SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 13, 2022

Parker McLachlin

Waialae Country Club

Press Conference

Q. Getting a birdie on 9 and 11, those are the ones you have to make, and how important were those to keep your round going and stay right there?

PARKER McLACHLIN: You always feel like a little bit more pressure because you feel like you should make birdies there and so you kind of put a little more pressure on yourself to may those holes well. All in all, I didn't hit it as close as I needed to today but just kind of hung in there and knocked a little bit of rust off and I think birdieing the last hole, especially, was important going into tomorrow.

Q. How would you break down your round as a whole?

PARKER McLACHLIN: Yeah, I'd say just slightly off, just like barely. Hit a couple good shots that didn't get rewarded like I thought and hit a couple mediocre shots that got put in a spot where I was making bogey. Just slightly off. I think I tighten it up a little bit, swing a little freer like I did the last few holes, I'll have a good day tomorrow.

Q. Nice to hear the "Go Parkers" every once in a while after last year, they weren't around and to finally have them around?

PARKER McLACHLIN: It's great. I love having people out here I think all of us as a whole, you know, we're showmen. We want to show our skills and we want to show off in the most positive way we can. So I think for me, it's like I just enjoy performing for people and nice to have people out here to perform for.

Q. You've played this course a bunch of times, being out there again and being part of the Sony, your 12th appearance, so just the feeling of being back out here?

PARKER McLACHLIN: Yeah, feeling's great. Every year this course changes. This year we've got really high rough. Fairways are actually drying out pretty good. Greens are still on the softer side but it changes every year.

So I think even though it's like you're playing the same course, it really does change with the wind and the firmness of greens and all that stuff. Each year is a different challenge. Bring a different game to the course. Some years you feel like you don't have it and other years you feel like you do.

Yeah, you just try to manage it the best you can, but I think the emotions of playing this golf course, I estimate I've played a thousand rounds of golf here, so the emotions of playing here, you have some really good. Like, oh, yeah, I stand on this tee I know exactly where I'm going to hit it and there's some where you stand and you're like, oh, man, I really don't like this tee shot and you've hit tons of terrible ones on those.

So it's always like a little bit of a mind game to try to get yourself in a spot where you're believing on every single shot.

Q. And just to piggyback on that, how special is it to come home and be part of this again and be back on the island?

PARKER McLACHLIN: Yeah, my whole goal when I first started was to bring -- to be the best golfer ever to come out of Hawai'i. I don't think I've achieved that but I think I've helped shine more of a light on some of the junior golf and guys that have looked to me on their way up, and even now, helping a guy like Brent Grant who is in the field this week. I've been working with him on his short game for the last six, eight months.

So you know, for me, it's always been about trying to help the next generation, try to inspire the next generation of junior golfers. Hey, look, I was just a kid that grew up playing a muni golf course at all way, worked here, got some practice privileges and I made it on to the PGA TOUR, you can, too. That's always kind of been my goal for playing professional golf.

Q. When it comes to seeing the fans out here and post-COVID, and we're still kind of in it, but does it feel nice to have fans out here considering it's been pretty locked down here for a while?

PARKER McLACHLIN: It's fun to see the fans kind of reactions as well. I know the sporting events haven't been too open with letting people in just yet so I think the fans are excited to be out here walking around, enjoying an ice cold beverage and enjoying the sunshine.

So I think it's good for both. It's good for us to have the fans but I think it's also good for the fans to be out here walking around, enjoying the golf course, enjoying the beautiful weather and the great golfers that are here.

Q. Wanted to double-check your hometown now.

PARKER McLACHLIN: Scottsdale, Arizona.

Q. Now what do you have to do for tomorrow, maybe get that monkey off your back and make the cut here?

PARKER McLACHLIN: Yeah, I think I've just got to play my game and play solid. I don't think it's going to take anything crazy special. I just think play my game, take advantage of the shots I know I can hit well. I've got a client of mine hitting his little 50-yard shot right here, Keith Mitchell (peering through flash area out to course). He was sending me videos last night.

I don't think I need to do anything special. Just commit to my shots, have fun out there. If I stay with that process, I know I'll have a good day and at least have the chance to make the cut with four or five holes to go.

Q. What's the course playing like, the greens in particular?

PARKER McLACHLIN: Kudos to the staff here. It's amazing how good it's become. The fairways are drying out and starting to get firm. The rough is incredibly thick. We had multiple times where we thought we lost a golf ball and we were a foot into the rough. I had one on my second hole of the day, I was this far -- three inches into the rough and it took us 2 1/2 minutes to find it and it was only this far into the rough.

So the greens are still a little bit on the soft side so I think you're seeing a few low scores. But if you hit it into the rough, it's probably half a shot penalty. Just right off the get-go, it's half a shot, you're probably not going to be able to get it to the green and if you are, you've got to play to the front edge of the green and there's always bunkers that are kind of guarding the green. So the rough is probably the thickest and the healthiest I've ever seen it.