AROUND THE GREENS
McLachlin enjoying all aspects of U.S. Open

By Bill Kwon

"It's kind of a big goal, but I'd like to make the top 30," Parker McLachlin says of the U.S. Open. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

Only the 13th player from Hawai'i to play in the 104-year history of the U.S. Open, the former Punahou and UCLA golfer has enjoyed a whirlwind week of activity.

Flying in Friday night, McLachlin walked the golf course on Saturday, played a practice round Sunday, another nine holes on Monday — three with Davis Love III — and teamed with Masters champion Phil Mickelson in a fun match against Lee Janzen and Dennis Paulson the following day.

He even heard shouts of "Go Parker," from the gallery, said his father Chris McLachlin, who will be joined by his wife, Beth, and Greg Nichols, Ko Olina's director of golf, in the gallery following McLachlin and his two playing partners today and tomorrow. They tee off at 8 a.m. (HST) today.

"I'm so lucky to be here and so excited," said McLachlin, who punched his ticket from Hawai'i to the U.S. Open by winning the 36-hole sectional qualifying June 7 at the Turtle Bay Resort's Palmer Course.

You don't have to convince McLachlin that a lot of luck is involved.

He was only 80 of more than 8,700 golfers to make the 156-player field for America's national golf championship. The rest of the field received various exemptions.

"Only less than 1 percent make it. That's incredible," McLachlin said.

McLachlin, 25, began his "pinch-me" journey by making it through a local qualifying in Springfield, Ill. But luck, it's said, is a residue of design. He chose to come home and play at Turtle Bay, one of only 13 sectionals in the nation.

There were two reasons, he said. One was to see the family. The second was to support Mary Bea Porter-King, a member of the USGA executive committee who persuaded the organization to hold a sectional for the men's and women's U.S. Open in Hawai'i for the first time.

The result was McLachlin making a leap from here to Shinnecock Hills.

It's quite a leap, too, in another way. McLachlin's only other appearance in a PGA event was the 2000 Sony Open where he missed the cut as a UCLA sophomore.

"You go from a regular tour event to a major; it's a big deal. It's different being out here with a lot of people watching," said McLachlin, who has won twice this year on mini-tours.

So you can't blame him for being a little nervous at the prospect of teeing it up with the world's best in golf.

Still, he's optimistic.

"If I can hit the ball in the fairways and make a few putts, I definitely think I can make the cut," he said. "It's kind of a big goal, but I'd like to make the top 30."

It helps that he loves the golf course.

"I think it's just awesome," he said. "The terrain and the rolling hills. The greens are small and very fast. The fairways are very narrow and running fairly fast. I'd say the fairways are as fast as Ala Wai's greens.

"You've got to go out there and hit good shots, put the approach shot in the right spot."

McLachlin received encouraging words from Mickelson.

"Playing with him was something special. He helped me out there with course knowledge and told me that short of the green is a really good shot," McLachlin said. "He said he expects to see me out on tour in a couple of years."

McLachlin got to play with Mickelson because the latter's teaching pro, Rick Smith, is the owner of the Tree Tops Resorts in Michigan, where McLachlin worked for former Hawai'i pro, Scott Head.

"Rick kept kind of in touch with me and was trying to set me up with a caddy," McLachlin said. Parker's bag will be looped this week by Linn Strickler, Ben Crenshaw's long-time caddy.

"Rick has taken a liking to Parker," Chris McLachlin said. "He's the man right now (as a teaching pro). It's hard to get on his list."

If McLachlin makes the cut, he will join Dean Wilson, David Ishii, Jimmy Ukauka and Ted Makalena as the only players of Hawai'i's elite 13 to do so in the U.S. Open.

Makalena did it twice, tying for 27th at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass., in the 1963 U.S. Open and 23rd the following year at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. But neither showing earned him more than $500.

Ishii earned $7,002 in tying for 36th in the 1988 U.S. Open at Brookline, while Wilson's $30,055 paycheck in the 2003 U.S. Open at Southern Hills is the most earned by a local golfer in the national major even though he tied for 30th.

Wilson, who didn't even try to qualify for this year's U.S. Open, returns for next week's Booz Allen Classic in Maryland after a month layoff.

"Time off is more valuable to me right now," said Wilson from his home in Las Vegas.

Admittedly "disappointed" at his slow start this year, Wilson ranks 171st on the money list with $116,920 in 16 events. After 12 events last year, he was ranked 65th with $489,797.

Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net.