- J.B. Holmes was already in the midst of an amazing story this season, coming back from back and shoulder injuries, not to mention brain surgery in 2011, to fulfill the terms of his medical exemption. His victory at Quail Hollow was the perfect stamp on his comeback. There isn't a Comeback Player Of The Year award anymore (probably because Steve Stricker retired the trophy), but if there was, J.B. Holmes would have it locked up this season.
- Holmes and Bubba Watson have proven this season that the long ball is back. In the early part of the 2000's, the long hitters were at a distinct advantage, but courses changed in the later years to make precision key. This year, it looks like length is king once again, but don't let that fool you - you still need a great short game to compete. What Holmes and Watson both possess now is touch around the greens and confidence in the putting stroke.
- Could J.B. Holmes make the Ryder Cup team? It seems like a long shot, but a few more top finishes could make him a very intriguing pick for Captain Tom Watson. Holmes did play in the only victorious Ryder Cup in recent memory - 2008, when Holmes recorded 2 and a half points to help push the US to victory. With several other Ryder Cup veterans on the outside looking in right now, Holmes would need to have a couple of strong finishes in majors in order to make the case, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility.
- I'm starting to wonder if Phil Mickelson put too much pressure on himself regarding the US Open this year. Nobody that great just forgets how to compete. Saturday's round reminded us of the skills he possesses. If I had to guess, I would say that Lefty circled Pinehurst from the moment the 2013 season ended, and he realizes that this may be his last best chance to win the one major missing from his resume.
- Two men likely to make the European Ryder Cup team, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, are rounding into form at the perfect time. Rory appears to be one good round away from being a serious contender, and Rose just needs to avoid a very simple mistake in order to start hoisting trophies again. The players for Team Europe have been pretty quiet thus far this season, so they could really use stalwarts like McIlroy and Rose to start kicking it into gear.
- Going into this season, I felt like we've seen the last of Jim Furyk as someone who can win golf tournaments. He almost made me look like a fool with that final round 63 that was almost good enough for a playoff. Furyk always struck me as someone who should have won more time then he actually did in his career. It's a shame that that's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of someone who won 16 times, including a major and the FedEx Cup. Furyk's game has improved the past several of tournaments, however, so he may still prove me wrong yet.
- Brendon de Jonge shot an 80 in the first round. He went on to score a top 10 finish. Just think about that for a second.
- I knew it was just a matter of time before Stacy Lewis' frustration caused her to crush a field and take home another victory - I just didn't think it would have been this quickly. It is rather amazing that we've spent the last several weeks talking about players like Lexi Thompson and Lydia Ko and how they were going to take over the Tour, and yet Lewis was the one leading the money list. 2014 has been a great year for Americans on Tour, but remember that Lewis is still queen of them all until someone takes her throne. She doesn't seem too keen on letting it go, either.
- When Michelle Wie got within two of Lewis' lead, the first thought in my mind was "here we go again". Her charge was reminiscent of the charge she made in Hawaii to take down Angela Stanford, and I thought she was going to be able to do the same this week, as well. Two closing bogies, coupled with Lewis' brilliant second nine, put away any chances of that happening, but Wie was able to notch her 4th consecutive top 10, and 6th overall this season, which places her second in the Race For The CME Globe standing, right behind Lewis.
- The cream rises to the top on the LPGA Tour. If you're great, you'll find yourself in contention, or at the very least in the top 10 at the end of the week. Lexi Thompson didn't have the best week, but she was able to gut out solid weekend to finish T6 in her first tournament since her victory at the Kraft Nabisco. Suzann Pettersen also notched a top 10, though I'm sure she would have rather had better considering she was in the second to last group on Sunday. Still, considering her recent play, as well as the fact that she missed time due to injury, she should be happy to know she's at least headed in the right direction.
- Big props go to Christina Kim, who was in contention all week and ended up tied for 6th. Every golfer goes through peaks and valleys in the sport, but Kim's valleys were far lower than many others, as she had to battle depression issues, as well as losing priority status on Tour over the past several years. Kim is a fiery personality, and one that is incredibly polarizing, but you can't help but be happy for her as she continues to climb back up.
- Speaking of climbing back up, it's great to see Na Yeon Choi back on the front page of the leaderboard. It seems like it's been ages since I've been talking about NYC in a positive light. She's always been one of my favorite players, so I hope this isn't a coincidence and I'll be writing about her again really soon. I'm sure all Korean golf fans are hoping for the same thing, considering has uncharacteristically bad (by comparison) their stars have played this season.
- I would like to see how Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples would perform on Tour if they played their regularly. It was Langer and Couples battling again this week on the Champions Tour, this time with Langer walking away the victor, but with Couples taking over the number one position in the Charles Schwab Cup points. With Langer's top 10 finish at the Masters and Couples being in contention until Sunday, I wonder if where they would end up on the FedEx list. I might be overstating their performances - one week at a course they play every year and three rounds a week against older golfers is far different than playing each week against people driving it 350 yards. It's just a curiosity I have.
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