Quick 18: G-Mac in the zone, Feherty joins Golf Channel

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

McDowell finished runner-up at the Hyundai, adding power to the argument that he is the best golfer in the world right now.

1. We open the season with this thought -- if golf were like, say, college basketball, wouldn't Graeme McDowell be No. 1? Or at least No. 1 A? The guy may be the best thing to happen to golf in a while. And he did inch up a spot to fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking. Great player with a less-than-classic swing who throws darts with his irons and is so at ease with himself, it's seriously impressive. Only world No. 1 Lee Westwood is in the same league at this moment, although we presume Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will have something to say when they open their 2011 schedules.

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2. The only putt G-Mac missed Sunday was his last one -- for what would have been a 61 and a spot in the playoff. And that wasn't by much. Can you say serious zone? Only one thing. He's now taking a break perhaps, until the World Golf Championship-Accenture Match Play Championship.

3. First there was J-Bird. Now there's J-Byrd. The first was Jay Haas, who has scooted full-time to the Champions Tour. Now, golf has Jonathan Byrd, who may be one of the most overlooked guys on the TOUR. Quiet, confident and understated -- almost a throwback to the old days. Yes, he's known for his walk-off ace that won the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open last fall and got to Hawaii, but after going two-for-two in his last two starts, Q-18 predicts a great year. He's always started slow -- think wins after June -- but this may change things.

4. Q-18 remembers what happened the last time Robert Garrigus lost a tournament. But this time around? A much more confident and mature Garrigus just may get his bounce-back win quicker than you think.

5. Hate that Geoff Ogilvy is walking around with 12 stitches in his index finger. Hate, too, that he had to WD with a chance for a three-fer. But Q-18 does love that he was on the beach and surfing last week with Adam Scott.

6. King Louie/Shrek/The Champion Golfer of the Year passed on the Hyundai Tournament of Champions to stay home and play in the Africa Open. Mr. Oosthuizen won a three-way playoff of his own -- against Chris Woods and Manuel Quiros -- for his first win since the British Open last July.

7. Brittany Lincicome wants to be ready for the 2011 LPGA season, so she's teeing it up against the guys -- on mini-tours. She finished third last week in an event on Florida's Midnight Tour and has entered a Hooters Tour event. "It's a great way to get the nerves out" before the season starts.

8. While we're on the LPGA, interesting twist in the LPGA Founders Cup where the players will be playing for a trophy. No money. All proceeds from the March event in Phoenix will go to the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program. Players and caddies will be provided free rooms and caddies will get a travel stipend. It's a way to give back and grow the game. Will the players buy in? Their monopoly "earnings" will count on the money list, just not in their bank balances.

9. You may bow. Not really, but if you must . . . G-Mac is the latest to earn the Member of the British Empire title from the Queen. "I have absolutely no idea what I get,'' he told The Golf Channel. "It's a pretty cool title, I know that. G-Mac, MBE sounds kind of cool. All I know is I get to go to Buckingham Palace, I get to take my mum and dad, hang out with the Queen and have tea and crumpets, I guess.''

10. In two small nods to the world of celebrity news, Q-18 will mention that, yes, Dustin Johnson and Natalie Gulbis are golf's latest young power couple. They both work with Butch Harmon and that's where their friendship started. We also offer early congratulations to Hunter Mahan, who is marrying girlfriend Kandi Harris Saturday in Dallas.

11. Alarm clocks. Yes, Jim Furyk may never stop hearing about The Barclays last fall when his didn't go off and he was disqualified. He went on, of course, to win the FedEx Cup. Which brings us to the tease for Tuesday night's Furyk feature on The Golf Channel where he talks about a clock he received as a gift that was inscribed "Who needs The Barclays? Jim Furyk 2010 FedEx Cup champ".

12. You, too, can weigh in on Ian Poulter's wardrobe choices. The fashion icon -- in conjunction with the Accenture Match Play folks and Ian James Poulter Designs -- is offering up three choices for him to wear one day that week. He's tweeting it. Want to vote? You can see the running total and, right now, the red-white-and-blue outfit leads. Vote here

13. Need a laugh? Or a lot of them? According to Golf Digest, funnyman David Feherty -- he can make Q-18 chuckle with one quick look -- will be added to The Golf Channel's lineup. He'll be on telecasts and have a show of his own. Can't wait. Can't tell you how much fun it was to sit next to him and Sam Torrance at lunch every day at the Masters a few years ago. Laughed the whole time. He's serious, too, though, especially about sobriety and his advocacy for wounded veterans.

14. Wondering about Canadian up-and-comer Graeme DeLaet? He's out for approximately two months following back surgery.

15. Donald Trump working in the Oval Office? Q-18 shuddered when Golf Channel's "Morning Drive" asked The Donald about playing golf with President Obama and he responded with the following: "I would play him for the presidency. I would play him for hundreds of millions of dollars." Yikes.

16. File this one under no sympathy. As @TheSirNickFaldo points out in a tweet -- complete with the television graphic -- Hawaiians are a little spoiled. Not trying to rub it in..oh sensitive ones! ...but they call 78 chilly ! They have no idea a !!! http://yfrog.com/h3calej

17. Just so you know, the first British Open Qualifier of the year is Tuesday in Australia. That's right. A chance to tee it up at Royal St. George's. Three spots are up for grabs. Next international qualifier is later this month in South Africa.

18. Love the story of the two golfers -- Sam Pratt and Tom Herrick -- who tracked down G-Mac and reminded him of the day in 1999 he caddied for them at Portrush. "Though I caddied for quite a few Americans, meeting these guys again like this is a first for me," he said. "I would have got about £50 plus a tip for carrying those two bags, which probably represented my pocket-money back then for playing in an event like the Leinster Youths. An occasional caddying job in between practice. Now I'm playing here for more than a million dollars."

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.