Tough opening day for McLachlin
Greg Nichols, Director of Golf at Ko Olina Golf Club, accompanied former Punahou School star Parker McLachlin to the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Nichols is providing Advertiser readers a behind-the-scenes look at McLachlin's experience. McLachlin's round was suspended after 12 holes. He is at 5-over.
By Greg Nichols
Special to The Advertiser
Late tee time, bad weather stop his first round after 12 holes
Today, it was perfect conditions for guys who played in the morning.
McLachlin
Parker played in the last group. When Parker started off, it was just overcast and gray.
As he started playing, the wind picked up. Then the rain came in and the fog rolled in. It became very dark, although it was just 3 in the afternoon.
It was very difficult conditions to see, then there was a thunder alert.
That's just the luck of the draw and as a player you just have to accept that.
Parker had just finished the ninth hole when they sounded the siren (to stop play).
Parker went back out and played holes 1-2-3 and then the siren sounded again. They called play at about 8 in the evening.
In Scotland, it's called "haar," it's a misty fog that envelops you. Those were the conditions that he played in. A real surreal setting.
What was interesting on the 12th hole, Parker hit into the greenside bunker, came out short, ran his par putt 3 feet past the hole when the horn went off.
The rules say once the horn sounds, you can mark your ball and finish the next day or you can finish the hole.
Phil Mickelson was on the seventh tee, which was next to the green Parker was on.
There was a big gallery with Phil, but he waited at his tee until Parker putted out.
If Phil had taken his ball and left for the clubhouse, the crowd movement would have caused a lot of distraction for Parker.
It was great to see the sportsmanship that Phil demonstrated.
Phil then went over talked to Parker about his round.
Parker actually played well. He ended the day at 5-over but it didn't reflect the way he played. He should have been 2-over. But he made a couple of unforced errors, which led to double bogeys. But that's the U.S. Open. That's the nature of the golf course. You can be a little off and really pay the price.
He had a solid par on No. 10 (his first hole since he started on the back nine).
On the par-3 11th, which Lee Trevino calls a good par-5 on the golf course, he double bogeyed.
Parker birdied the 13th (370-yard par 4), a dogleg right up the hill. Most golfers were hitting iron off the tee.
Parker bombed a drive down there about 290. He had about 80 yards, hit it stiff with a sandwedge to four feet and knocked it in.
On the par-5 16th, he went for the green in two, but caught the greenside bunker, blasted long, got on the green, left his putt three feet short.
On Nos. 17 and 18 he made two solid pars, missing a 15-footer for birdie on 17.
After the delay, he made two solid pars on holes No. 1 and 2 (his 10th and 11th).
Greg Nichols was Parker McLachlin's first coach when, at the age of 7, McLachlin took up the game of golf. McLachlin, 25, plays on the Hooters Tour and qualified for the U.S. Open on June 7 at Turtle Bay Resort's Palmer Course, in Hawai'i's first-ever sectional qualifying.
