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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, August 2, 2008

PGA'S RENO-TAHOE OPEN
McLachlin atop leaderboard

Photo gallery: Legends Reno-Tahoe Open

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Parker McLachlin holds a four-stroke lead after carding a two-day score of 14-under-par 130.

RICH PEDRONCELLI | Associated Press

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Michelle Wie

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In a tournament in which the focus was on Michelle Wie, fellow Punahou School alum Parker McLachlin has turned the spotlight his way with a stunning course-record-tying 10-under-par 62 yesterday in the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open in Reno, Nev.

McLachlin, who shot a 4-under 68 Thursday, had 10 birdies and no bogeys while shooting matching nines of 5-under 31.

His 130 total is four shots ahead of 1987 Masters winner Larry Mize and three others at the par-72 Montreux Golf & Country Club.

Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Wie shot an 8-over-par 80 yesterday in a round that included a nine on the eighth hole to miss the even-par cutline.

Wie, who was trying to become the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to make the cut on the PGA Tour, finished her two days at 9-over 153.

McLachlin, 29, who has five Top 25 finishes this year and ranks 98th on the tour money list, birdied seven of the last 10 holes during one stretch.

"Nothing really crazy. It was just pretty solid," McLachlin said about his round.

"Everything went pretty smoothly out there. I hit a lot of fairways, lots of greens and made a bunch of 10-footers. I mean, just kind of the way you like to draw it up," he said.

McLachlin missed a four-foot birdie attempt on the par-4 18th that would have broken the record Bill Glasson set in 2005 and Joe Ogilvie matched in 2006. His previous best on tour was a 65, though he said he shot a 63 once on the Nationwide Tour and carded a 59 at the course he represents (Waikoloa) in Hawai'i, where he was born and grew up.

"I didn't know what the course record was but I caught myself thinking about 59 at No. 14. I had like about a 10-footer," said McLachlin, who had birdied six of the previous seven holes.

"I thought 'If I birdie the last five holes I can shoot 59.' And that's just the worst thing to think. So I made par there," he said, as well as at the 15th.

McLachlin was asked if he ever played with Wie.

"We play a lot of golf together," he said. "She and I are fairly good friends. Her and my brother (Spencer) graduated the same year of high school, and they are in the same class at Stanford. Yes, she and I keep in touch through text message and what-not. I am a big fan of hers and a good friend."

Wie, who was making her first PGA appearance since January 2007, started the day within reach after shooting a 1-over 73 Thursday. She stayed in contention after her front nine that included two bogeys and a birdie for a 1-over 37.

But she double-bogeyed the par-5 fourth and bogeyed the par-3 seventh before disaster struck on the 464-yard, par-4 eighth, when she had to take two penalty strokes.

She birdied her final hole for a closing nine of 7-over 43.

"I feel my game is a lot better. Obviously the score doesn't show it, but I know what I need to work on," Wie said. "I gave it my best today and I felt like I did a lot of good things and hopefully that outshines the ones I made mistakes on."