Quick 18: Jack's charge, Phil's chances and Ogilvy's ideas

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Three-time Masters champ Phil Mickelson blitzed Redstone and left no doubt about the favorite for Augusta.

1. Where were you that Sunday in 1986? You'll hear that question answered non-stop this week as everyone celebrates the 25th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus' iconic sixth Masters win. Just so you know, Q-18 walked the front nine with Seve Ballesteros and Tom Kite (glancing back at Greg Norman), then watched Jack's birdie at nine. By the time the putt fell on the 16th, the normally sedate -- no cheering in the press box, you know -- folks in the old metal Quonset Hut were whistling God Bless America and whooping it up.

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2. And you didn't ask, but we'll offer up this one: Best line that night came from numerous legendary writers -- "This was too big to write.''

3. Was Jack's charge the greatest final round in major championship history? Golf World says yes. It'll be debated all this week and for a long time thereafter.

4. We wanted a favorite and it looks as though we have one. Hard to not send Phil Mickelson to the head of the class after winning the Shell Houston Open. Harder since Ladbrokes has moved him to 7/1, ahead of Tiger (10/1). Harder even since, once the putt dropped, his mind was fixed on Augusta. He was there before Q-18 could finish Sunday's column on him. Just saying.

5. That said, that's just the first in line. So many others jostling for position it'll give you a headache of Augusta pollen proportion. Lee Westwood coulda, shoulda been there at the end in Houston, but struggled with a new putter -- don't expect it back this week. Padraig Harrington was there, quietly. Tiger and Graeme McDowell and the boys were practicing or chilling in Augusta. Could be a seriously good one, folks.

6. Just in case you missed it... Phil 's first win in his 40s moves him to third the world, jumping Tiger for the first time since, well, this week in 1997. Tiger was ranked 13th back then. He's seventh now, sliding behind Paul Casey. Steve Stricker moves up two places to eighth.

7. Everyone's still talking about Ryo Ishikawa's decision to donate his entire year's earnings -- plus 100,000 yen ($1,207) for every birdie -- to the victims of the earthquake/tsunami in his country. Amazing heart at such a young age. The last three seasons, Ishikawa has earned more than 100 million yen ($1.2 million) and last year he earned 151 million yen and had 341 birdies. He's set his 2011 goal at 200 million yen. "I know recovery in the quake-affected areas will take a long time,'' he said. "I'd like to strive together with the victims in recovery efforts."

8. Here's a warning from G-Mac: Ignore his three previous appearances, which translate into 8 rounds and two missed cuts. "I feel like I'm going there this year like a rookie again," he told the Belfast Telegraph. "Albeit as a rookie who now knows a hell of a lot more about the golf course than he did when he first went there six years ago. I'm learning all the time and I'm going into the tournament with a totally open mind and my past performances there are completely irrelevant.'' Holding him to it, aren't we?

9. Interesting thoughts from Curtis Strange on 1986. (You'll remember he came within a Rae's Creek tributary of winning in 1985) "I was like four groups in front of Jack, so I heard the roars on the back side. But I think what I remember the most is, as a player if you're not winning, you finish the round and you escape as quickly as possible. Well, that afternoon, we didn't leave. I, along with all of my colleagues, sat in that locker room in the player dining there, riveted to the TV. It was truly amazing. The one last impression that I have in my mind is Jackie and Jack walking off the last green together, arm in arm. I think as a father we all can relate to that. At 46, that was unheard of back then. Forty-six back then would be like 56 today, so it was truly phenomenal."

10. Courtesy of Ron Sirak, who tweeted about a new sign you'll see heading into town on I-20 this week. One that has nothing to do with you-know-what. "Augusta State. NCAA Division I 2010 Golf Nat'l Champs." Gotta love it.

11. Overlooked in Phil's wake Sunday? Scott Verplank. The man who has a degenerative bone condition in his left wrist finally played two full weeks back-to-back and came within that balky wrist of winning for the first time in four years. Disappointing? Yes. Encouraging? Absolutely. Four weeks ago, he wasn't sure he could tee it up, period. One of the toughest guys Q-18 knows.

12. Is Privacy for sale or not? Seems to be conflicting reports on whether Tiger is selling the 155-foot yacht -- price tag is a reported $25 million (and $2 million/year to maintain) -- or keeping it. He's reportedly looking for a broker, but the New York Post reports he'll be lucky to get $15 million in this market. He paid $20 million.

13. Green soles? Augusta put green soles on the caddies' shoes mumblesomething years ago -- they also put green bottoms on the paper cups -- but now it's Nike. The new Lunar Control shoes -- out for you know what -- have green soles. Players "likely" to wear 'em this week? Paul Casey, Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim, Francesco Molinari, Carl Pettersson and Jhonattan Vegas.

14. If Geoff Ogilvy could tweak Augusta National, what would he do? Golf.com asked, he answered saying he loves 95 percent of it. The 5 percent he doesn't? Among other things, he would remove some of the new trees, slow down the greens and go back to some of the natural looks the course had when Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie designed it. "This is more of an aesthetics thing, but my ultimate fantasy would be to get the course as close -- in modern distances -- to what MacKenzie and Jones came up with. It was just wild and wacky and there was some really cool stuff like the original ninth green, which was like a big horseshoe. The original bunkers were a little bit jagged and rugged, like the one down on 10. They kind of had that 'MacKenzie shape' to them, a bit like the Cypress Point look. I don't think there is anybody who would argue that Augusta doesn't look good now, but that would be interesting exercise -- to take all the original pictures, dating back to first tournament in 1934, and try to recreate that golf course. I think it would look amazing." Not the norm, which is why we love Ogilvy.

15. Former USGA rules guru Tom Meeks and wife Susie made a surprise visit to the Shell Houston Open last week. Why? They were in town for the Final Four. Meeks is a Butler grad, class of 1963.

16. Christina Kim on what separates world No. 1 Yani Tseng from her peers: "(She) swings like Anthony Kim. She goes at it differently. No one compresses the ball like she does."

17. Nerves of steel? Try a spine made of it. Kraft Nabisco champ Stacy Lewis, who suffered from scoliosis as a teen, has a steel rod and five screws in her back. She also has her first major title. It was an emotional win for the Texan, who came from behind to beat women's world No. 1 Yani Tseng, because her grandfather died the day before the tournament began. They delayed the funeral until Wednesday so Lewis could play. Americans, by the way, have now won three of the last four -- and four of the last six -- women's majors.

18. Q-18 tried to be a bit funny -- or cheeky as the Brits might say -- last week when talking about two Scots winning the same weekend. "Keeping up with the Brits and Irish," we said. Kind of like, oh, Aggies trying to keep up with Longhorns, or California trying to keep up with Texas. Suffice it to say the inference didn't translate well ... lots of Scots-are-Brits emails ... We know ... Like we said, just trying to keep it light. So... apologies to those across the pond.

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.