First-round observations from the Shriners Hospitals Open

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PGA TOUR Network correspondent Bob Stevens will be offering observations this week from the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146/SIRIUS 209 or right here at PGATOUR.COM.

• Ah to be young, rich, good-looking and in-demand (did I miss anything there?). Rickie Fowler told us he's is in the middle of a wild ride to finish his rookie season. He finished fourth last week in front of family and friends in Northern California at the Frys.com Open, was expected to play this week at his "home" course in Las Vegas, and now will really put up some frequent flyer miles the next two weeks with trips to Malaysia and China. And, because he's leading the Kodak Challenge, he'll probably fly back from China to DisneyWorld to play in the final event of the season and possibly collect his first $1-million check. Maybe its a good thing he's young!

• Speaking of the Kodak Challenge, Tim Petrovic said that he knew exactly where he stood and what he needed to do at the Kodak Challenge par-5 16th hole. Knowing that Rickie Fowler had birdied the hole in the morning and knowing he was then two shots behind in the Challenge, Petro was hoping to hit the green and possibly make eagle, but didn't like his drive and had to settle for a lay-up that resulted in a birdie to keep him within one of Fowler. But he also told us he knows he gets another crack at eagle on Friday. The million-dollar prize would be a lot more than he made for his only PGA TOUR win, in New Orleans in 2005.

• Robert Garrigus told me on the practice range yesterday that he thought it would take a preposterous 28-under-par to win this week, then proceeded to keep himself on pace for that number with an opening 7-under 64, achieved through going back to his "shorter" 28-inch putter, cut down from the 29-1/2" putter he'd been using the last few weeks. Most putters are 34-36 inches in length, so even his "long" putter looked as short as one you'd see at a miniature golf course. Garrigus needed only 26 putts and made nearly half his birdie attempts in the opening round.