Sips of Maginnes: Children taking seats at the adult table

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Rory McIlroy shot 66-62 over the weekend after barely making the cut to win at Quail Hollow.

If you are over the age of 30 and playing professional golf you probably had a tough weekend. Neither geography nor gender could shelter you from the invasion of youth that seemed to serve notice from the shores of all seven seas.

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From the Japanese Tour where 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa shot 58 to Charlotte where Rory McIlroy shot 62 two days shy of his 21st birthday, children made a convincing argument for seats at the adult table.

But the trend didn't stop with these two rising stars. The oldest winner on any of the major world Tours this weekend was Alvaro Quiros in Europe who might need a walker by comparison at the ripe old age of 27. Ai Miyazato and Nationwide Tour winner Martin Piller will both be 25 later this year.

* The only time that Rory looked even remotely uncomfortable on Sunday was when fellow countrymen David Feherty asked him about the upcoming birthday celebration. Rory did everything he could to show respect to the culture and the laws that preclude him from his celebratory champagne but he wasn't fooling anyone -- and neither was Feherty. Rory's victory was one that has an entire country celebrating, and will for a long time. We have been hyping this kid for a long time but it's not hype anymore. Now it's true, all of it. Don't be surprised if he cures cancer and walks on Mars before he's 25.

* On Saturday afternoon after leaving the flag in to putt on No. 18 from the back of the green Phil Mickelson had some rather harsh words to share about Quail Hollow. Phil claimed that because of the ridge that slides in off the bunker that there was no way that he could hit his putt at the hole so he had Bones leave the flag in -- risking a two shot penalty if he somehow hit the pin. He didn't. He two-putted and started the final round a couple of shots back.

After the round Phil said he left the flag in to, "help with depth perception." He went on to say, that the 18th "would be the worst green on the PGA TOUR but it's not even the worst on the golf course, the 12th is." Leave it to Phil to be the first player since the tournament's inception in 2003 to complain about Quail Hollow. Ironically enough, on the 12th on Sunday Phil had a 5-footer for birdie that would have pulled him closer to the lead but he couldn't convert.

* Little is talked about the theater that the back nine creates around the pond at Quail Hollow. On Sunday everyone in the last five groups was aware of what Rory was doing not only because they could hear the galleries but because for most of the time they could see him. Phil was down on the 17th green when Rory made his final putt, a bomb on the 18th green that enabled him to break the course record by two. While the thousands of fans rose to their feet to cheer on the 20-year-old Phil watched the whole thing from nearly 500 yards away.

* How good was the 62 that Rory shot on Sunday? On Sunday three players failed to break 80. Another 13 players shot 76 or higher while only a dozen players broke 70. His was the low round by four shots. His 66 on Saturday was also the low round on Saturday. His 16-under-par total over the weekend was the best final 36 by an amazing eight shots.

* The toughest closing stretch in the game is that final stretch of Nos. 16, 17 and 18. In the tournament's history no player in any round has ever birdied all three holes. Rory eagled No. 15 and birdied Nos. 16 and 18 to play the final four holes 4 under but that is as close as anyone has ever come. The most intimidating shot on the golf course is the tee shot at the par-3 17th with water in front that extends down the left-hand side of the green. The toughest drive on the golf course is the tee shot on No. 18 with the babbling brook that reaches down the from the green to border the left side of the landing area. There is a bunker on the right that swallows any ball played away from the water.

* Rory McIlroy wasn't the only player who made the cut on the number and took advantage of the opportunity. Matt Jones and Scott McCarron both made the cut on the number and battled their way back into the top 10. Both Jones and McCarron bogeyed their last holes on Friday to slip to the number while McIlroy was 3 over with three to play Friday afternoon. He made eagle at No. 7 and parred Nos. 8 and 9 to land on the number.

* All weekend very smart people were trying to figure out what Phil would have to do to become the No. 1 player in the world. Once Tiger had missed just the sixth cut of his career the question became about whether or not that would make a difference. The truth is that no one at Quail Hollow knew the truth. The closest anyone could get to the answer was to speculate that if Phil had a first and a second at Quail Hollow and THE PLAYERS he should take over the top spot. This week the computer geeks will have crunched the numbers, formulated the algorithmic equations, counted the beans and tell us what has to happen and then we will know. There isn't a single player on the PGA TOUR smart enough to understand the world rankings, but they all know that if you play better you will move up.

* Joe Ogilvie may well be the smartest guy on the PGA TOUR but he doesn't want that distinction for long. Joe, who is 36 this year, has a plan to step away from the game at the age of 42 to concentrate his efforts on the private equity firm he works with in New York. While most guys want to make enough money to play golf when they want and fish the rest of the time Joe wants to build an empire. Joe does leave his options open about his post retirement career. About the time of his retirement there will likely be a vacancy that he is eager to fill and Joe makes no bones about it. Can you say Commissioner Ogilvie? He certainly can.