AN unlikely hero. And he's having the time of his life. McLachlin off to a
good start with BruinsThat would be former Punahou golf standout Parker McLachlin. Last Tuesday, the redshirt freshman at UCLA finished tied for 33rd at the Northwest Classic at Corvallis, Ore., while the Bruins tied with Oregon and Washington for the team title.
In the sudden-death playoff, McLachlin, who plays No. 1 for the Bruins, was sent off in the last threesome. O.D. Vincent, the University of Washington coach who had recruited McLachlin, gave him what could have been some unnerving news.
"I was doing OK until he told me that UW was 1-over, Oregon was 1-under and UCLA was 1-under," said McLachlin. "When the UW guy in my threesome made a 30-foot putt for birdie, I knew I had to at least make par or we'd go to another hole.
"I had a downhill putt on a pretty fast green. I hit it about a foot away, made the putt for par and we won by a stroke."
It wasn't his biggest putt or the most pressure he'd felt -- McLachlin had won the state prep title as a junior as well as helped Hawaii to the Junior America's Cup championship. And he did beat Michael Jordan during a round at Ko Olina right before McLachlin was to take a recruiting trip to North Carolina, Jordan's alma mater.
WHAT is surprising to McLachlin is that, as the only freshman on the traveling squad, he is playing No. 1 for UCLA. The Bruins, who finished eighth last spring at the NCAA Championship, have two preseason All-American candidates: Jason Semelsberger and Byron Schlagenhauf.
"Parker is a good golfer and he's showing the rest of the team that he's ready to play," said UCLA coach Brad Sherfy.
"I get a lot of grief, being the only freshman," said McLachlin, "but I love it. I love UCLA. It's everything the college experience should be and more.
"I could have gone other places: Stanford, Washington, Hawaii, North Carolina, UC Santa Barbara. But UCLA was relatively close to home and I had relatives in the area. It came down to UCLA and UW, but I didn't think I could handle the climate (in Seattle)."
The weather in Los Angeles provides for year-round golf. The Bruins' home course is the nearby Bel-Air Country Club.
"I couldn't have chosen a better place to play," said McLachlin, who won the state's three top junior amateur events before leaving for college.
"But I do miss the relaxing atmosphere of Hawaii. The whole upbeat lifestyle of Los Angeles is too much. People are always on edge. I miss the niceness of the people in Hawaii."
McLACHLIN was in Chaska, Minn., a few weeks back, at the Ping/Golf Week Preview Tournament. The top 15 schools competed in the invitational, on the same course that the NCAA championship will be held next spring.
Next week he's at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate Tournament in Birmingham, Ala. Two weeks later, the collegiate preseason finishes at Hilton Head, S.C.
UCLA, ranked No. 9 in the preseason, should be in the Top 10 when the Bruins compete at Waikoloa in February. McLachlin hopes to get in a few rounds on the Big Island over Christmas break.
But if he wants to play at home in a few months, McLachlin will have to requalify to make the Bruins' travel squad. Sherfy holds a six-round intrasquad tournament to determine the five golfers who will compete during the spring season; McLachlin was the only team member to shoot under par during the fall qualifying.
McLachlin is looking forward to January for another reason. After the Bruins' football team finishes its season, UCLA quarterback Cade McNown will be hitting the links.
"Cade is totally psyched out about golf," said McLachlin. "I can't wait to take him out for a round."
Cindy Luis is a Star-Bulletin sportswriter.
Her column appears weekly.