By Jason Sobel
ESPN.com
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Super Bowl Sunday was also Dilemma Day for golf fans.

Raise your hand if you had plans to attend a bash for the big game but didn't want to miss any action from The Riv. That left a few unenviable options: Monopolize the big TV and pull others from their beloved pregame programming; elect for voluntary solitary confinement by sitting next to all the winter coats in someone's bedroom; become a social outcast and constantly refresh the leaderboard on your phone; skip the football festivities; or -- gasp! -- fail to keep tabs on the Northern Trust Open altogether.

Instead, Steve Stricker provided a final, previously implausible option: He romped through the field, leaving the afternoon free of any major drama.

Stricker was hotter than your party's oversauced nuclear wings, taking a 6-stroke advantage into the final round and never letting it get closer than 2, which was the final margin in his eighth career PGA Tour victory.

Of course, it was nice of the NFL to hold its kickoff until after the tournament was over. Such flexibility!

When it was all done, Stricker had reached greater heights than the guy who won your annual squares pool. The Weekly 18 begins with the idea that his win symbolizes more than just another triumph by a very good player.

If the golf world wasn't turned completely upside down Nov. 27, when No. 1-ranked Tiger Woods was involved in a single-car accident that set off a string of developments leading to his indefinite leave of absence, then the metamorphosis concluded Sunday with Steve Stricker's victory at the Northern Trust Open and ensuing rise to the top-ranked currently active golfer.

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Chris Condon/Getty ImagesSteve Stricker collected his eighth career victory Sunday at the Northern Trust Open and his fourth in less than a year.

Not that there's anything wrong with Stricker. In fact, everything is quite right with the Wisconsin native, who might now serve in Woods' former role but is very much the antithesis of his friend.

Think about it: Woods was a phenom from the time he could walk; Stricker struggled so much with the game that he nearly quit a few years ago. Woods could barely show his face in public without being besieged by fans even before this scandal; Stricker attended a Los Angeles Lakers game this past week and was recognized by one person. Woods has gone into hiding in recent months; Stricker now is front and center as the face of the game.

At the risk of turning this into a commentary more on Woods than Stricker, with the former out of action, it was believed the sport needed its No. 2 man to step up and take command. Enter Phil Mickelson, right? Well, not exactly. Certainly, the season is still young and there's plenty of time for "Lefty" to make his mark, but in two tournaments, he has shown early flashes of brilliance only to fade like a pushed tee shot on the weekend.

Instead, it's Stricker who has taken early command. Yes, he's the same guy who finished 189th on the PGA Tour money list just seven years ago, then followed with two more consecutive seasons outside the top 150.

He admittedly is boring, a guy who enjoys hunting and still spends his winters in Madison, hitting golf balls out of a heated trailer. All of which makes him the perfect candidate to shine in this post-Woods era, however long it may last.

After all, considering the state of affairs that led to Woods' absence, isn't it OK to root for the boring guy for a while?

"We all know who the best player in the world is," said Stricker, who has finished in the top 10 in all three starts this season. "I'll just continue to do what I do, and that's practice hard and work at it and try to improve."

The contrasting styles of the two Presidents Cup partners don't end with those aforementioned tales. While Woods always played with a never-let-'em-see-you-sweat mentality, Stricker admitted to "playing scared" Sunday, relinquishing 4 strokes to his closest pursuer over the first five holes. He hung on for the victory, but it was a flawed final-round performance, the type only a world-class player can get away with and still come out on top.

Perhaps the most fitting part of Stricker's day was that it happened in conjunction with the Super Bowl, leaving the victory well off the radar screen on the sports landscape. You get the feeling he prefers it that way.

2. Alex Prugh

First things first: His last name is pronounced "PRU." It rhymes with "Who?" -- a question many fans have been asking when noticing his name on so many recent leaderboards. And with "true," as this rookie appears to be the next true talent on the PGA Tour.

Learn it, memorize it, get used to it. For those who were prepared to call the PGA Tour's rookie of the year race a two-man battle between Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler before the year started, Prugh already is making a strong case for his inclusion in any early-season discussions.

After pulling an MDF in his debut as a fully exempt PGA Tour player at the Sony Open, Prugh hit the California swing running. He finished fifth at both the Bob Hope Classic and Farmers Insurance Open, then followed with a T-10 at the Northern Trust Open on Sunday, becoming the only player to pull top-10 results at each of the first three Cali events.

His stats show a propensity for doing everything well; he currently is fourth in the tour's all-around ranking and is in the top half in every major category. A bomber who is averaging more than 294 yards per drive, Prugh has converted that strength into birdies. His par-5 scoring average of 4.36 is best among his peers.

Following a season in which no rookie earned a title and Marc Leishman took ROY honors by scoring as many top-10s as Prugh has by the first week of February, expect the current crop of freshmen to find more success. That might not be surprising, but it will be if Prugh is the one who enjoys more of it than anyone else.

3. Dan Quinn

Not many people are lucky enough to have a really cool career. Quinn is working on his third.

If the name sounds familiar, that's because Quinn played for eight teams during a 14-year NHL career, most notably the Pittsburgh Penguins, for whom he scored a personal-best 40 goals in the 1987-88 season. Upon his retirement in 1997, he quickly started making his mark as one of the most successful competitors on the celebrity golf circuit.

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AP Photo/Lenny IgnelziIn a previous life, Dan Quinn, left, was swinging a stick and notching goals during an NHL career. These days? He's working part-time as Ernie Els' caddy on the PGA Tour.

And now? Much like a modern-day sports-specific version of Forrest Gump, Quinn is working as a part-time caddie for Ernie Els.

The two men met during Els' victorious run at the Honda Classic two years ago and became fast friends, often teeing it up together in Florida while their families bonded off the course. They first discussed working together last summer and finally teamed up for late-season events in Singapore and China, with Els claiming a second-place finish at the latter event.

Those results earned Quinn a part-time spot on the bag this season, as he'll split time with Els' longtime looper Ricci Roberts, who will make his 2010 debut at Doral. With his new man caddying in each of his first three starts, the Big Easy already has a trio of solid results, including a T-12 at the Sony Open, T-5 at the Farmers Insurance Open and T-10 at the Northern Trust Open.

"I'm enjoying the heck out of it," Quinn told me after a rain-soaked second round at Riviera. "I love golf, and it's not like there are other things jumping out there in this economy. It's a great opportunity to get outside, get out of the house and work with a great guy and a great player."

Even though he's on the bag of an experienced three-time major champion, Quinn sees the role as more than simply carrying the bag and offering yardages.

"We get along well enough that for the most part I'm just trying to keep his spirits moving forward and get in the right frame of mind," said Quinn, who will caddie at the Masters and PGA Championship while Roberts takes the other two majors. "If he needs a push, sure, but he's pretty hard on himself, as well. He's impressed me so much, the way he manages his game. He really loves golf and he still has the drive. From that standpoint, it's a treat to be inside the ropes with him."

As for his own game, the former puckster will compete in a handful of celeb events this year, but isn't too optimistic about ever becoming a full-time pay-for-play golfer.

"I'll be 45 in June," he said. "Do I want to play some form of senior golf at some point? I don't know. Being out here with these guys, you realize how good they are. There's a big difference between the people who think they can play and those who actually can play."

One thing is for certain: For as well as Els has played recently, Quinn doesn't want any part of the credit.

"I'll take zero," he said with a laugh. "I'm just trying not to be a 2-stroke penalty every day."

4. Miguel Angel Jimenez

People hang on his every word, even the prepositions. He could disarm you with his looks or his hands -- either way. He can speak French ... in Russian.

Miguel Angel Jimenez is ... The Most Interesting Man In The World!

In case you can't tell, it's been waaay too long since I produced a version of the Live Blog, wherein the Mechanic's propensity toward fine wine and finer cigars has served as motivation for that Dos Equis-inspired nickname.

(True story: One fellow scribe once witnessed Jimenez working on the treadmill at a hotel gym ... only to find him puffing on a cigar outside just a few minutes later.)

Lost among all the interestingness of Jimenez, however, is the fact that he's been perhaps the world's most underrated player for more than a decade. With a playoff victory over Lee Westwood at the Dubai Desert Classic, Jimenez claimed his 16th career European Tour title -- and no, it didn't take long for him to light up a victory cigar.

While he might be best known for his discerning tastes and ponytailed Spafro, the 46-year-old Spaniard also tends to play his best golf when the pressure is on. He made the cut in all four majors a year ago and has cashed a check in 12 of 15 such starts since the 2006 season, including a half-dozen top-20 results.

Though he was playing a higher-ranked and -- let's face it -- more talented competitor in overtime on Sunday, Jimenez appeared to be the cooler customer, holing out from 12 feet on the second extra hole to extend the proceedings, then making a slippery 4-footer to clinch the win.

"Like a good wine, with age, I get better and better," he said after the victory. "I feel comfortable on the golf course -- that is key. I am not 25 or 30. I have just turned 46 but I'm still healthy and still strong. Not like I was when I was 25, but still strong and I can still play the ball. And if I feel happy and can focus, then you can win."

That's pretty interesting.

5. I wish it wasn't such a big deal that Corey Pavin named four assistants to help captain his Ryder Cup team.

I'll admit it: Up until recently -- like a majority of you reading this right now -- I believed that a quartet of assistants served as too many cooks in the kitchen. Maybe three too many, to be precise.

When Pavin announced his cabinet of Davis Love III, Tom Lehman, Jeff Sluman and Paul Goydos on Wednesday, already the mental image was akin to a basketball team with more guys on the bench in ties than uniforms.

Do the math and you'll find that with the captain included, that's one "coach" for every 2.4 team members. (And really, how do you instruct four-tenths of a player anyway?) It's also more than one captain/assistant for every match on the course during the opening four sessions, although Pavin said he envisions sending out one assistant with each twosome as he floats between the matches.

It's especially true when considering that other than pairing players and placing them in a specific order, the role of the captains and assistants is about as important as the position of cheerleader to an NFL team. Actually, the analogy I've most often made in the past is that these men are more like first-base coaches, giving their guys a pat on the butt and a heads up when necessary, but insignificant to the final result.

That changed two years ago, when Paul Azinger divided his dozen men into three "pods" of four players each, utilizing his power within the position to actually affect the overall outcome. Of course, that still doesn't change the reasoning behind having multiple assistants.

So why have I come around to seeing it Pavin's way? The answer is simple, and it has little to do with strategy. The reason he should employ multiple assistants is ... because he can.

Think about it: This is the one time in his life Pavin will be in charge of the Ryder Cup team, without a doubt one of the highlights of his lengthy career. He should share this time with as many friends and confidants as possible, without worrying about whether they will step on each other's toes. If one or two of 'em have little role other than hanging out in the team room and serving as another pair of experienced eyes and ears, so be it.

Sure, it's true that no team ever won one of these competitions because of its third or fourth assistant captain, but the truth is, none ever lost because of one of these men, either. Pavin should enjoy the company of his four buddies and the rest of us shouldn't worry too much about whether their overabundance will disrupt team chemistry.

And hey, there's always another way of looking at things. As one tweeter suggested to me, at least Pavin has four friends in the golf world to lean on. That might be more than can be said for his opposing captain, Colin Montgomerie.

6. I wish I knew when and where Tiger Woods will return.

Because if I knew, I'd tell you. Really. Hey, we're friends, right? And since you're interested in such information, I'd love to provide it. Ah, if it were only that easy ...

The truth is, I don't know when Woods will return to the competitive arena -- and neither does anyone else.

Like many of you, I've kept a keen eye on the recent "reports" that he would make his long-awaited comeback at the upcoming WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship next week. I put that word in quotes because these were less breaking news stories than pure speculation.

Nothing wrong with guessing, of course. In fact, allow me to do it right now: Having already prefaced this by saying that I don't know when Tiger will return, if I had to wager money on such a thing, I'd go with the 2010 Chevron World Challenge. That is Woods' own event in December, where he could control the media, the interview schedule and everything else -- and yes, it would mean he wouldn't play a single round on the PGA Tour this season.

I'm hardly working on any sort of inside knowledge here, but I've got to believe that golf is pretty low on the priority scale for Tiger right now. As a guy who has always reveled in the limelight of competition, he must want to remain as far from it as possible for the time being.

That's just my take. Please don't take it as fact -- or even rumor -- since it's purely a guess.

The problem, however, with the "reports" -- there are those quotes again -- is that they are being treated as fact. That said, I have yet to see anything that qualifies as more than gossip. No sources. No hints. No circumstantial evidence. Nothing to provide further insight into the story other than an unsourced rumor that someone from Camp Woods asked the PGA Tour about potential security for their client at the WGC event. Again, it's all pure speculation.

Don't believe me? Take the word of Tiger's caddie, Steve Williams, who told the New Zealand Herald, "All that I will say is the story circulating out of a Melbourne newspaper has no fabric to it at all."

Not to be outdone, TMZ.com is "reporting" that Woods will return for next month's Tavistock Cup -- a competition between Tiger's Isleworth community and the neighboring subdivision of Lake Nona -- to be followed two weeks later by an appearance at the Masters.

Forgive my apathy on the matter, but maybe that's because this isn't the first time such news has been out there. Prior to the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, the rumormongers were abuzz about Woods' possible return to the site of his 2008 U.S. Open victory. It didn't happen then and I don't think it will happen at the Match Play, either.

But you know what? Just a few weeks later is the WGC-CA Championship, followed by the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then, of course, the Masters. I fully expect some form of this gossip to be "reported" before each and every usual Woods-attended event until the day when his name actually does show up on an entry list.

If I hear anything before then, though, you'll be the first to know.

7. I wish talk-show producers would find a new gimmick for golfers.

PGA Tour players were featured on two popular talk shows this past week, as Anthony Kim met with Jay Leno on Monday and Bubba Watson hung out with Ellen DeGeneres two days later.

Cool stuff in both circumstances. As I wrote a few weeks ago in regard to a handful of pro golfers being featured on "CSI," it is of great benefit for the game to showcase its stars in avenues outside of the golf course.

That doesn't mean show producers can't be a little more creative.

In each instance this week, players were greeted on their respective shows with a mini putt-putt course. You know, that idea was pretty interesting when we first witnessed it in October 1978, as a 2-year-old Tiger Woods rolled in a few putts on "The Mike Douglas Show." In 32 years, they haven't come up with anything better? Really?

That's not to say that each segment wasn't entertaining. It should be noted that AK's first stroke of the season in the U.S. occurred on Leno's set while accompanied by the alluring Jessica Alba. Meanwhile, Bubba contributed to society in a much different way, raising $15,000 for a Haiti relief fund.

Again, it's great that players such as these are getting the chances to immerse themselves within non-golf crowds, but it shouldn't be too much to ask for more creative segments in the future.

8. Lee Westwood

He missed a putt on the final hole at Torrey Pines that would have placed him in a playoff with Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate at the 2008 U.S. Open. He missed another one on the final hole at Turnberry that would have placed him in a playoff with Stewart Cink and Tom Watson at the 2009 Open Championship.

So maybe it shouldn't come as such a surprise that Westwood failed to convert a 5-foot par attempt on the third extra hole against Miguel Angel Jimenez that would have extended the action in Dubai.

Even so, as the fourth-ranked player in the world and the reigning champion of the inaugural Race to Dubai, it remains mystifying that a man of his talents can continually allow such genuine chances to slip from his grasp.

"Any time I'm in contention, that gets me buzzing and excited," Westwood said prior to the final round. "That's why you practice. ... You put the hard work to try to get into contention and win tournaments and prove yourself under pressure."

It's difficult to find much fault with a guy who has finished in the top 10 in 13 of his last 16 appearances, except to recall that his career -- much like the finish in Dubai -- would be so much better if he could prove himself under pressure more often.

9. Rory McIlroy

I'm about to make a corollary that will be wholly unpopular, but stick with it and keep an open mind.

For years, Michelle Wie and everyone else around her -- parents, agents, sponsors, instructors, etc. -- were criticized for the way she was brought into professional golf. The common refrain: Since she skipped much of her junior golf career, Wie never learned how to win.

Now with one LPGA victory and a successful rookie season under her belt, it can be argued that Wie's people knew what was best for her after all. For the sake of this discussion, though, that's not the point. No, what I'd like to prove is that if you believe she never properly learned how to win, then you must feel similarly about young Rory McIlroy, as well.

Whereas Wie turned pro at age 16 and at times competed in PGA Tour events, which raised the ire of the masses, McIlroy took an approach that may have seemed more conventional in theory, but really wasn't all that different. After a sterling amateur career (during which he won more often than Wie), he went professional at age 18 -- not an uncommon practice for top international players.

Now you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks McIlroy made a poor decision -- and for good reason. He is ranked within the top 10 in the world and appears to be a future star in the making. Perhaps my favorite description of young Rory's game came from Ian Poulter last year, who said, "He hits it high, he hits it long, he putts well, and he's got a good head on his shoulders." The game sounds pretty easy when you break it down like that, doesn't it?

With a pair of strong finishes in his first two Euro Tour starts this season -- third in Abu Dhabi and T-6 in Dubai this past week -- McIlroy's star continues to soar. Still, the question remains: Has he properly learned how to win?

Despite certainly winning more often than Wie as an amateur and for all of his early success, McIlroy owns just one victory in 58 appearances on the European Tour since turning pro. That came at last year's Dubai Desert Classic, when he led by 5 on the final nine holes, but needed to scramble for par on the last in order to hang onto a single-stroke advantage.

Don't get me wrong: If someone was selling stock in the kid from Holywood, I'm buying. With an eye-popping 15 top-5s already in those 58 starts, he not only has a bright future, but a pretty impressive present, too.

While these solid finishes have been looked at with a glass half-full mentality, it should be noted that he has hardly proven he can win on the grand stage. Those who criticized Wie for similar shortcomings should also take a long look at McIlroy's results.

10. Ping Eye2 controversy

Ever get a song stuck in your head and you just can't get it out? That happened to me this past week, only it was a whole bunch of songs, not just one.

It started with the classic "Feelin' Groovy" (Simon and Garfunkel). Then switched to a couple of benign oldies, "Groovin'" (Young Rascals) and "Shake Your Groove Thing" (Peaches and Herb). From there, it meandered into a few unbearably lame ones, "Into the Groove" (Madonna) and "Groove is in the Heart" (Deee-Lite) and "A Groovy Kind of Love" (the Phil Collins version). Then it just got weird, as I kept humming some I didn't even know that well, "Groove On" (Timati/Snoop) and "The Groove" (Muse). And finally, there were a couple of personal faves, "Weekapaug Groove" (Phish) and "New York Groove" (KISS).

My conclusion? I think I've been working too much lately.

The grooves rule was front and center recently -- and it had nothing to do with too many songs of similar titles.

This was an intriguing topic when three players first used the 20-year-old wedges at the Sony Open. It became downright juicy two weeks later, when Phil Mickelson used one of these clubs at Torrey Pines and was accused of "cheating" -- but not being a "cheater," of course -- by Scott McCarron.

Now, though, the dust has settled. Mickelson, having made his point by bringing the issue to the forefront, removed the club from his bag at Riviera at this week's Northern Trust Open. McCarron apologized to him for those prior comments. Even Ping chairman and CEO John Solheim has agreed to discuss the situation with PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem in hopes of finding a solution.

What does it all mean? It's time to hit the snooze button on this one.

Let's face it: For 99 percent of the general public, the meat of this controversy began and ended with Mickelson using one of these wedges and being called out by a fellow competitor. Since then, it's devolved into something so technical -- and rightly so -- that you'd have to be both an attorney specializing in policy and a clubmaker to grasp all the details surrounding this controversy.

And really, it's not even much of a factor right now. As Finchem stated prior to the Northern Trust Open, of the 218 players to compete in any of the first four events of the season, only five employed the Ping clubs in question. And of the 132 players at Riviera, just two -- Hunter Mahan and Fred Couples -- went that route.

A compromise will be reached sometime in the future, whether that's one month from now, three months or not until the end of the year. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later. Wake me up when it becomes official.

"I'd obviously like to play well this year and at least have a shot. I think the closest I've gotten is probably 112th on the points list. But hey, you never know."
-- U.S. Ryder Cup assistant captain Paul Goydos, on his chances of qualifying for this year's team as a player.

Goydos

I'm sure I speak for my golf writing brethren when I ask: Can we petition to ensure Goydos serves as the official team spokesman during this year's competition?

If you're unfamiliar with the wit and wisdom of the man ironically nicknamed Sunshine for his dour disposition, you've been missing out. Goydos is the best quote in the game today. Considering his main competition might come from the man captaining the European team, an interview room that includes both Monty and Goydos could be downright entertaining all week.

In fact, it's already started. When named to the assistant position by Corey Pavin on Tuesday, Goydos provided a few other gems, too.

On last year's Presidents Cup assistant: "All due respect, I don't get the Michael Jordan thing. I don't get it. He's a nice guy, but I don't know what he has to do with golf other than he's tall."

On his Ryder Cup experience: "I have as much as Michael Jordan."

On being named to the position: "It came down to me and Brett Favre."

Forget the pairings and the wardrobes and everything else. If Pavin wants to get things started off on the right foot, he'll let Goydos do plenty of the talking.

Jason Sobel is a golf writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com.