2 Sean O'Hair. He doesn't have a major victory like Trevor Immelman. He isn't beloved by fans and media like Anthony Kim or Camilo Villegas. He's not ranked as highly as Justin Rose or Andres Romero.

For all the fanfare being foisted, fairly or not, on the world's most talented 20-somethings these days, O'Hair's name sometimes falls through the cracks. But it's time to stop overlooking the winner of two PGA Tour events. He showed as much this week, finishing alone in fourth place at the Mercedes, thanks to a sublime bogey-free final-round 65 -- perhaps a sign of even bigger things to come this season.

Just 26, O'Hair may be poised for a breakthrough year that could include a major championship contention, a few victories and a spot on the United States' Presidents Cup roster. He's certainly starting off on the right foot.

"Coming into this week, I felt very good about my game and where I'm headed," said O'Hair, who had three top-three results last season, including his victory at the erstwhile PODS Championship. "I think this is proof that I'm headed in the right direction and I just have to feed it into next week. ... You know, I feel like I'm working on the right things with my coach, and I feel like I'm a little bit smarter and a little more seasoned."

3 Parker McLachlin A T-24 result at Kapalua -- where he previously had helped out tourney organizers by competing in the pro-am without being qualified for the main event -- wasn't enough to put McLachlin on the "Three Up" ledger, but his Mercedes-Benz Championship debut isn't the reason he's listed here.

This week the reigning Reno-Tahoe Open champ returns to his home course of Waialae CC, where he caddied during his formative years. If you're seeking a sleeper selection (not to mention a sentimental one), you could do a lot worse than McLachlin, who finished T-10 there a year ago. That's probably good enough to make this list on its own, but as Billy Mays or Vince from the Shamwow ads might crow, "But wait! There's more!"

McLachlin recently played pickup hoops with Barack Obama during the president-elect's trip to the Aloha State. How'd it happen? He simply contacted Obama's high school basketball coach at the Punahou School ... who also happens to be McLachlin's father, Chris.

And then there's this: During the six events that McLachlin plays on the PGA Tour's West Coast swing, he will donate $50 for every birdie to the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association, with Waikoloa Beach Resort matching that donation.

In case you're wondering, McLachlin ranked 130th on Tour with 3.26 birdies per round in 2008. (He posted 17 birdies at Kapalua.) At that pace, if McLachlin makes every cut he would donate $4,100, with that total matched by Waikoloa. Additional contributions can be made at www.hsjga.org.

4 FBR Open's 16th hole

It has long been the scene of the wildest party on the PGA Tour, but the par-3 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale is about to get even bigger. It was announced this week that with the addition of 3,000 bleacher seats behind and to the right of the green, No. 16 will become the first "stadium golf hole" on the PGA Tour.

I know some golf purists who acknowledged this news with a hearty harrumph as their briefs became even more constricting -- and I'll allow that this idea wouldn't work at every Tour venue -- but let's loosen up and have some fun, people.

I know getting drunk, yelling obscenities (especially during a player's backswing) and hurling unidentified flying objects onto the field of play aren't becoming in a sport that traditionally offers benign, reserved galleries. But in this situation, the positives far outweigh the negatives. At a time when any non-Tiger tourney needs as many fans as it can get, the FBR is playing its biggest drawing card by offering seating at its most famous hole for up to 20,000 fans at any given time.

Hope they have room for 20,001. Yours truly will be on location in three weeks for a special non-major edition of the Live Blog. Just try to refrain from hurling those objects in my direction.

5 Adam Scott. Unlike a team-sport athlete, professional golfers aren't restricted in their off-course activities by any sort of contract clauses. It's one of the best perks of the job, really. Players do whatever they want whenever they want, and answer to no one. Because of that, I would never begrudge a golfer for having interests outside of the professional arena. Davis Love III rides motorcycles, Tiger Woods scuba dives, Sergio Garcia plays soccer.

And they're not alone; you won't find a guy on Tour who lacks other athletic interests. More power to 'em. If an injury happens during one of these activities -- Chris DiMarco's fall while skiing a few years ago is just one of many that come to mind -- they have only themselves to blame and no one to whom they must apologize.

That said, I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around Adam Scott's continued fervor for other athletic endeavors. He was recently forced to withdraw from the Australian Open after injuring his knee while running from the water onto the shore of a beach. The injury was a dislocated kneecap, which Scott said first happened when he was in high school and he has since endured on five more occasions. Entering the Mercedes-Benz Championship, he said the knee was "90 percent" and that walking the hilly Plantation Course would be difficult, though he didn't expect it to impact his swing.

The reason Scott finds himself in "Three Down" isn't due to his T-18 result, which is certainly forgivable considering the injury. He's on this list because it appears he hasn't learned -- or doesn't want to learn -- from past history, as he continues to find extracurricular activities that could inhibit his success on the course.

"Surfing is something I love to do, and I'm not surfing at the moment until probably ... after Augusta, to be honest, is what David, my trainer, would like me to do," Scott said prior to the start of the tournament. "But we'll get my knee back to 100 percent before I think about doing any surfing again."

That doesn't mean he's cutting other activities from his schedule, though.

"Skiing, I definitely fall, and my legs are strapped to a ski, they can twist so easily. And the same with tennis, just violent movement, changing directions."

Being a professional golfer gives these guys the freedom to explore other interests, but I worry that if Scott keeps playing other recreational sports and risking injury, he could rob himself of what has the potential to be a fantastic career.

Another hobby of Scott's is far less threatening -- he enjoys biographies. I once asked him how his will read in 25 to 30 years.

"It'll mention golf, absolutely," he said. "But I hope there's more to my life than just golf."

Let's just hope there's not so much more that it detracts from his long-term professional goals.

6 Anthony Kim. If this list were based solely on golf, Kim wouldn't be a candidate. In fact, the kid is so good he may not find himself "down" for a very long time, a T-2 result at the Mercedes being the latest evidence.

Alas, golfers sometimes are judged on more than just their games and, as such, I offer a quote from young AK this week: "I'm not a huge golf fan, so I don't know all the stats. I really thought [Tiger Woods] had won about eight majors, and he told me he won 14. I didn't know that."

Now, I'll be the first to admit that it's not a golfer's job to know the career records of his peers. But dude ... eight?! I'm not sure whether we should take that guess as humorous for its naïveté or shocking for its huge inaccuracy. For the record, Woods' eighth major title came at the 2002 U.S. Open -- just days before Kim's 17th birthday.

Oh, and for those conspiracy theorists who think Kim may have just been using this as subtle off-the-course trash talk toward Woods? Don't go there. Both Nike and IMG clients, the two players have forged a strong bond, especially since Kim won Woods' AT&T National tournament last year.

7 Europe. The struggles continue for the team representing the birthplace of golf. On the heels of its Ryder Cup loss in September, the European side fell to far-less-heralded Asia in the similar Royal Trophy this weekend.

Actually, "fell" doesn't accurately define the loss. It was a thumping. Behind the captaincy of Jose Maria Olazabal, who was substituting for still-recovering Seve Ballesteros, Europe lost 10-6, though in effect the event already was over as Europe trailed 6½-1½ entering Sunday's singles matches.

Granted, this wasn't exactly the same squad that was vanquished at Valhalla. The eight-man team consisted of only two members of that group, as Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson were joined by Paul Lawrie, Nick Dougherty, Pablo Larrazabal, Johan Edfors, Niclas Fasth and Paul McGinley. Even so, the team's first loss in three editions of this event won't spur much continental pride.

"My last words are for Seve," Olazabal said afterward. "He is recovering from some health issues, but even though I'm the captain this year, I might not be the captain next year -- and I can assure you he is going to be tougher than I was."

The biggest stories entering this year's Masters are likely to be Tiger Woods' ongoing comeback from injury, Padraig Harrington's quest for a third straight major victory in pursuit of the Paddy Slam, and Greg Norman's homecoming to his personal house of heartache. Lost among those headlines likely will be the story of the guy who returns to Augusta National wearing the green jacket. But don't dismiss Trevor Immelman as a one-hit wonder.

I spoke with the reigning Masters champion, via webcam prior to Kapalua, about everything from the Champions Dinner to his goals for this season. After the Q&A, I'll get into the real reason for the chat, as Immelman was discussing the new Nike technology that helped him to that victory and will be available to consumers on April 1.

Q: What's the best perk of being a Masters champion?
A: There are a lot of good things; you're making me think now. I tell you what, it's been fantastic to have that green jacket in my house for the last six months or so. Obviously, that jacket is going to have to be hanging up from this year's tournament onward, but that's been awesome. And just to understand that you're part of the history of such a great event. I've always paid such special attention to the history of sports and major champions and Olympic winners and Grand Slam winners and stuff like that. For me to know that I'm a part of that has really been something special for me and something that I'll cherish forever.

Q: Tell me the truth: How often do you throw on the green jacket and just stand in front of the mirror for a few minutes?
A: You know, not as often as I thought I would. When it does come out of the closet, it's worn with a lot of pride. I must say, everybody who's come over to the house -- we've had a lot of pictures with people who have tried it on -- it's amazing how a jacket can be a symbol of such great things and how this green jacket is so incredibly perceived around the world. When I went over to Japan and China and wore it, people are in absolute awe of this green jacket. It really has such a great history behind it and it's such a well-known trophy, if you will. Its impact is incredible.

Q: Trivia question for you: Only three players have ever repeated at Augusta. Who are they?
A: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo.

Q: You got it. That'd be pretty nice company, wouldn't it?
A: It would be great company. I mean, winning it once was the highlight of my career, so winning it twice would be absolutely incredible. Obviously, as usual, I'm going to be putting a lot of work into trying to make sure I'm physically and mentally ready for the event. At that point, once you've done all the work, you just have to go out and play. What will be, will be. Hopefully, it will be a good one.

Q: Any idea what's on the menu for the Champions Dinner yet?
A: I'm getting on that. It's going to have a South African feel to it. We're going to have a couple of nice dishes that are well-known in South Africa, but I'm not going to make it too exotic. I want to make sure that all the other past champions are really going to enjoy it and have a great night.

Q: Other than a playoff loss in Memphis last year, you struggled after winning the Masters. What happened?
A: You know, I don't think it was so much my game. Mentally, I think I was having a hard time coming to grips with what I had just achieved. I think it took me a long while to digest the fact that I had completed a lifelong goal, and I think it took me a while to get my mind back on track to setting myself some goals and figuring out exactly what I would like to do after winning the Masters. It had such an incredible impact on me that it just took some time for me to get used to it. And as you said, I had a good week there in Memphis, lost in a playoff, then I just didn't play quite as well for a few months. But I felt like my game really started improving in the playoffs. I had a nice, strong finish there, and then in Japan, and I had a decent week a few weeks ago in South Africa. So I do feel like my game is back to where I want it, and I'm really looking forward to this season because I feel like I learned so much about myself after winning the Masters, from a mental standpoint and an emotional standpoint. I'm really looking forward to putting all that good experience to work this year.

Q: What should we expect from you? Do you have any specific goals this season?
A: Yeah, I have lofty goals. I think that's important. I think you always have to have something to strive for. I've always been a hard worker, so this makes me go out there and work with even more passion. I've set some nice goals for myself. I'm not going to go run around town and tell everybody exactly what I'd like to achieve, but one thing I did prove to myself last year is that when I play my best golf, I have the ability to compete with anybody out there. So I have a kind of confidence. I think the goal, for me, is just to try to find a way to do it a bit more often. I just seem to be able to find it every year to 18 months right now, and I'd like to narrow that gap. So I think that's the goal for me, is to just be able to get myself in the hunt more regularly and hopefully close a few victories out from there.

In looking back, I think Immelman may have been the least ballyhooed Masters champ of the past few decades; at least Zach Johnson had the whole "normal guy from Iowa" angle going for him. But don't overlook the 29-year-old South African. I expect big things this season -- maybe not Masters big, but big nonetheless.

The main purpose of our conversation, though, was to discuss the Nike SQ DYMO STR-8-Fit driver technology that Immelman credits for helping him win at Augusta. You can find out more on the company's Web site, but in layman's terms the technology offers eight different head positions on one club, one shaft, one head.

"It has a fitting on the shaft and you're going to be able to change the setting on your driver in eight different ways," said Immelman, who closed his lie 1 degree prior to last year's Masters. "I've never done any handiwork at home, but even I can operate this thing. It takes about 90 seconds. ... It's something that the world of golf has never seen before. It's totally innovative and it's going to be an absolute smash hit."

The technology will be available to consumers for the first time on April Fools' Day. And that's no joke.

9 I wish PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem would reconsider his stance on releasing information about suspensions and fines. As written here last week, I think it's a bit archaic that the Tour remains mum on all such affairs when every other professional sports league makes them public. On Wednesday, Finchem addressed the issue during his annual news conference from Kapalua, contending that the reasoning was twofold.

"One, we don't feel like people really care that much," Finchem said. "We don't get e-mails from fans saying, 'Why don't you tell us?' So we don't think there's this hunger for that information."

Maybe I should let the commish have a peek into my inbox, which was teeming with requests for more info about John Daly's suspension after the player himself made it public knowledge a few weeks ago. Why would the PGA Tour let rumors fly instead of quashing them by controlling the story from its origin? I mean, even Daly didn't know the start date of the suspension. Release this news, and neither the player nor the fans -- whom Finchem always seems eager to please, based on the aforementioned quote -- will be left in the dark.

"Two, candidly, we don't have that much of it, and we don't want to remind people about it," Finchem continued. "I'm just being straightforward. ... Remember now, in our sport, a bad thing is a bad word; it's not getting indicted, usually. It's a bad word. But we don't want to remind people by saying, 'We fined such-and-such a player $5,000 for saying a bad word.' It's just reminding them that he said a bad word."

True, but it would also remind the player of any embarrassment felt from the act when a bottom-line ticker flashed his punishment for unbecoming behavior. And maybe next time he might act more appropriately, knowing the subsequent news wouldn't be swept under the rug. And isn't that the main goal of these suspensions and fines in the first place?

10 I wish I could see the look on Tiger Woods' face when he opens up the mailbox in a few days and sees a check ... from the PGA Tour ... to the tune of $53,000 ... for "playing" in the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

Granted, I'm guessing he's signed up for direct deposit by now -- unless he's cashing all of those oversized checks at the bank, Happy Gilmore-style -- but you get the idea. Even though Woods was likely some 5,000 miles away from Maui as the tournament took place, PGA Tour rules state that in events without a cut or alternate list, a qualified player who can't compete due to injury will earn last-place, unofficial money -- meaning it won't count toward the money list or other career totals. (Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington will not collect, because none had an injury that prevented him from participating.)

It was because of the same rule that Tiger earned a check for last year's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and BMW Championship, too, while picking up 70th-place money in the final FedEx Cup standings.

Money for nothing? Dire Straits may have been singing about Tiger well before his time.

Sure, 53 grand may be chump change to a guy like Tiger. (Golf Digest recently estimated his earnings and endorsements total at $886,778,335 since turning pro in 1996.) But here's guessing there are some professional golfers reading right now who are crying into their morning oatmeal. Consider this: Travis Perkins, J.L. Lewis and John Daly played in 23, 16 and 17 PGA Tour events last year, respectively, and none of 'em broke the $53,000 barrier. Not for a single event, mind you, but for the entire season. Ouch.

11 I wish all the fuss over Annika Sorenstam's "retirement" had been muted a bit -- not because it isn't well-deserved, but because it simply may not be accurate. Even after imploring us during a May news conference to refrain from calling it "the 'R' word," Sorenstam was honored in her "final" U.S. Women's Open ... and her "final" Women's British Open ... and her "final" LPGA appearance ... and her "final" competitive tournament in Dubai.

Now comes word that she will return to compete in something called the Annika Celebration, a three-day event in Orlando, Fla., next month that will feature a pro-am and exhibition against Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis.

Asked whether she would keep the door open for a full-time comeback, Sorenstam recently said, "Well, that's the beauty of it, I suppose. I have the option to do that, and maybe that's why I feel even more that I won't. Never say never, but on the other hand, I feel great right now. This is what I've been waiting for."

Sorenstam, who wed longtime boyfriend Mike McGee in front of 125 guests near their Orlando home on Saturday, may never compete in a 15- to 20-event schedule again, but something tells me I'll be writing an "Annika is back!" column soon enough. Nothing wrong with such a return -- it's her prerogative and she's always maintained that it's a possibility -- but it cheapens all those celebrations we've seen in recent months. Consider it just another reminder that there's no such thing as "the 'R' word" in the world of professional golf.

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