Quick 18: Westwood heading into 2012 more confident

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Westwood won the Thailand Golf Championship Sunday by a commanding seven shots.

1. Could Lee Westwood be poised for a major in 2012? His second win in three events was a seven-shot romp over Charl Schwartzel at the Thailand Golf Championship that jumped him to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Add his opening 60 -- and second round 64 -- in Thailand to his 62 at the Nedbank Challenge and his four wins world-wide in 2011 and ... well, he called it "the best display of my career... I've amazed myself really. It's been staggering. It's the best I've ever played."

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2. Quick: how many career wins for Westwood? Try 37. Feels like a pretty quiet 37, doesn't it? But that may change in 2012 when he takes up full membership on the PGA TOUR and starts a run toward the majors and Ryder Cup. And just in case you're wondering how he's feeling going into the Christmas pause -- too short to call it a break -- here you go: "From a personal perspective I feel my game is better now than it felt when I was world No 1 at Christmas last year. It fills me full of confidence going into next year."

2. And while we're on English golf, Mr. Tartan Pants -- yep, Ian Poulter -- added a gold jacket to his closet Sunday as he scrambled past Geoff Ogilvy to win the Australian Masters. Nice Christmas present. And it caught the eye of Official World Golf Ranking No. 1 Luke Donald who tied for 12th: "If you ask Ian, he won't say he had his greatest year this year. But Ian has a very strong mind, even when his golf isn't quite on, he is able to grind out a score and I think he would be the first to tell you that he has done very well this week."

3. No Triple Crown for Greg Chalmers who had won the first two legs of Australia's big three. Chalmers finished T12, but the fast finish Down Under could be a springboard after just two top 10s on the TOUR in 2011.

4. A long trip wouldn't be complete without Poulter and Donald dissing each other a bit, as well as tweeting pictures of first class in an Airbus A380. From @lukedonald: Wallet aboard, even @IanJamesPoulter head fit through the front door - amazing! http://moby.to/4aez1i. And from Poulter: Here is the seat in the Airbus A380. bliss i see sleep in my future. #TwitPict twitpic.com/7v6u20

5. How can Donald have less than 180,000 followers on Twitter? How indeed? Tiger Woods is the king with 1.5 million tweeps, followed by Poulter with 1.2 million. Call it Merry Christmas mental lint.

6. All Q-18 can say about fellow Texan Dan Jenkins making the World Golf Hall of Fame is... about time. Favorite line of the press conference came after a litany of Jenkins' career honors. He didn't miss a beat. "You left out my cure for polio," Jenkins quipped.

7. Just Q-18's opinion, of course, but May's WGHOF induction ceremony will be well worth the price of a ticket. Jenkins and Peter Alliss alone ensure an entertaining night. Then add in Phil Mickelson, who is tremendous when he's going off-the-cuff, and Sandy Lyle's dry wit. If you can't go, might want to tune in.

8. Gotta think Fred Couples and Colin Montgomerie are odds-on favorites to top the 2013 WGHOF class. Monty because of his Order-of-Merit dominance and Ryder Cup presence; Fred because of that Velcro shot at the Masters, two PLAYERS titles, his Presidents Cup presence as a player and captain and his cool factor. He's one player who doesn't need the "benchmark" 20 wins. Just saying.

9. And, as long as we're talking Fred, count Tiger Woods among those who think Couples should be considered to captain a Ryder Cup. "I've heard people question whether Fred would be a good Ryder Cup captain, and I just don't get it. I think that Fred is a great captain. Whether it's The Presidents Cup or the Ryder Cup, it doesn't matter. The way he keeps us loose and how much fun we have -- it's just great to play for him. He's a lot more competitive than people realize. He just doesn't show it. He shows it with us around, but the public doesn't see it."

10. He led the British Open after Round 1. He won his third start as a pro. Like there was a question whether Tom Lewis would win Europe's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. Love this though. After it was official, Lewis said. " I think my dad is more excited about me winning this award than my first tour victory in October." Ah, parents.

11. She may well be poised to change the face of women's golf, but let's slow down just a tad. Yes, Lexi Thompson's four-shot win at the Dubai Ladies Masters got everyone talking. So did her five-shot win at the Navistar LPGA in September. So does her big, bold game. And she hasn't even teed it up as a full-time LPGA member yet. Lexi turns 17 in February and has set herself up as potential -- one of only a few -- rival to Yani Tseng, but can we just let if unfold? Don't expect, just watch and enjoy.

12. A number that may surprise you -- then again -- only two American LPGA players won tournaments this year. Lexi wasn't an LPGA member when she won, so the honors go to Stacy Lewis and Brittany Lincicome.

13. Just in from Business Report: The Belfry is up for sale. The property, which is weighed down with 105 million pounds of debts -- was put on the market by lenders Bank of Ireland, Barclays and Certus. Reports indicate a Malaysian investor has 90 million pounds.

14. It's all still a bit magical to Graeme McDowell. Even a year after his U.S. Open win and monster 2010 season. He told Irish Golf Desk, "When people call me a major champion it's still pinch yourself stuff. It's very tough to fathom what you have achieved. I guess that's a good thing because you want to stay motivated and you want to drive yourself and have that desire to achieve more of that. At some point in my life I'm sure I'll kick the feet up and sip on a nice glass of red wine and reflect on what's been a fun career but hopefully I'll add a few more chapters between now and then."

15. Crying in golf? You bet. The latest to admit a few tears is U.S. Open champ Rory McIlroy, who was all smiles at Congressional. But the morning after the Masters collapse? "I didn't cry until I spoke to Mum and Dad on the phone the next morning," he said. "It all came out, there and then for the only time. I can't remember if it was something they said. 'It'll be OK,' my Dad told me. 'No, it won't be OK,' I said. 'It'll never be OK'." And , McIlroy said, father did know best. "It's one of those things. At the time you feel like that's the only chance you'll get and you've blown it. You have so many thoughts and emotions going through your head. Then, after a couple of weeks, you realize you're only 21 and it won't be your only chance. And you're ready to go again."

16. The Herald Sun came up with a list of outlandish media reports from North Korea during the reign of the late Kim Jong-il. And, yes, one was about golf. According to the report, in 1994, Pyongyang media reported that Kim Jong-il shot an amazing 11 holes-in-one to shoot 38-under in 18 holes. And that was on his first try at the game. Reports said all 17 bodyguards verified the feat. Another report said his birth was heralded by a swallow and caused winter to change to spring, a star to illuminate the sky and rainbows to spontaneously appear. Alrighty, then.

17. One last Golfer-in-Chief note: No, not the current one. It would seem that Dwight D. Eisenhower holds the unofficial presidential record for rounds while in the White House. According to several sources, Ike played slightly about 800 rounds in two terms. Other mental lint? He carried about a 14-16 handicap, he played nine at Burning Tree after one State of the Union address and Augusta personnel could access his cabin via a drive below it (thank you Secret Service).

18. And finally we leave you with 2012's first odd couple -- Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller. Yes, Golf Channel is pairing the two outspoken analysts together for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Be warned. A decade ago, when Faldo, then working for British telly, popped into the 2002 Ryder Cup coverage in cameos, it was... entertaining. At one point, Miller had noted players appreciated his thoughts on how they handle pressure. Faldo's response to Miller? Something about how players would like it if "we could just dangle you out of the window." Miller said the pairing should be "great repartee." Q-18's take? This should be interesting.

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.