KAPALUA, MAUI >> Hawaii’s Parker Mclachlin will play in next week’s Sony Open in Hawaii on a sponsor’s exemption, getting into the 144-man field Friday after John Daly withdrew.
The Punahou graduate played on the PGA Tour from 2007 to 2010, winning the 2008 Legends RenoTahoe Open. He has also won on the Hooters, Tight Lies, Gateway and Spanos tours. Mclachlin finished 10th at the 2008 Sony. He got into three tour events last year but did not make a cut.
Other late entries Friday were Jesper Parnevik, Billy Hurley III and Shane Bertsch. Hurley is playing his first tour event as a member. He was an officer in the Navy after graduation from the Academy and served in Pearl Harbor during his five-year obligation. Bertsch is in on a sponsor’s exemption.
As for those playing at this week’s season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions on Maui, 19 of the 28 golfers are going to make it a two-week stay in the Hawaiian islands. The nine who are not playing at next week’s event on Oahu are Aaron Baddeley, Ben Crane, Bill Haas, Martin Laird, Bryce Molder, Brendan Steele, Nick Watney, Bubba Watson and Gary Woodland.
Some of the marquee names playing in both Hawaii events are world No. 6 Steve Stricker, No. 10 Webb Simpson, David Toms, Jhonattan Vegas and past Sony Open champions K.J. Choi and Mark Wilson.
Glover iffy for next week’s Sony
Lucas Glover withdrew Friday after injuring his knee in a paddleboard accident earlier in the week. He is on the Sony Open in Hawaii list, but playing next week will depend on how his knee feels.
He will split last-place money here with fellow injured golfers Brandt Snedeker, Dustin Johnson and Fredrik Jacobson. Because all four would have played had they not been injured, they will each earn $59,750.
No penalty for Watney
PGA Tour officials spoke with Watney and caddie Chad Reynolds in the scorer’s tent after it appeared Reynolds may have brushed the grass on the green while Watney was lining up his putt at the 18th.
Reynolds told tour rules official Slugger White that he was only checking his shadow on the green with his hand, not touching the grass, which would have been a penalty. Watney shot an even-par 73 and said afterward that no way his caddie would brush the green with his hand.
“The question was if Chad, my caddie, was testing the surface or testing for grain, which, I mean, I didn’t think that he would do that,” Watney said. “But we looked at the tape, and you could see his hand was just above the grass. So, it was deemed no penalty. I would be shocked if he actually put his hand on the surface. We asked him, and he said he didn’t, so there you go.”
