Azinger helped McLachlin recover his confidence

It was a coming home story 11 years ago when Parker McLachlin finished in the money at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Now it’s about coming back.

He will tee it up with a sponsor’s exemption in Thursday’s first round at Waialae Country Club, where as a kid McLachlin earned practice rounds by doing everything from cleaning toilets to caddying.

In this bags-to-riches story, the prodigal son got good enough to win on the PGA Tour at what was known in 2008 as the Reno-Tahoe Open.

It looked like he’d be a Tour fixture.

But in 2009 and 2010, McLachlin made just 14 of 45 PGA cuts. He lost his card, and his confidence.

“I did think about hanging it up,” the Punahou and UCLA product said after Tuesday’s Pro-Junior Challenge, where he was paired with fellow Buffanblu Claire Choi. “The game was driving me crazy.”

What golfer can’t relate to that? Many have the clubs gathering dust in the garage to prove it. But for McLachlin, this was his livelihood. And he was just turning 30 — when he should still be getting better, not considering retirement to the broadcast booth (he dabbled with the Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” for a few days at one point).

McLachlin never got to the point where he totally gave up on himself.

“If you’re a basketball player at the gym and you miss that last shot, you don’t want it to be the end,” he said. “If you’re a golfer and you miss a 4-footer on No. 18, you go to the practice green and make a hundred of them before you can leave. You don’t want that last taste to be bitter.”

He wasn’t ready to quit, but he needed help.

A friend he’s known since playing nine holes with him at age 13 provided the extra push to get him back on track. He reminded McLachlin how young he is, and how talented he is.

“We had a three-hour lunch at Outrigger Canoe Club (in 2013),” McLachlin said. “He said, ‘Dude, you’re way too good. You have another chapter to write. Come to Florida for a week.”

That friend is Paul Azinger, and McLachlin credits the 17-time Tour winner and 1987 PGA Player of the Year with getting him back on track.

McLachlin had become overly concerned with technical issues of his swing.

“I got nuts focusing on my backswing,” McLachlin said. “(Azinger asked,) ‘Why are you so concerned with what’s behind you?’

“It’s a metaphor for life,” McLachlin added.

When he was at his best he envisioned success. McLachlin aimed his drives “for the clouds,” not some specific spot on the fairway.

Azinger knew that.

“He said, ‘Dude, do you remember? Go for the clouds.’”

It had become obvious that McLachlin’s biggest problem was hooking shots.

“Now I take the left side out of play,” he said. “I’ll play mental games. I’ll envision a building, of all glass, on the left. And if I hit it, I’m breaking glass into people’s apartments.”

It’s been a grind, battling back via mini-tours and still missing the cut at many of his chances on the Web.com and PGA tours.

But McLachlin finished fourth at the TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational in November and he’s got Web.com events lined up for the next several weeks after this event at his home course.

“Over time I’ve gained courage and confidence,” McLachlin said. “My muscle memory is back.”

Greg Nichols, who was the head pro at Waialae when McLachlin was growing up there and introduced him to Azinger 25 years ago, said McLachlin isn’t “the kid” trying too hard to play perfectly anymore.

“I sense a different kind of confidence in him now. He’s a different man, more mature,” Nichols said. “Golf’s a hard game, but sometimes we make it harder.”

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.