Quick 18: Tiger's injury, Tony Romo and a lot of Texas

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Tony Romo will attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Editor's note: PGATOUR.COM's Melanie Hauser will be shaking out the mental lint and pulling together the "Quick 18" on Mondays this year.

Got a comment or question for Melanie? Click here to e-mail her.

1. Facet joint. Unless you took anatomy or have a pain in the neck, you likely had no idea what that was until Tuesday when, basically, experts were explaining Tiger Woods' injury in depth. The synovial joints stabilize, support weight and cushion the vertebrae in your neck and spine to allow movement. And when they're angry -- say from twisting during the golf swing -- they can cause spasms, better known as nature's protection for the joint. Rest and anti-inflammatory drugs help. What the docs can't tell us is when Tiger will be ready to play. As for normal folks? Think facet joint when you bend over to tie your shoe and your back tweaks.

2. The Stockton legend grows. Dave told Adam Scott at Quail Hollow he could fix his putting woes in 15 minutes. Two weeks later, Scott throws out an awesome 36 holes Sunday in San Antonio, breaks his PGA TOUR drought, wins his third event in Texas and wins the first event on mentor Greg Norman's course.

3. Does it really matter who said goodbye first? The Tiger Woods-Hank Haney split has taken on a life -- and headlines -- of its own. More to it than just needing a change? Probably so, but Haney doesn't have to be second-guessed anymore. You know the criticism that goes along with that spotlight had to hurt.

4. No one asked, but Quick 18 got to thinking a fly-by to Houston to chat with Jackie Burke -- not sign him up as a swing coach -- might be a good idea for Tiger. Visits with Jackie are one parable after another and they're good for the mind, heart and soul, all of which are serious parts of the game. He's not afraid to get in anyone's face so don't expect any mollycoddling. He delivers the sometimes harsh, unvarnished truth, nothing but. Tough love at its best. You never leave that office without learning something about yourself.

5. Colin Montgomerie isn't gloating, but the king of grump on the course is smiling.

Europe has six of the top 13 players in the world right now making Monty's boys the early favorite. "I'm very happy, I must be the happiest captain in many, many years to see what's been happening,'' Monty told Sky Sports.

6. Count Monty and Rory McIlroy among those keen to have Tiger in the U.S. lineup at Celtic Manor. "I'd love to go toe-to-toe with Tiger and it will be a dream come true,'' McIlroy told The Mirror. "There would be no better way to win the Ryder Cup than to go head-to-head with Tiger and beat him. It would be pretty cool. But I still need to qualify for the team and so does Tiger."

6. Yet another reason -- not that we need another one, really -- that Padraig Harrington makes Quick 18's top five coolest players? He's not taking one euro to serve as the poster boy for Irish golf. The three-time major champ is the face of Fáilte Ireland's world campaign to bring tourists to Ireland's courses. He's now the "Irish Golf Ambassador." The campaign includes stories of 4-year-old Paddy chasing rabbits in Stackstown and that the Claret Jug served as a home to ladybirds after his 2007 Open Championship.

7. Tony Romo was scheduled to play in Monday's qualifier for the HP Byron Nelson Championship, but the tee times conflicted with a scheduled Organized Team Activities practice at 10:30 a.m. local time. The Cowboys quarterback is entered in Thursday's U.S. Open qualifier. Luckily -- for him -- Cowboys OTAs end Wednesday. If Romo had made the field? Shawn Humphries, the director of instruction at Cowboys Golf Club, said Romo could have been a bigger draw than Tiger Woods. Don't overthink that one. The Cowboys really are that big in the Metroplex.

Stankowski

8. Please and thank you go a long way . . . Just ask Paul Stankowski. The Flower Mound resident finished T22 in San Antonio -- just his fourth TOUR event this year -- and HP Byron Nelson folks rewarded him with an exemption. His reaction was to say thanks in a Tweet: "I just found out I received an Exemption into the HP Byron Nelson! Thanks Salesmanship Club for your generosity! It sure means a lot 2 me."

9. Senior Airman John C. Little II, the 2009 All-Armed Forces Champion, was living the dream last week at the Valero Texas Open. Little, who played at Auburn, was given a sponsor's exemption and -- because of the rain delay -- got to play his second round on Armed Forces Day. The amateur shot 82-78 and missed the cut. He never looked at a golf career, rather sold insurance until his brother told him it was time to change. Little admitted he was lazy, back then, but the military changed all that. "You don't have a choice,'' he said, "you have to work.''

10. Hmmm. The National Golf Foundation numbers show the number of young golfers (ages 6-17) dropped 24 percent (from 3.8 million to 2.9 million) from 2005-2008.Conversely, the number of kids playing tennis during the same time frame went from 6.8 million to 9.5 million. The Wall Street Journal investigated and said golf officials are stumped. They're seeing strong participation in grassroots programs. The Journal suggests more affordable junior-friendly courses and even junior tees.

11. Pushing through. That's what Brett Wetterich had to do Friday to make his tee time in San Antonio. He was staying in Boerne and heavy rains flooded roads. He made it through the high water and got to the tee on time. Wetterich, by the way, is due to be inducted into the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Hall of Fame Monday night along with his former Wallace State coach Dan York. Another Wallace State alum? Valero runner-up Fredrik Jacobson.

12. Mark Carnevale, who has been working on XM/SIRIUS broadcasts, turns 50 Friday... Vijay Singh falls out of the top 50. Really.

13. Justin Timberlake -- with a little help from Oprah -- surprised one of his fans at Mountain Gate. Seems groom-to-be Mike wanted to surprise his fiancé Julie with a golf lesson from Timberlake. People reports Oprah's "Harpo Hookups" took it the rest of the way, as Timberlake showed up on the range. He gave her a lesson and invited the couple to the opening of Mirimichi, his green course in Tennessee.

14. After shooting 92 at the BMW Charity Pro-Am and being disqualified, NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice said enough. "I don't want to talk about golf right now," a frustrated Rice said afterward. "Had enough." Of the Nationwide Tour, but is he giving up his dream of the Champions Tour? Who knows.

15. Snaps to Jimmy Walker, Aaron Baddeley and Harrison Frazar, among others. Baddeley's T3 was his best finish since a T2 at the 2008 Verizon Heritage, while Walker's share of third was his best finish ever on TOUR. Walker won three Nationwide events. Frazar closed with a 66 to finish T17 which was his best finish since a T7 at Turning Stone last fall.

16. There are more questions than answers about Erica Blasberg's death, but the focus last week in Mobile, Ala., was the shocking loss of a friend, sweet person and competitor who was turning the corner. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

17. Ready or not . . here comes Alexis Thompson. The 15-year-old sister of TOUR player Nicholas Thompson will turn pro in June after the Curtis Cup. She just completed her freshman year in high school and says she's ready. She'll be seven months younger than Michelle Wie was when she turned pro.

18. The Wayback Machine, Lone Star-style: Did you know the golf cart was invented in Texas? Houston Country Club member Dick Jackson, a car dealer, got the notion in the mid-40s. He took a gas powered maintenance cart and went to work on what he called the Arthritis Special, complete with a swivel seat and room for the caddie. He patented it in 1948. The buggy as we know it was streamlined in the early 50s.

Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.