Quick 18: Aussies click with season opener, major picks

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Ogilvy, the defending champ at Kapalua, comes to the Hyundai after a runner-up finish and a win in Australia.

1. Golf used to take a real get-away-from-it-all break. Now? More like one of those snappy naps that get you through the rest of the day -- and right back to work. If only all of us could join the kickoff party in Hawaii. Instead, we'll have to settle for small screen scenery and putting away those Christmas decorations we still have sitting out.

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2. What's with Hawaii and the Aussies? Not too long ago, Stuart Appleby went three-for-three at Kapalua (2004-2006). Now Geoff Ogilvy comes into the Hyundai Tournament of Champions with a chance to pull off his own back-to-back-to-back. Yes, it's summer and high golf season Down Under and Ogilvy did win the Australian Open and finish second in the Australian PGA last month.

3. So how did Ogilvy spend Sunday in Hawaii? Surfing, of course. Adam Scott came with. Who's better on the board? Gotta go with Scott.

4. Remember your first allowance? Back in the day, Q-18's was something like $1 a week and you had to save for a Duncan Yo-Yo. Fast forward to Joe Ogilvie's house where allowances are taxed. Yes, you heard it right. Don't shake your head. It really makes a lot of sense when teaching the value of $1. Lauren Ogilvie, who is 7, gets $7 a week and pays her parents $1.50 in taxes. Kaitlin is 5, gets $5 a week and pays $1 back. Chuckle, if you must about Ogilvie becoming PGA TOUR commissioner one day, but you can't argue with his fiscal lesson plan.

5. Q-18 will miss David Fay's bowtie and his penchant for answering his own phone. We figure he won't try heading up any other sports organization -- he loves baseball -- but we do expect to see the former USGA executive director at his share of golf tournaments. NJ.com caught up with him the day after his decision to retire and he was ready to take some "me" time. "There was a different bounce in my step today," Fay said. "It was a wonderful run. For so many years, I've had the wonderful opportunity to go to so many great places and great course and I've found myself thinking more and more: 'Hey, it would be great to visit here, not just work here.' I want to take a while for myself. It's a bit surreal but it'll kick in quickly.''

6. British actor Hugh Grant found himself stranded on the way to a round at Royal St. George's. Seems his new Ferrari California -- price tag around $200,000 -- just stopped working on the A256 in Kent. According to The Guardian he got a lift from a former tabloid journalist-turned-pub-owner -- oh, the irony on several levels since the guy reported on some of Grant's no-so-amusing headline moments -- who was driving a Volkswagen and got Grant to the club for his tee time. What is it about St. George's? In 2003, Pulitzer prize winner Dave Anderson blew a tire on his way to the course. Q-18 was among his passengers who helped change the tire.

7. Anyone else notice the Pinehurst logo on soon-to-be-Speaker of the House John Boehner's sweater? Can Carolina blue become the new power color on the course? Just wondering.

8. While we're on politics . . . the Golfer-in-Chief played 29 rounds last year, which is --give or take a round -- the same as he played in 2009. It's also roughly nine times more than he hit the court for a little hoop-time. At that rate, we figure President Obama will find time for that still-in-our-dreams, 18-hole summit with Boehner.

9. Yes, Augusta is already on everyone's minds. Don't need a commercial to remind us of that. But about the phrase "punched their ticket" . . . Yes, it's used for everything from the NFL playoffs to the NCAA tournament, but, sorry, it's irritating. How about playing your way in?

10. As for that first major of the year? Q-18 already likes Tiger Woods at the Masters. And Graeme McDowell at the British Open at quirky Royal St. George's.

11. The start of another beautiful friendship? In case you missed it, Associated Press reported Cowboys quarterback Jon Kitna helped Brett Waldman with his decision to opt for playing the Nationwide Tour in 2011 instead of caddying for Camilo Villegas. A mutual friend got the two talking. "What I tried to do is pass on the same things, lessons I've learned over the years and the fact that sometimes you aren't where you want to be but it's not too late to give up on your dreams and trust God," Kitna said. But don't expect to see Kitna on Waldman's bag "I don't know how good of a caddie I am," he said. "I have too strong of opinions to be a caddie I think."

12. Famous people Arnold Palmer never met, but wishes he had? John Wayne and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Hard to imagine Arnie never meeting the Duke, isn't it?

13. When Q-18 heard about amateur Billy Joe Patton passing away at the age of 88, a story from Ben Crenshaw came to mind. Patton, a lumber salesman, was contending for the 1954 Masters when his Sunday approach to the 13th hole came up short and landed in the creek. In 1984, when Crenshaw was closing in on his first Masters title, he thought he saw Patton, who was on the rules committee that year, in the crowd at the 13th hole. That convinced Crenshaw to layup. As it turned out, Patton wasn't in the crowd. It didn't matter. "Just the image saved me from making one of those regrettable mistakes,'' Crenshaw said.

14. Lee Westwood's first major? Liking the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.

15. Hawaii is the place to be for January, period. The Champions Tour kicks things off the last week of the month when Hall of Famers Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson team up to defend their title at the Ka'anapali Champions Skins Game on Maui. The Nationwide Tour's season gets underway in late February at the Panama CLARO Championship.

16. Just so you know, despite losing about $48 million in income during the 2010 season, Tiger still ran away with Golf Digest's earnings title. According to the magazine, he made a total of $74.2 million in 2010 on and off the course. Phil Mickelson was second at $40.2; Arnie was third at $36 million.

17. From the sometimes-you-just-gotta-take-a-chance files: Pablo Martin wanted to play the PGA TOUR, but wound up withdrawing from q-school after three rounds at 6-over. A week later, he successfully defended his 2009 Alfred Dunhill Links title on the European Tour.

18. And, finally, here's to a season where everyone reads the local rules sheets, no one has a tiddlywinks moment, rulings don't determine major championships, no one has leaky rain gear, everyone has fun with Twitter, Tiger, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els turn back into the Big Three, Westwood opens the season like he owns it and Q-18 manages to find a little something every Monday to make you smile.

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.