to hold onto that. "He was moving on to the next phase of his life," Dana told the Palm Beach Post. "Things were beginning to line up for him. Everybody talks about taking things one day at a time, but not many people know how to do that or want to do that. We are. It's one day and then one night at a time. Every one that passes is good news ... We're just seeing stuff we can feel good about. There are a lot of facial fractures, but he looks like himself again. He's hanging in there.'

11. Is golf going to be a player in the 2012 Presidential election? Nah. But is does seem as though it will have a small recurring role. Not only did Republican hopeful Mitt Romney give us this off-the-cuff-ready-for-late-night line on President Obama's vacation -- "I just think it's time to have a president whose idea of being 'hands on' doesn't mean getting a better grip on the golf club. '' -- the golf theme is in cyberspace, too. The Romney camp launched www.fortyfore.com where an $18 donation will help send the Golfer-in-Chief on "permanent vacation." But that's not all. Seems former Speaker-turned-hopeful Newt Gingrich is a member at Trump National and his wife Callista has been playing since she was nine. A spokesman for Gingrich -- R.C. Hammond -- told USA Today, "I wouldn't call what Newt does 'golfing.' I would say it is closer to walking with an occasional use of a golf club ... From what I understand, Callista is better off the tee while Newt excels in saving par with clutch shots from the rough.'' Stay tuned.

12. Not ready ... yet. J.B. Holmes was all set to make his return to the golf course at the Shootout last week, but after practicing didn't think he was ready and pulled out. Holmes, who underwent brain surgery Sept. 1, is targeting a return in January, perhaps at the Farmers Insurance Open.

13. While Q-18 applauds @krisblanks for originality, we're not sure going all-Tim Tebow on a field will work. In the NFL, yes. Golf, not-so-much. But nonetheless, here's the tweet: I'm going to play golf the Tebow way!! Play horrible for the first 14 holes. Hope competitors play bad or worse. Birdie the last for the W!!

14. Steve Stricker's neck is just fine. But his still has numbness in the middle finger in his left hand. "The fact that there's still numbness in that finger is a sign there's still pressure on the nerve," Stricker said He's three weeks into a six-to-eight-week physical therapy rehab. Next up? The season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

15. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Callaway Golf's stable of stars will be hitting the strip -- think sets outside Bellagio and Mirage -- this week to shoot print and video ads for 2012. The gang will also hit Callaway Golf Center and DreamVisions Studios.

16. It's all relative, right? That's what Aaron Baddeley found out when he decided to work out with his friends on the Geelong Football Club, the reigning AFL premiers. Baddeley started out with a bit of handball and some kicking drills with stars Steve Johnson, Tom Hawkins and Shannon Byrnes, but when they moved to sprints and a course called the Lingy Run? Badds couldn't keep up. "I felt alright at the start, but then towards the end it was pretty tough so it's impressive what the boys can do. The boys run for a living and we walk for a living."

17. Anyone else wondering why in the world microphone types continually ask players like Zach Johnson what it will be like to be paired with Tiger? They play with him all the time, so ... why? The question is perfect for a rookie or an amateur, but a major champion? Really?

18. And, finally ... in the spirit of the Christmas shopping crunch -- 13 days if you're counting -- we give you the Final Eight sprint. After today's workshop where the eight final firms in the mix to design the Olympic golf course for 2016 receive technical specifications and budget information from Rio 2016 officials -- the firms will have just seven weeks come up with an 18-hole routing and a 45-minute presentation to be delivered at the end of January. "That's seriously fast," said Greg Norman, who is teaming with Ochoa on a design. "For the time frame we've worked on in this compared to most other projects -- this is like a nanosecond."

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.