DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou graduate Parker McLachlin is tied for 66th with former No. 1 David Duval and 15 others going into the weekend.
|
|
1 local left standing
Parker McLachlin is the only Hawaii player to make the cut
Parker McLachlin's always had to earn his way onto the course at Waialae Country Club. As a junior golfer, he worked odd jobs around the facility so he could play a few holes and work on his swing.
In some ways, that hasn't changed -- McLachlin made it the hard way again to the final two days of the Sony Open. No sponsor exemption, and he's not a PGA Tour member -- not yet, anyway.
This morning, the 26-year-old Nationwide player tees it up with former world No. 1 David Duval after barely making the cut. Among seven local players entered, the Punahou graduate is the only one to advance .
McLachlin, who qualified on Monday, was elated at surviving to the weekend at his home course. But he was disappointed with his 1-over-par round of 35-36-71.
"It's nice to get Friday cut day out of the way. Now it's kind of nothing to lose. Just go out, have fun and fire it," he said.
"I'm going to try to have more fun. I noticed myself getting a little tighter. I just want to loosen up and have some fun, laugh, enjoy myself, maybe look in the gallery a little more, see the friends and family who have come out to support me.
"I'm a little disappointed overall with the way I'm scoring. But I'm excited about the weekend," McLachlin added. "I've just got to do a better job around the greens, putting, and I feel like I'll at least be able to put up some under-par rounds the next couple of days."
His caddie, 1987 U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson, will help keep him loose.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
David Ishii improved on his Sony Open score from last year but failed to make the cut for the second straight time.
|
|
"Parker needs someone to help him read these greens better," joked Simpson, who placed second at Waialae in the 1982 Hawaiian Open. "I did clean (Nathan Green's) ball and he made the birdie. He's ready to hire me if Parker fires me."
McLachlin goes into today tied for 66th with Duval and 15 others. He and Duval start at 8:30 this morning.
David Ishii, the 1990 Hawaiian Open champion, and Kevin Hayashi, the 2005 Aloha Section PGA Player of the Year, both missed the cut by just one stroke. Ishii shot 35-38-73 to go with his first-round 71. Hayashi shot 37-34-71, not enough to make up for Thursday's 73.
Dean Wilson was going well for a while yesterday with three birdies before the turn, but suffered a double-bogey on his second-to-last hole that burst his bubble. He finished at 39-34-73 (playing the back nine first).
Hawaii's only PGA Tour pro also shot 73 on Thursday.
"On the back nine I just didn't hit the ball very solid," Wilson said. "On eight I pulled the drive into the trees and knowing where I was (in relation to the cut line) I knew I had to try to make a par or birdie and I tried to stick one between the trees and it didn't work out."
Brandan Kop, the only amateur in the field, shot 36-38-74 after his first-round 77. Beau Yokomoto fired 35-36-71 after a 78 on Thursday.
It was the second-best improvement among the local players after Michelle Wie's 35-33-68 following her 79.