Quick 18: Travelers, Tiger's chances, Johnson's return

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Chris Condon/PGA TOUR

Dustin Johnson makes his first start since his final-round 82 in the U.S. Open.

Editor's note: PGATOUR.COM's Melanie Hauser shakes out the mental lint and pulls together the "Quick 18" on Mondays.

1. While everyone was still talking about that wicked kick off the cart path and 396-yard drive, soon-to-be Travelers Championship winner Bubba Watson was tweeting on his way to the playoff: "Everyone it's go time again!!"

2. All you need to know about Bubba off the course? He's funny and seriously comfortable with who he is. "I'm a very emotional guy,'' he said. "I cry all the time. When I go to church on Sundays, I'm crying. I couldn't get the "yes" or the "I do" out on my wedding day. And the pastor said, 'You gotta say it. You can't just nod.'''

3. Long road. Former U.S. Open champ Michael Campbell, who has fallen to 769th in the world and hasn't made a cut since last October, is one of 288 players teeing it up for 12 spots in the final 36-hole Open Championship qualifier in the U.K. In 1995 Campbell led going into the final round, then finished one shot out of the John Daly-Costantino Rocca playoff -- in just his second major. He tied for fifth at the Old Course in 2005.

4. Still talking Pebble Beach? Quick 18 thought you'd like to know that Graeme McDowell admitted he and caddie Kenny Comboy were grinding. And counting down. "When I was walking up 13, I said to my caddie Kenny, 'Is it bad counting down the holes now because I want this to be over?' '' McDowell said. "And he said, 'I've been doing the same thing for the last nine holes.'

"You dream of being in that position but when you're in that position, it's scary and you want it to be over.''

5. And when it was? The swirl had only begun for McDowell. He went on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," shot a cameo for "Entourage" and told "The Billy Bush Show" he was a fan of Scarlett Johansson, U-2 and Snow Patrol. And, oh, AC/DC was the theme Open week. As for the Entourage shoot? "To hang out on the set with (series creator) Doug Ellin and the cast of 'Entourage' was a really special experience. I've always been a big fan of the show, so much so, that I even call my own agent (Conor Ridge) Ari." He added he's hoping to play a round or two with some of the cast.

Woods

6. No surprise here. Labrokes has Tiger Woods at 3/1 to win the Open Championship. Considering his two wins at St. Andrews.... Um, no brainer. Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood are next up at 14./1 followed by Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy at 16/1.

7. Count Els, who played with Tiger the first two rounds at Pebble, as one of those who thinks the world No. 1 is close. "I think he's very close. I think his ball-striking was pretty good. His short game is pretty sharp. He just didn't make enough putts. He's skimming the hole, (but) nothing looks out of the ordinary. He looks pretty sharp. I think it's only a matter of time."

8. Like everyone else, Quick 18 was looking forward to seeing Seve Ballesteros at St. Andrews. It wouldn't have mattered if he hit a shot or not. Just seeing the man, who in his prime, was the essence of passion on the course, one more time would have been enough. But doctors monitoring his battle with brain cancer deemed the trip too stressful. Quick 18 sends thoughts and prayers his way.

9. Lots of eyes on Tiger and Dustin Johnson this week at the AT&T National at Aronimink. It's their first event since both stumbled in the final round of the U.S. Open. But something else to watch? The mini-money list battle (combined earnings from THE PLAYERS, Memorial, U.S. Open, St. Jude Classic presented by Smith and Nephew, Travelers Championship and AT&T National) for the two final spots in the Open Championship. People were handing a spot to Justin Rose entering Sunday's final round, now he's still fighting for it. He tops the list that includes Bubba, Rickie Fowler and Davis Love III. Bubba is the only one not playing this week.

10 . Two things you may not know about Aronimink: First, the course was named after a chief of the Lenape Indian tribe. Second, the course withdrew from plans to host the 1993 PGA Championship because there were no African-American members and, although there was a minority applicant on the waiting list, the club did not feel it was fair to the other people on the list to jump that person to the top of the list simply to comply. The club now meets all minority requirements.

11. Knickers in a twist? It would seem both Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo are working on it. Captain Monty said he was going to reach out to his predecessor, Sir Nick, to talk Ryder Cup, but it hasn't happened. So Faldo is speaking out.

"I didn't want just to make my views known to him through the media," Faldo said after missing the cut at the BMW International Open. "So I wrote to Monty three weeks ago suggesting we meet up for a chat, but I have not had a reply. I don't think I need say any more than that. It says it all." Monty's retort? "I think Nick missed out here so I don't know what he is doing."

12. Bloody Monty? Kinda. In an effort to recover more quickly from a calf muscle tear that might keep him from playing at St. Andrews, Monty had an injection of young cow blood into his muscle while he was in Germany. "Apparently, the protein in it is a great healer," Montgomerie said. "So now I am not shouting 'Fore!' on the golf course anymore, I am shouting 'Moo!'" Not to worry. Quick 18 didn't chuckle, either.

13. Did you know there is an official Ryder Cup song? "On This Celtic Morning" was written to celebrate the event by Martyn Joseph. In addition to his musical talents, Joseph holds the record as the youngest ever club champion at Glamorganshire Golf Club -- one of the oldest courses in Wales. Of course, Quick 18 has the url so you can listen to Joseph perform it:

14. One more Ryder Cup factoid: The youngest player to compete was Spain's Sergio Garcia, at 19 years and 258 days old; the oldest was Ray Floyd (51 years, 20 days).

Feherty

15. CBS analyst/seriously funny man David Feherty is hosting an hour-long "David Feherty's American Journey" on July 3 at 2 p.m. on CBS. The special, which goes through his journey to American citizenship as well as the trip to Baghdad to visit troops that inspired it, includes stories from former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Anthony Kim, top NFL draft pick Sam Bradford and Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley.

16. Cross-training. Times two. First, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps will tee it up in the first annual Mission Hills Star Trophy Pro-Am golf tournament in China Oct. 28-31. Quick 18 hears Hank Haney may give Phelps a few swing tips. Second? Tennis No. 1 Rafael Nadal didn't ask for special favors when he and three friends teed it up at Coombe Hill Golf Club near London. He paid the £130 green fee.

17. Lawn party. The Golfer-in-Chief called in Scott Furlong, the course superintendent at Robert Trent Jones Club, to install and resod a new putting surface for the 1,500 square foot putting green on the East Lawn at The White House. It took Furlong and company four hours to resod, level, mow and roll the surface a few weeks ago. The green was originally put in for Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s and well used by Presidents Kennedy, Clinton, Ford, Reagan and both Bushes.

18. With her runaway win at the LPGA Championship, Cristie Kerr becomes the third player in as many weeks to grab the No. 1 spot in the women's rankings. She's the first American to grab the top spot and only the fifth player ever to hold it since the rankings began in 2006. The others? In order since 2006 -- Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Jiyai Shin and Ai Miyazato.

Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.