By Bill Cooney, PGATOUR.COM ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Maybe it was a return to a thicker putting grip. Perhaps it was the chit-chat with his caddie about fishing lures and fishing spots. Or just maybe Boo Weekley played the best round of his season because he kicked back and had a good ole time watching one of his favorite country music bands on Wednesday night. Either way, Weekley felt good and played even better. Weekley opened The McGladrey Classic with a sizzling, 6-under 64 on Thursday and was two shots behind first-round co-leaders Bud Cauley and Marco Dawson. Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that Weekley -– who ranks 189th on the PGA TOUR in strokes gained-putting –- ranked ninth in that category in Round 1. “It’s been a long time coming,” Weekley said. “Finally started making some putts. I’ve been hitting the ball pretty good the last few weeks and finally today the putts showed up.” Did they ever. Weekley buried putts of 14, 7, 15, 8, and 7 feet, feeling more comfortable on the same type of Bermuda greens he grew up on. He also went back to a different putter with a fatter grip, one that he used to finish T3 at the Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com and T6 at the RBC Heritage. Weekley also credited his caddie with taking his mind off the game – right now he’s 121st on the money list – by talking about fishing, one of his passions. “I’m pretty aware of it,” Weekley, who is planning on doing some fishing on Friday, said about his precarious position on the money list. “The last two weeks I’ve actually played pretty good but I just seem to get nothing out of my round. “It just gets more frustrating. The more frustrated you get out here you start getting negative, you start talking trash to yourself saying, ‘You ain’t gonna make the cut because you can’t make this 5-footer. You missed three already the first five holes.’ It just kind of wears on your mind.” Weekley had music on his mind on Wednesday night at Sea Island Golf Club, where country music singer Gary Allan performed. Weekley has become friends with Allan and his band over the past three years and even plays golf with them. Weekley wasn’t about to recite any lyrics out loud – “In the hot tub, maybe,” he said -- but definitely sounded as if he was more relaxed on Thursday morning. He has also fought some health issues in the past months so he's certainly excited to be in tune with his golf game again. “It just felt good,” said Weekley, who last won in 2008. “Started making some putts and that started building some confidence.”

By Bill Cooney, PGATOUR.COM ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A driver and a wedge. Bud Cauley used those two clubs to make the game of golf look rather easy on Thursday afternoon. Backed by some long and accurate tee shots, Cauley took dead aim with his wedges to produce a competitive course record-tying, 8-under 62 during the first round of The McGladrey Classic. It gave the Jacksonville, Fla., native a share of the lead with Marco Dawson. Greg Owen, Boo Weekley and Rod Pampling were tied for third place, two shots back after 64s. Cauley hit 13 of 14 fairways and 14 greens in regulation during his low round on the TOUR. He hit all seven fairways and hit eight of nine greens during a back-nine 29 in which he birdied five of the first six holes. "Really no complaints today," said Cauley, who has six top 10s this season but is still searching for his first career victory. "I've been struggling with my driving a little bit, and I've been working hard on that and was able to drive it really well today. "And then took advantage of that with some great iron shots and made most of the putts, so all in all it was a really good day." Dawson, 48, is also looking for his first win. His best finish is second at the 1995 Greater Milwaukee Open. "You know, I just made some good putts coming in," Dawson said. "I haven't played well all year, and when I have played decent or had a good round going, I managed to screw it up somehow." Dawson said that made him anxious after he got to 7 under and led to his lone bogey on the fourth hole. But he bounced back with birdies on Nos. 5 and 6 and finished nicely. In 20 events this season, Dawson's best finish is a T52 at the Farmers Insurance Open in January. But he's fought through the tough times and finds himself 54 holes from a rewarding finish. "That would be real huge," Dawson said. "So I'm looking forward to doing that. So I've got a good start so far.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Bud Cauley, Boo Weekley and Marco Dawson have climbed up the leaderboard. Cauley, who has six top 10s this season, tied the competitive course record with a 8-under 62 in the first round of The McGladrey Classic at Sea Island GC on Thursday. Cauley birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine and wound up with an inward 6-under 29. Meanwhile, Weekley completed a bogey-free round of 64. He's 121st on the money list despite missing his last four cuts. Weekley has also dealt with health issues this season. Dawson has also been strong in the afternoon heat. He opened with a bogey-free 5-under 30 on the back nine and also birdied Nos. 1 and 3. Dawson entered the week at No. 216 on the money list. Dawson has never won on the PGA TOUR; his best finish is a second at the 1995 Greater Milwaukee Open. His best round this season was a 66 at the John Deere Classic. Follow Dawson on Shot Tracker. Replay Cauley.

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."