By Bill Cooney, PGATOUR.COM ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- At times, Davis Love III feels like he hasn’t slept in about a week. On Thursday morning, Love was wide awake and kicking in birdies – some caffeine certainly helped – during a first-round, 5-under 65 at The McGladrey Classic. “The only adjustment I've made is more Red Bull to keep my energy up,” said Love, the tournament host at Sea Island GC. “After the Ryder Cup, I've been playing these last two weeks, I'm ready to play, the responsibilities, the parties and all that are a lot of fun, but when I get up in the morning, I can tell I'm not getting a whole lot of rest. “But I'm feeling good. I'm excited to play.” Love was one shot behind early leader Greg Owen and tied for second with Zach Johnson, David Toms and Danny Lee. Love is attempting to finish inside the top 100 on the PGA TOUR money list for the 27th straight season. He’s currently 104th, about $100,000 or so short of the mark. For the record, that’s better than any streak by Jack Nicklaus (25), Gary Player (24) or Arnold Palmer (21). But he’s also playing well enough to think about qualifying for next year’s Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village. If he can’t, would an assistant’s role under American Captain and good pal Fred Couples suffice? “I’d like to do The Presidents Cup again whether it’s driving a cart or (playing),” Love said. Couples previously named Jay Haas as one of his assistants and is expected to name more in the coming months. Love ranks 78th in Presidents Cup points. He played on six Presidents Cup teams, the last coming in 2005.

By Bill Cooney, PGATOUR.COM ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Greg Owen is happy with his golf game again and it showed in the first round of The McGladrey Classic on Thursday. Owen chipped in for birdie on his second hole, a precursor to things to come with his iron play en route to a 6-under 64 to take the early lead at Sea Island Golf Club. “I’m working really hard this week and it’s starting to pay off. Just more of what I expect,” said Owen, who owns a pair of top 10s this season after getting through q-school to get back on the PGA TOUR. Owen held a one-shot lead over tournament host Davis Love III, David Toms and Danny Lee thru the morning wave. Jim Furyk, David Hearn and Billy Hurley III were another shot back. Owen chipped in from 26 feet on the 11th hole – he started on the back nine – and followed it up with birdies on Nos. 15, 1, 3, 4 and 7. He hit 12 of 14 fairways and 15 greens in regulation, and his longest birdie was from 11 feet. Owen ranks 93rd on the money list a season after playing on the Web.com Tour. How would Owen define his season thus far? “Better than the last four,” he said. “I struggled the last four, maybe five years. I just played really solid. I’ve putted better, I’ve holed out better. And (hopefully) there’s still more to come.” Owen said he was “very disheartened with the game” during 2011, when he finished 52nd on the Web.com Tour money list and wondered if it was worth playing while being away from his family. But this season has been much better -- and he’s in the mix for his first PGA TOUR win. He’s also enjoying Sea Island GC, where the greens are quite fast despite overnight showers. “If the wind blows and the sun comes out this afternoon those greens could get really quick,” Owen said. “You’ve got to hit golf shots. You’ve got doglegs either way. You’ve got to hit fairways and place the iron shots in a position where you can have a putt for birdie.”

By Bill Cooney, PGATOUR.COM staff

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Canadian native David Hearn played on the Canadian Tour from 2002-04. In his final year, he finished No. 5 on the Order of Merit.

He’s now on the PGA TOUR and playing at The McGladrey Classic this week. He welcomed Thursday’s announcement that the PGA TOUR will assume operational control of the Canadian Tour, which will be renamed PGA TOUR Canada starting in 2013.

"The PGA TOUR getting involved with the Canadian Tour is obviously going to be a great thing for the Canadian Tour,” Hearn said. “The PGA TOUR has done a great job with the Web.com Tour and everything that they've really touched -- Champions Tour, the FedExCup. They're doing a lot of really good things. So for them to get involved with the Canadian Tour is really going to help elevate the level of that tour to where it should be.

“It should be a very good developmental tour. It has been for years. It's struggled a little bit in the past couple of years, I know that. But the PGA TOUR coming in, I really hope that it helps push them over the edge and makes them a top developmental tour again."

By Fred Albers, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

SAN MARTIN, Calif. -- PGA TOUR rules officials are always the first to know. They know when the weather systems are moving in and when a change is coming. They're like human barometers. The officials were wearing rain pants, heavy jackets and gloves at 10 a.m. All the protection was needed as cool temperatures and cloudy skies gave way wind and rain. The cool conditions dramatically affected distance. Nicolas Colsaerts averages 310 yards per drive; on the 15th hole he cranked up the driver and walloped it 270 yards. The course played much longer than the 7,368 yards it was listed at.

First bounce: Players were surprised at the first bounce their approach shots took when hitting greens. They could get the ball to check but not until after a big 5-yard hop following impact. Players took 10 yards off their carry distances into greens to compensate for that first kangaroo hop, which made front hole locations difficult.

Bubble boy: Jeff Maggert is this week's bubble boy. He's ranked 125th on the money list and responded to the pressure with an opening-round 67. The veteran seemed very casual about his status, though, saying he will return to q-school if necessary. Maggert turns 49 in February and is looking forward to the Champions Tour but would like one more season with the younger generation.

Backed up: Rory Sabbatini had to withdraw from last week's tournament with back problems after playing just eight holes in the final round. He limped in pain for two hours before the WD and was doubtful for this week. The pain was alleviated with a treatment and Rory was walking tall for 17 holes Thursday -- until a double bogey on the 18th gave him discomfort in a different area of the anatomy.

Foreign influence: Whenever it rains and gets cold, there's a popular theory t hat foreigners have an advantage. The Europeans and Aussies play in much more varied conditions than we see on the PGA TOUR. How did that theory hold up on a cold, rainy afternoon? The top three players are not Americans.

Nick O’Hern matched the course record at CordeValle on Thursday, shooting a 9-under 62 to take the lead at the Frys.com Open.

Jhonattan Vegas and Nicolas Colsaerts are three shots back and tied for second.

O’Hern made nine birdies and no bogeys in what was his lowest round of the year.

It couldn’t have come at a better time.

O’Hern came into the week 144th on the money list after just one top 10 and 12 missed cuts, including in five of his last seven starts, in 23 starts this season.

Thursday, the Aussie hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation and needed just 23 putts.