KAPALUA, Hawaii – Pressure was knocking, a career opportunity was on the line, and the situation surely called for mandatory practice.
“Let’s get in nine. What are you doing?” Tyler Williamson said to his friend, Parker McLachlin, the two of them a few days away from the first round of arguably the most excruciating golf tournament there is, the final stage of the PGA Tour Q-School near Orlando, Fla.
“Tyler,” said McLachlin, “I’m just kind of letting the day come to me.”
Some 15 months later, Williamson laughs at the memory of that exchange. “It was typical Parker,” he said. “Here it is 2 o’clock in the afternoon and he’s still sizing up the day.”
Heck, here it is nearly 30 years in and McLachlin is still taking stock of a most intriguing life, one that has taken him on a splendid ride in recent months. There was the offensive show in Reno, Nev., last August when a second-round 62 led to the season’s second-most dominating victory (seven strokes) and provided McLachlin with his first Tour win. Then there was the defensive effort he put forth in a recent pick-up basketball game in his native Honolulu . . .
Or should we say lack of defensive effort?
McLachlin smiles, then concedes that Pat Riley would not have approved of his performance, though there was a good explanation.
“I noticed when he drove the lane, it was like the seas parting,” said McLachlin. “No one was willing to be the one to take a charge against the president.”
Make that the president-elect, as in Barack Obama, and if you’re wondering what a 29-year-old who has tested his golf game on virtually every tour in the world – be it Nationwide, Hooters, Tight Lies, Gateway, or Spanos – was doing sweating it up in a one-on-one situation with the future most powerful man in the world, well, it’s all part of the McLachlin experience that is to be admired.
“Life is good,” said McLachlin.
It would be hard to argue with him, not when he’s got berths in this week’s Mercedes-Benz Championship and next week’s Sony Open, tournaments that provide not only a combined $11 million in prize money, but the dream-come-true opportunity to play in front of home-town crowds.
Picture a kid from Boston playing for the Red Sox or a Dallas youngster growing up to wear a Cowboys uniform and the McLachlin picture will come into focus.
McLachlin’s connection to the Plantation Course dates back to the Lincoln Mercury Invitational in the mid-90s when as a teenager he worked as a standard bearer, then graduated to shagging balls at the range. He has played the course “maybe 25 to 30 times,” said McLachlin, but next week’s venue, the underrated Waialae Country Club in his native Honolulu is a true home game.
“I used to vacuum the carpet there and clean the toilets, just to get playing privileges,” said McLachlin.
Ah, but it is another Honolulu connection that led to McLachlin’s recent inclusion in that pick-up hoops game with Obama. Like the future president, McLachlin is a graduate of Punahou School, but he’s not just your typical alumnus. In fact, thanks to his $540,000 prize at Reno and $1,311,839 stash in 2008, McLachlin is considered in a wikipedia.org description as the fourth-most notable Punahou graduate.
Behind Obama, of course, but who else?
“Michelle Wie,” offered McLachlin.
Well, no. He’s listed well before the former child prodigy and McLachlin laughs heartily at that news. (By the way, they’re good friends and trade texts regularly, so don’t make anything of that.) When McLachlin is told he is behind No. 2 Steve Case, the founder of AOL, and No. 3 Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, but ahead of No. 5 Carrie Ann Inaba of “Dancing With the Stars,” he laughs again and offers a high-five.
Yes, sir. Life is good. But what makes it even sweeter is that it is well-deserved and has been achieved with a philosophy that has stood the test of time.
“Nothing has ever been handed to me,” said McLachlin. “My parents are salt-of-the-earth people but they taught me that if you want something, you go earn it.”
Beth McLachlin was captain of the U.S. Olympic volleyball team in 1976. Chris McLachlin coached volleyball and basketball at Punahou and remains so revered in these parts that when Obama set up camp in Honolulu for a family Christmas, calls were made to his Class of ‘79 and the man who coached them.
“My dad asked if his sons could come watch,” said McLachlin, who along with brother Spencer got even more. That is, a chance to play.
“I was guarding him and he was guarding me, but all I had were tennis shoes,” said McLachlin. “He said to my father, ‘Only a golfer would wear tennis shoes to play basketball.’ ”
When the game was over, McLachlin suggested a re-match of sorts, only on his turf – a golf course. There was talk of tying something in to the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club over July Fourth and “hopefully that can happen,” said McLachlin.
Given the roll he’s on, don’t bet against McLachlin’s chances.
• • •
Jim McCabe is a
Golfweek senior writer. To reach him email
jmccabe@golfweek.com.
Posted: 1/7/2009
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