Parker and Kristy's Blog

Testing new migration

2010-07-08T08:20:00.001-07:00

Test test Test testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest testTest test

Hilton Head, SC

2010-04-17T06:09:00.001-07:00

this is the photo I captured on friday! didn't want to get to close to the water :-)

Courage Awards

2010-04-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Parker and I had the incredible honor of attending the 17th Annual Courage Awards with our good friend DJ Gregory! Parker was invited as the presenter for DJ's 2010 Courage Award. The award is presented by the Tempe Sports Authority Foundation to courageous Athletes who inspire people across the nation. The night was filled with wonderful people, all with inspiring stories of courage. It was a fabulous evening and we thank the Tempe Sports Authority Foundation and DJ for including us!

Parker introducing DJ

Presenting DJ with the 2010 Courage Award

Sun Valley Trip

2010-03-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a fabulous get away in Sun Valley. It was a perfect relaxing weekend to recharge the batteries for a demanding golf season ahead. We love that town and enjoyed a wonderful vacation with great friends! Here are some highlights...

Just about to Land in Sun Valley

Thank you Tempus Jets for the memorable ride into Sun Valley

All the boys at the local hockey game! Go Suns!

Ready to hit the slopes!

Last Meal .... Grumpy's - Best burgers in town!!

West Coast Swing 2010

2010-03-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

It always seems like I upload the photos from the West Coast Swing around end of March! It is such a crazy and fun time that it just flies by before we have a chance to share it all! Here are some of the highlights from our journey!

Sony Open, Honolulu Hawaii

*** DJ Gregory sharing his story with the La Pietra Varsity & JV Girls Basketball Teams, (organized by Parker's Mom, Beth McLachlin - Teacher at La Pietra)

Blessing in a Backpack Program in Hawaii

The PGA TOUR Wives Association partnered with Blessings in Backpack and Friends of Hawaii Charities (Charity sponsor of the Sony Open) to feed Hawaii's underprivileged school children. The program provides undernourished school children food for the weekends. Participating schools have seen dramatic increases in test scores, reduced number of school nurse visits on Monday, increased attention/focus in the classrooms! To learn more about how to get involved... visit http://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/

Parker Paddle boarding
Unfortunately Parker missed the cut at the Sony but we spent our weekend enjoying the water and trying out Paddle Boarding!

Sunset View
last evening before we had to leave

Waste Management Open - Phoenix, AZ

***

Blessings in Backpack Program in Phoenix
The PGA TOUR Wives Association partnered with the Thunderbirds to enable children from 7 different schools to now benefit from the Blessings in a Backpack program! It was wonderful to see this program expand in Arizona and make a difference for the children in our own community.

Sunday Afternoon at the Phoenix Open
Our great friend Andrew caddied for Parker at the Phoenix Open!

2010

2010-01-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

Parker and I are loving being back in Hawaii. Its been a full year since he has been back home. We've spent this week catching up with family friends, and of course fitting some beach time and practice time in.

We had a great off season spending most of the time at home. We were able to get in a great routine and enjoy getting settled into our new place. Our highlight was probably hosting our very first Thanksgiving at our home. It was so much fun and hope will be a tradition for many years to come!

Right now Parker is on the Big Island hosting his junior clinic at Waikoloa! It is always such a treat to be back there and spend some time with the kids.

Parker has continued to put in a lot of hard work on his swing and has been focused on developing his strength and conditioning during this off season... or "pre season" as we like to call it. Now that we have arrived in Hawaii, we are truly excited to embark on the new season ahead.

Looking forward to kicking it all off at Sony next week!

Happy 2010!

Kristy & Parker

Wrapping up 2009

2009-11-19T20:56:00.000-08:00

Its hard to believe that the season has now officially come to an end. We had a great last PGA TOUR event of 2009 in Florida. We stayed with Parker's coach, Sean Foley, and his family. We had so much fun getting to spend time with them, especially their 19mo. old. Fun dinners at the house and happy hour on their patio. We also spent a few of the nights with Stephen Ames and his son. Sean is Stephen's coach as well so we had some great "Team Foley" get togethers.

Parker and Stephen were paired together during the first two rounds of the tournament which was a great experience for Parker. Even though Parker didn't make the cut I think he was able to take away some great things from the golf course that week. On Sunday we offered to babysit so the Foley's could go out and watch Stephen and Justin Rose (another one of Sean's students) in the final round. Both were playing well that week and had a chance to win. Parker and I watched it on TV and it was a blast to see Stephen go home with the trophy!

Now we are at the Callaway Invitational in Pebble Beach. It is so beautiful here, words can not describe. It is easily one of our favorite weeks of the year. Parker has had the chance to play Monterey Penisula Golf Club, the new addition to the Pebble Beach Invitational Tournament and Cypress with his 2009 Playing Partner Doug MacKenzie. Scott Simpson and Parker's Dad joined them for an epic day out on the golf course.

Today he played Pebble Beach and we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. He had a great group of playing partners and is off to Del Monte tomorrow for day 2.

I love this tournament because you get to really appreciate the beauty of these golf courses. there are no spectators, grandstands, ropes, etc like in a regular PGA TOUR event. Just the guys on the course.

Viking Cancelled

2009-11-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

I still can't believe the Viking Classic was cancelled.

The tournament week basically went like this....

Thursday - alarm went off at 5 am... Parker and Ricky Barnes left for the course... txt messages from the Tour followed with 1/2 hr rain delay... 1 hr rain delay... 3 hr rain delay... day cancelled.... then practically the entire TOUR went to the nearby movie theater... We saw Michael Jackson's Movie (it was amazing!)

Friday - alarm went off at 5 am... Parker and Ricky left for the course... txt messages with 1/2 rain delay... 1 hr rain delay... 3 hr rain delay... day cancelled... once again - everyone went to the nearby movie theater... we saw Couples Retreat

Saturday - practice facilities were closed and we awaited news from the Tour.

Finally just before noon, it was announced that the event was cancelled - we hopped on a plane and headed home to phoenix :( I was so sad for all of the people at the tournament who worked so hard all year to put this event on. It was a shame that the weather just didn't allow this tournament to happen. It was especially a bummer since Parker seemed very ready to play that week.

Off the course we had a great time getting to stay with the parents of one of our very best friends. Ricky stayed there as well which made it a blast. We loved our time and Jackson and have to thank Tim and Jean for showing us such a great time. It was fun to connect with all of our extended friends there as well!

I was extra bummed that the tournament got cancelled because I was soooo looking forward to seeing one of my favorite chef's Tyler Florence do a cooking demonstration at the tournament on Saturday. We missed it because we ended up flying home that day. Once we got back to phoenix we turned on the golf channel and since there was no tournament to show they were airing the Tyler Florence Cooking segment. I was sad to have missed it but it was cool that they were still able to put it on and share it on the golf channel. We were inspired to cook that week at home!

Now we are in Orlando, Florida staying at Parker's coaches house. It is so nice to be able to be able to hang with him and his family. We are looking forward to a fun week! Last PGA TOUR event of the season... lets make it a great one!

Fall Series Kick Off

2009-10-28T12:45:00.001-07:00

After our break during the playoffs we are now back into the full swing of things. Turning Stone was so beautiful (and still very cold) but we loved it anyway! It felt like fall with the leaves changing color and the chill in the air. Parker had a great week but feel just short of the cut line. It was pretty heart breaking. I think it was actually the most bummed I had seen him all year. He has been so patient with his swing changes and has put in so much hard work this year. Now that he is getting so close to being able to convert his hard work to success on the golf course, his expectations are higher and higher. I know its coming.

The fall weather didn't last too long because after Turning Stone we headed back out to Vegas. Since an entire week on the Strip can be a bit overwhelming, I took full advantage of getting to explore a different part of Las Vegas with my girlfriend Sybi Kuchar. We went on a hike in Red Rock Canyon and it was an amazing getaway. I had no idea that Las Vegas could be so beautiful.

For the second year in a row the highlight of the Vegas tournament was when Justin Timberlake's mother put on an amazing luncheon for all of the girls!!! It was a blast and was topped off by a fun visit from Justin himself!!! Here is the picture that we captured, poor guy - you can barely see him in this mob of women!

On the course, Parker had a great week in Vegas, scoring really well the first couple of days and then not getting as much as he wanted to out of the round over the wekeend. All in all it was a great week with another incredible Justin Timberlake and Friends Concert.

After fun week at home for the Frys.com Open we have arrived in Jackson, MS for the Viking Classic. Parker had another solid week last week so hopefully he will have lots of momentum coming into this tournament. His swing defintiely seems to be coming together so it has been getting exciting to see how things will develop on the golf course.

Getting Ready for Fall

2009-09-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

Since Parker is not a part of the playoffs this year, he has had some great time to prepare for the fall. With a visit to Florida to see his coach, he has been able to get some great practice in and get into a consistent workout schedule. Although we would have loved to have been in the playoffs this year, being home has been a wonderful treat. We recently moved and have been using this time to work on some home projects! I think this break from a tournament schedule was just what we both needed to get ready for the fall series. We are looking forward to Turning Stone first, it is always one of our favorite events of the year. Hopefully it will be warmer than last year!!! I'm bringing my hat and gloves just in case!

Ready for more House Projects!

Defending Champion

2009-08-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Returning to Reno has been one of the highlights of the year! Even though I missed out on the win last year, just being back to the course gave me goosebumps. Everyone was so wonderful. We had the whole family to support which made the week so much fun! Thanks to everyone who came out and walked with us. Especially the Andersons who graciously hosted Parker once again this year, baby Jason for making Reno his first golf tournament ever, and DJ Gregory who walked Reno for the first time (since he was at the Bridgestome Championship during his 2008 PGA Journey). It was such a special week - thank you!

Before Reno, we had a family reunion (on Parker's side) the week before the tournament. It was the greatest week! It was very relaxing but still kept us in the competitive spirit. Oh yes, there were family competitions in volleyball, bocce ball, and baggo. We even had a golf day with the whole family. It was my first time playing on a golf course ever! When Parker and I were first dating we went to the driving range a couple of times, but since golf has become such a large part of our lives, I just haven't really had the desire to play during our "down time." His Aunt let me borrow her clubs and we played a scramble! That is such a fun way to play golf, I had no idea it could be so fun.... a lot less pressure on my shots ;-)

Fort Worth

2009-05-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

Another week of great progress for Parker. Though it hasn't quite shown in his score yet, I know that he feels like he is so close to putting it all together on the golf course. Even when he ended his friday round with a Tin Cup like moment, he still managed to leave his mark at the Colonial... check out his best shot of the tournament!

Sports Center Top 10

"Walking with Friends"

2009-05-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

It was a great week in Charlotte, one of our favorite events of the year. I absolutely love the town and Parker loves the course. Works out well for everyone! Now we are in Ponte Vedra, Florida. We rented a condo on the beach this week...we have Parker's Dad, Coach, and Sports Psychologist staying with us. The whole team is here!

Another reason that this week is extra special is that tomorrow May 5th is the date of our good friend DJ Gregory's book release. If you are a fan of golf you have probably heard his inspirational story, but just in case...check out it out below:

In the past year DJ has become a great friend and we are so excited for the launch of his book Walking with Friends: An Inspirational Year on the PGA Tour . Hope you can check it out!

With DJ and his family, holding his very first copy of the book

2009-04-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Sad to say our New Orleans stay has come to an end. This week has been full of amazing food and amazing people! We got in early on Sunday and had a chance to check out the French Quarter Festival with one of my best friends. We saw an awesome local band called Trombone Shorty and made our way through all of the food stands... sampling all the food that we had missed so much over the year...gumbo, po'boys, jambalaya.

Then the best surprise of the week was when Parker got paired with Chef Emeril Lagasse during the Wednesday Pro Am. They had a blast together and that night we were fortunate enough to attend a Zurich Classic party at his restaurant Emeril's. Later in the week we checked out NOLA, his more casual but equally as delicious restaurant.

Parker & I with his cousin Holly at the Players Party at Acme Oyster House

During the day on Wednesday I participated in arts and crafts day with the children of St Michael's School and also had the chance to meet the CNN Hero of the Year. Her name is Liz McCartney, Director and Co-Founder of an amazing program called the St. Bernard Project. Their mission is to help rebuild the lives of the Katrina survivors. With the help of volunteers and donated materials, they rebuild the homes in the St. Bernard Parish so that families can return home. I hope to come back next year and volunteer with her organization http://www.stbernardproject.org/

On the course Parker made huge progress this week. Everything really came together for him during the first 2 days and it seemed like golf almost looked effortless. Unfortunately he had some back pains on Saturday which didn't allow him to get into any kind of rhythm on the course. Sunday he felt much better and was able to find some positive progress in his swing once again. Excited to be in Charlotte now, this is always one of Parker's favorite tournaments!

2009-03-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

This blog is especially dedicated to all the American Idol fans!

Today was a great reunion for Parker and his Pebble Beach Pro Am partner, Doug, and also a day where we had the chance to make a personal connection with one of the American Idol Finalist.

Parker, Doug, and friends had an awesome day of golf out at Whisper Rock and then we all met up for dinner out in Scottsdale at a restaurant called NoRTH. Through family ties, we were joined by the father of American Idol Finalist, Scott MacIntyre. What a wonderful guy. We are so thrilled for their whole family and will be rooting Scott on the rest of the way! Don't forget to vote on Tuesday. :-)

Marissa, Andrew, Doug, Parker, Kristy, Doug MacIntyre, & Jim at NoRTH in Scottsdale, AZ

Phil Mickelson, Charles Schawb, Doug MacKenzie, & Parker at the Pebble Beach Pro Am In February

Spring Training in Scottsdale

2009-03-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend Parker and I had the chance to check out a Spring Training Game in Scottsdale. Ever year we seem to be traveling at this time and always miss out on this huge attraction in AZ. It was such an awesome day for a baseball game. We got to watch the Giants vs. the Padres and of course were rooting for my old home team the Giants. Thanks to our friends at the Giants for such an awesome day!!!

2009-03-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

We just got back from an amazing long weekend in Sun Valley, ID. It was a great escape from the golf course and just what we needed to recharge for the next road trip. Special thanks to Cubby for helping us organize such an awesome weekend!

Parker in his new Oakley goggles - Thanks Oakley!

Parker & I on top of "Mt. Baldy"

West Coast Highlights

2009-02-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

So once again, the West Coast swing has gone by in a blink of an eye! I can't believe that it is already over...It is our favorite part of the year, but also the busiest. Here are some of the highlights!

Pre Tournament week ~ Hawaii

It all started with a basketball game with the President Elect, Barack Obama

Security was high

I guess word travels fast when the future President is in town

Mercedes-Benz Championship ~ Maui

Friends and Family joined us in the Mercedes Celebration

Parker's best friend Max proposed to his girlfriend Margaux

Sony Open ~ Oahu

This is what you do when you don't get to play on the weekend at the Sony Open...
Bocce Ball

& Canoeing at Sunset!!!

FBR Open ~ Phoenix

To jump start the week, Parker and I hosted a wine tasting on Monday of the FBR with Destination Cellars and Duckhorn Winery

Dave, one of Parker's best friend's, caddied for him at the FBR and helped him earn the first Top 20 finish of the year!

Buick Invitational ~ San Diego

I can't believe I made the February issue of InStyle Magazine! My head is the size of a pencil dot but its there!!! (I am just one of the 50 women surrounding Justin Timberlake during the Las Vegas Tournament in the bottom left photo!)

AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am ~ Pebble Beach

This is where we host our version of the Clambake!

And after getting paired with Phil Mickelson for the first 3 rounds of the AT&T, Phil graciously invited our group out for dinner (and our good friend even captured a quick pic with him!)

Northern Trust Open ~ Los Angeles

Only in LA would we get the opportunity to meet Bradley Bayou, a fashion designer to the stars and author of The Science of Sexy

Parker and UCLA Alumni including Kevin Chappel, Brandt Jobe, Scott McCarron, & Tom Pernice were introduced at half time during the Thursday night UCLA Basketball game against Washington

My grandparents even had the chance to enjoy their very first PGA TOUR Golf Tournament!

Finally, the weekend provided us with a little time off to go support Parker's brother Spencer in his Stanford Volleyball match against Northridge

***

Those are just some snapshots of our "off course" adventures! It has been a great West Coast swing! Thanks to everyone who made the effort to be there to share in these moments with us. It makes this journey truly incredible when we can share it with family and friends! See you in Florida!

Parker's First Mercedes Benz Championship

2009-01-13T19:46:00.001-08:00

I am actually writing this from San Diego... so its a little overdue. But I wanted to share these pictures from the Mercedes! It was such a wonderful week. I now know why all of the veterans on TOUR say this is their favorite tournament. There were so many things that made this week so special! Celebrating Parker's first Mercedes-Benz Championship in his home state could not have been more amazing! We would love to back here again in the near future!

Happy New Year

2008-12-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

Arriving in Hawaii at the end of December is our cue that the new season is about to begin. We can't think of anything better than being with family and friends in Hawaii to bring in the New Year.

This year was the first "off season" that Parker has experienced since he turned professional.

We kept pretty busy catching up on things at home and Parker dedicated himself to training and practicing. We also took a wonderful trip to Italy in early December. It is important to us to end the year with some time away where we can turn off all communication - no phones and no computers. Its amazing how cleansing and freeing it can be to just put down that Blackberry. It allowed us to reflect on the previous year and prepare for new season right around the corner. Ironically, the exact time of our trip to Italy was the week of 3rd stage of Q-School. This was Parker's first year to not have to return to Q-School, so we toasted with great appreciation of all of his hard work.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence

Tenute Silvio Nardi Winery in Montalcino

With our friends Andrew & Marissa at Altesino Winery in Montalcino

The most exciting event surrounding the New Year was the opportunity we had to meet President Elect, Barack Obama. Parker's father, Chris McLachlin, was Obama's varsity basketball coach at Punahou. We have all followed the extensive media coverage of Obama's love for the game, and anxiously awaited the reunion between player and coach.

While he was here vacationing on the island, the President Elect gathered some former teammates and headed to the gym for a pick up game at his old high school. The game just wouldn't have been complete without their coach and the night before ....Chris, Parker, and his brother Spencer received the invitation to join him for a game.

So on their very first meeting, Parker guarded Obama, and Obama guarded Parker!

After the game, the rest of the family was permitted to gather in the athletic office for a short get together with the basketball gang. To our surprise the future President of the United States said...how about a family picture...

Time to Exhale

2008-10-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe that Parker's second season on the PGA TOUR has finally come to an end. As long as the year has been, it has all flown by so incredibly fast. (I know...I think I say that every year!) The end of the golf season seemed to come at perfect timing. I could tell Parker was running on fumes and I myself was ready for a break from the "golf world" for a bit. :-) We had to take a few weeks at home before we could reflect on the season and appreciate all of the special memories on the road and all of the great accomplishments Parker has made this year.

The home stretch was a memorable few weeks on the West Coast. We had a chance to see lots of family and friends as the tour moved back West for the Fall Series.

The Valero Texas Open was an extra special week for me because the PGA TOUR Wives Association http://www.pgatourwives.org/index.php partnered with the Valero Foundation to host a luncheon for the Women of Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront is an amazing organization that was started by two wives of soldiers after 9/11. http://www.operationhomefront.net/ This organization supports troops, families left behind, and the wounded soldiers and their families. Our event with Operation Homefront was a day to honor the the women and families of the wounded soldiers being treated at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and to thank them for all they have given to our country. I had the honor of meeting so many incredibly strong women that day, it was a truly moving and humbling experience to hear the real life stories of the families that serve this country so unselfishly.

As a follow up to our event with Operation Homefront we had the chance to put together care packages for the soldiers serving abroad. It was a great day as we packed boxes with lots of goodies, supplies, and signed photos with messages from the players.

The next tournament brought us to Las Vegas! The whole week was so much fun!!! This year the tournament had a new sponsor, Shriners Hospital for Children, and and a new host.... JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE. To be honsest, this tournament had been causing quite a buzz around the TOUR for the few months leading up to the event. Earlier in the summer we learned that Justin Timerlake's mother/manager was going to be hosting a luncheon for all of the wives during the week of the tournament... with a surprise guest at the luncheon! I think every wife begged their husband to play in the tournament, for that reason only... the chance to possibly meet Justin!!!

The luncheon was a huge success and an absolute treat. And just when we thought that there was no way we were going to get to see him, he walked in the door when we were least expecting! I wish I could say I have pictures to show, but the moment when 50 women realized that Justin Timberlake was here to see them was priceless, the place went wild!

Later in the week Justin hosted a charity concert "Justin Timberlake and Friends" at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. He and his "Friends" including The Jonas Brothers, Leona Lewis, Boyz II Men, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Rihanna, 50 Cent, Will.i.am, and Lionel Richie played until after 1:00 am in the morning! It was one of the most memorable nights of the year!

This year Parker was able to end his season at home! It was a goal for Scottsdale to be his last tournament of the year and this year he was able to do just that. Thursday's round was a bit of an indication that he didn't have much left in him. I think that fact that he was so close to the end of his season and that he could see his finish line...started to get to him on the golf course. I would have completely understood if he would have had another similar round on Friday, but instead he came back and played one of the low rounds of the tournament to only barely miss the cut. Although it would have been nice to end on the weekend, he pushed himself and gave it everything he had left to end his season. It was an admirable ending to a great year!

Thank you to everyone who gave him so much support this year! It has meant so much to both of us! See you in 2009!

Turning Stone

2008-10-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

A very cold Thursday morning

This week was our official introduction to Fall! Parker and I often joke that we have a full year of Summer, one because we reside in Arizona and two because the PGA Tour basically follows the warm weather. This week, however, was an exception to the rule. The Turning Stone Resort Championship fell a few weeks later than last year and if you live in New York ... apparently a few weeks can make a world of difference when it comes to weather. Instead of the normal 75+ degree golf days that we are used to, the temperature was down into the 40-50s. Everyone on the golf course was dressed more for a North Eastern football game than for a golf tournament. It was the coldest we had been in a long time.

Even though this was a week where hand warmers were an absolute must and player dinning looked more like ski lodge, I actually loved the change of pace. Last year everyone kept telling us that we were just a few days too early to see the fall colors of central New York. This year we were right on time. The colors were amazing and apparently within a few more weeks they only get better.

Enjoying the Fall colors

The cold and the rain were elements that Parker had to battle on the golf course. I know that he was so excited to get back here because we had such fond memories of this tournament from last year. Thursday and Friday were a grueling couple of days, it even hailed before his Friday tee time. Thankfully, Parker finished just before the round was called because of darkness and made a 20ft putt on #17 to make the cut on the number on Friday evening. Then on Saturday he had another cut to make, draining a 7ft putt on #9 to play again on Sunday. Needless to say he was keeping it exciting for our friends from New York who came out and toughed it out through the cold with me. They kept telling me ...this is just a typical day in Central New York!

The sun finally comes out (the geese are even flying south for the winter!)

Right now we are on the plane headed to the next tournament and the pilot just said that it is 86 degrees down in San Antonio. Even though I loved getting my first glimpse of the Fall season, it will be nice to get back to some warm weather ... San Antonio, Las Vegas, then Scottsdale. (this 4 week stretch was sure hard to pack for ... shorts, t-shirts, beanies, and gloves?!? Ahhh, life on the road!)

Back to the Islands

2008-09-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

Having the last two Fed Ex events off gave us a little extra time to squeeze in a trip back to Hawaii! It was perfect timing to get some much needed R&R and for Parker to visit back home.

While we were there Parker visited Waikoloa on the Big Island where he conducted a Junior Golf Clinic at Waikoloa Kings' Course. He had a great turn out and had a chance to spend some quality time with the junior golfers of Hawaii.

Also while he was home, Parker took on a new role as community Ambassador for the Friends Club. www.friendsofhawaii.org. As the Ambassador of the membership group behind the Friends of Hawaii Charities, Parker will help raise awareness for the great efforts this group is making to help those in need in the state of Hawaii. Parker and the Friend Club hope to increase the club's membership as well as increase the charity dollars that are going to the Friends of Hawaii Charities, which is the driving force behind the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Golf Clinic at Waikoloa Kings' Course

Parker with University of Hawaii, Hilo Golf Team

Parker with Juniors at Waikoloa Golf Clinic

Deutsche Bank

2008-09-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

Its now been a few weeks since we left Boston, but it took us both a bit to recover from the disappointing outcome. Coming into this tournament we had high hopes, with Parker hitting the ball more consistently then he had in a long time. He had a solid first round and his second round was looking very positive as well. I was walking the golf course with a close friend of mine from high school (who now lives in Boston) and after a string of birdies we found ourselves planning to watch a weekend full of golf.

Parker made a bogey on one hole coming in (I think it was #6) and after that we realized that he he might have to make another birdie, but most likely he was fine just were he was (right at the cut line). Then we got to the last hole. He hit his drive into the right rough and hit a beautiful shot onto the green. He had two putts for par.

Right behind the green they had one of the large electronic scoreboards, with the "projected" fed ex point numbers. Ironically as Parker got up to the ball to make his putt for par, I saw behind him, a picture of him with the number 69th right next to him... this meant that if he just made the cut, that would be good enough to qualify him into the BWM (Top 70 Qualified)which would have then given him a chance at the Tour Championship. As soon as that thought came into my head, I realized...I shouldn't have even looked.

As the 6ft putt lipped out, it was heartbreaking. In a matter of seconds, he went from playing on the weekend and playing the following week in St. Louis, to packing the bags to go home. We couldn't believe it. Sure you miss cuts here and there throughout the year, but I have to say this one was the hardest to swallow.

The car ride back to the hotel was a difficult one. After we had a moment to try to digest what had just happened we made the decision to get out and get our minds off a golf for a bit. We had tickets to Fenway Park that we just couldn't pass up. It was our first time to this historic site and we loved every minute of it... It was the perfect remedy. :-)

Parker with Friends from Hawaii... can you see Dean Wilson in the background!

Playoffs

2008-08-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that the playoffs are already here! As much as it seems like we have been on the road forever, it also seems like this year is flying by. Last year Parker was outside the top 144 going into this part of the season so he didn't get into any of these events. This year we were very excited to come to New Jersey for the Barclays.

Each player had their own parking spot

Everyone got BMWs to drive for the week! - Players parking looked like a BMW Dealership

It has been a crazy couple of weeks since the win, but we have been truly enjoying every minute. This week Parker did play well, it just seemed like he was trying to get back into his grove.

Even though he missed the cut, we definitely still made the most of the week. Parker's Aunt and Uncle joined us and we had a great time with them off the golf course. We went into NYC on a couple different days and actually drove in the city! That was quite the experience by itself. Early in the week we went to see the Jersey Boys on Broadway (which is one of our favorites) and were seated in the very front row. That night we also ate dinner in the www.meatpacking-district.com which is a trendy little part of the city with cobblestone streets, great restaurants, and fun boutiques. On the weekend we went to window shop. We ate lunch in Little Italy and walked around SoHo and visited Greenwich Village! It was a perfect New York Day.

Another highlight of the week was visiting Harriman State Park. Surprisingly we were actually staying very close to a beautiful open space area. After the long days of golf we went driving along Seven Lakes Drive and stopped at a lake for happy hour and to just hang out. It was an awesome get away.

We have since arrived in Providence, RI which is where we are staying for the Deutsche Bank Championship. This is another first for us so we are looking foward to the week.

1st PGA TOUR WIN!!!

2008-08-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Parker and I just got settled in at our host families home in Bloomfield, MI. It is Wednesday afternoon and Parker is at the golf course getting a practice round in for the PGA Championship! It was 7 weeks ago when he made the goal of getting into the PGA this week! And he did it the last way possible - TO WIN THE RENO TAHOE OPEN!!!Little did he know that by accomplishing the goal of playing in the season's last major, he would also accomplish a lifetime goal....to win on the PGA TOUR!

I still can't quite say that it has sunk in, there have been so many hugs and tears of joy in the last couple of days! We first both want to thank everyone for all of the wonderful phone calls, txt messages, and e-mails!!! We know that this was a victory for everyone who has been a part of Parker's journey as a golfer!

Looking back, it is funny that I didn't get to write a blog after Canada. Because that is where most of it started. We had a wonderful time up in Toronto, spending time with some very special friends. On the golf course, this was the week where Parker found his rhythm. His words to me on Sunday after the tournament were "I got my instincts back this week." He had always planned to take Reno off because that would have meant 6 weeks in a row. But after getting into his grove in Canada, he didn't want to just sit at home. We flew home on Monday and by Wednesday he had made his decision to play and was on his way out to Reno. He played in a Pro Am Wednesday afternoon (which was the only opportunity he had to get out onto the course before the tournament started).

Another great story of the week was the caddy. Travis has been a long time friend of Parker's and has been his caddy at very momentous points in his career. He has caddied for Parker at first stage of q-school both in 2004 & 2005 in Dayton Valley, where they got through each time. After Canada, Parker and his tour caddy, Scott parted ways and Parker gave Travis a call. Now living in the area with a career in Commercial Real Estate, Travis got the week off so that he could come out to caddy (all again, very last minute)!

Another ironic part of the week was ...this was my first week off all year! After spending 5 weeks in a row on the road (one being out of the country). We decided that Parker was going to go on his own to the tournament and I was going to catch up on things at home and possibly meet him out there on the weekend. Well I think I can say... I should stay home more often!!! :-) (j/k)

By the time the weekend rolled around Parker had managed to tie the course record with a 10 under par on Friday. This put Parker in the lead going into the weekend. My first instincts were of course, jump on a plane right now! But I knew better. Most importantly I needed to keep constant and neutral for Parker. We had great phone conversations, not even really talking much about the golf. We both knew the routine he was in this week was working and not to go and change that.

Then on Saturday night after a follow up round of 6 under par, Parker was holding his first 54 hole lead. That night, in so many words, we decided that instead of me coming out to give him a hug on the green, I had really given him my 18th green hug and kiss when I dropped him off at the airport on Wednesday. It was that day we knew he had it in him to win this week. We just didn't want his emotions to interfere with the goal he was trying to achieve. We both knew that we were on the exact same page, physically I wasn't there, but I was always with him.

Watching him walk up the 18th was the moment I will never forget. I have always visualized what it would be like to be at home watching him win on tv and I actually got to experience it. I jumped off the couch and cried my eyes out when he made that last birdie put on the 18th! As much as I had dreamt about it, not thing could have prepared me for those emotions, it was incredible.

The greatest part of the week was that so many of his family members and friends were able to join him for this accomplishment and celebration. He is so fortunate to have so many wonderful supporters who have always believed in him and have known that it was just a matter of WHEN this was going to happen. Amazingly enough the event was on the west coast so so many people were able to make the trip!

I hope that you can enjoy all of the great photos of the celebration after his first PGA TOUR Win.

Parker's Grandpa and Aunt Laura
(drove in from Chico, CA)

Parker's Dad with Parker's godfather Nick & daughter Dolly
(who came in from Florida)

Parker with his Aunt Marylyn & Unlce John,
(drove overnight from San Clamente, CA)

Parker with my mom, sister, and dad
(Drove from Novato, CA)

Parker with his sister Bekka & her husband Jason
(came from Yucca Valley in Southern CA)

Parker with one of his best friends, Andrew
(flew in from Phoenix, AZ to surprise him on the 18th green)

Parker with Don, his sports psychologist and great friend
(flew in from Phoenix, AZ to celebrate at the 18th green)

Milwaukee

2008-07-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Towards Friday late afternoon, a friend asked me... so what do you do if you happen to have the weekend off? Well, first of all, I have to share that Parker and I never really talk about that. Truthfully, it is not even in our vocabulary. But the reality of being on the PGA Tour is that it can happen.

So this weekend we decided to stay and make the most of being in Milwaukee. Parker felt like he needed a mental break from golf so we took the 2 days off completely and he didn't even go out to the course. He was tempted to go home and not play in the Canadian Open but after sleeping on it Friday night, he decided that a couple days rest would be just what he needed to prepare for one more tournament week.

We had the chance to catch up on the British Open and had a fishing trip planned for Saturday with some friends on Tour. Unfortunately, the weather changed our plans so we all went and saw The Dark Night and then went bowling. Basically just a nice "hanging out" couple of days, something that we don't get to do too much of when we are on the road.

This week wouldn't have been complete without some Wisconsin Cheese! On Wednesday before the tournament I went with a friend to visit the Wisconsin Cheese Mart, which holds the largest selection of Wisconsin Cheese - my absolute weakness.

We also visited the Miller Brewery. This was my first experience with a Brewery, I couldn't believe how much beer gets produced & shipped out everyday! The warehouse was 5 football fields long (And yes, it was full!) It was nice to visit the facility when we did because Miller has recently merged with Coors and they will begin expanding the facilities to produce both brands. A tour of a brewery was a unique experience to Milwaukee (even the Baseball team is named after the history of "breweries" in the area).

Parker and I visited one last Milwaukee staple last week - Kopp's Frozen Custard & Jumbo Burgers! It was kind of like an In n Out - with amazing burgers and and old school burger joint feel.

We have finally made it to Canada, after our flight was canceled last night, we spent an unexpected evening back in Milwaukee. I guess with the amount we travel, we can't complain too much when things like that happen. But then again it is hard to always be at the mercy of the airlines. It's situations like these that really can test our patience on the road. We always try to stay savvy and ahead of the game as much as possible, but sometimes you have to just roll with the punches!

From the East Coast to the Midwest

2008-07-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

On our drive to the Congressional Country Club

Parker and I just arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It has been a great last few weeks on the road... It is hard to believe that we are embarking on week #4!!!

Two weeks ago at the AT&T National we enjoyed a festive 4th of July week in our Nation's Capitol. We were really looking forward to this year's tournament because he was actually in the field. (he was the on site alternate last year and didn't end up getting in). We didn't fit in quite as much site seeing as we would have liked this year but still were able to enjoy a night out in Georgetown and spent some great time with good friends who were also celebrating the holiday in D.C. On the 4th of July Parker didn't walk off the golf course until about 8:00pm because of the rain delays, but we made it back to the hotel just in time to see the view. We actually watched about 6 firework shows from our hotel room that night.

An Evening in Georgetown

Dinner with Friends in D.C.

This past week at the John Deere Classic we enjoyed a nice change of pace. Moline, IL has such a great small town feel. It was nice to escape all of the chain restaurants and surprisingly Parker and I found some incredible exotic cuisine in this small Midwest town. Our favorites were a Thai Restaurant on the way to the course and and Indian Restaurant that we happened to find last year. Moline, IL is also home to some of the best ice cream in the US. One of the highlights of the week was that we were treated to Whitey's Ice Cream in the club house after his rounds. They are famous for their shakes that are so thick that they can be turned upside down with nothing spilling out!

One Last Whitey's Ice Cream Shake

The John Deere Classic

Today Parker played in a Pro Am in Rockford, IL. After Sundays round we all got on a bus that drove us about an hr 1/2 to Rockford. Instead of a typical bus it felt more like and RV...It was a great way to travel! All of the guys hung out and played cards and were able to relax... and I was able to take in the views of miles and miles of cornfields between the two cities.

-Kristy

Staying in the US

2008-07-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

Today Parker had his British Open Qualifier in Dearborn, MI. It was another 36 hole day! Since he missed the cut at the Buick so at least he had a bit more time to prepare for this qualifier (compared to the US Open one a few weeks back).

Maple St.
I had the day to myself since it wasn't much of a spectating type of tournament. For me, it was that ultimate "living on the road" day. I had to pack up and check out of the hotel, after checking in only late the night before...(I don't even think we were there for a full 24 hrs?). Then I drove to this quaint little town called Birmingham about 30 minutes away. It had great little boutique shops, lots of restaurants, and coffee shops. I just loved getting walk around. Then I did little errands (I guess just like I would have done at home). I found a tailor to mend something for me in a couple hours, I got a birthday present had it gift wrapped and shipped, and then found a fax machine to send urgent materials before the end of the day... I thought to myself - those tasks seem so normal when you are home, but when you are practically living out of your car in foreign town... you have to be a little creative and resourceful in order to get everything done.

Unfortunately Parker missed qualifying only by a couple of strokes. I think we were both really hoping to get into this tournament, but I guess the positive side is that he can really focus on his upcoming schedule here in the US. He shot seven under and nine under went into a play off. I am just really encouraged with how well he is playing and am excited for it to all come together in a tournament round very soon.

Now it is off to Washington DC for the 4th of July!

First Week Back

2008-06-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

Grand Blanc, MI at 9:00 pm!

Parker and I were both looking forward to getting back on the road after our very enjoyable 3 week break. It was the longest break of the year so far... one week is just never enough, by the time you get unpacked and get everything put away, you have to pull it all back out again! Three weeks was just right! We had the chance to relax, cook at home, and even got to see his entire family for his cousin's wedding.

The McLachlin Family

At first we felt a little rusty with our packing, but we got back into the swing of traveling very quickly. The hardest thing for us this week was adjusting to the time change. Coming from the West Coast, adjusting to East Coast time is hard enough by itself, but since Michigan is so far north, it stays light sooooo late. It didn't get dark until 10:00 at night there.

Even though he didn't get the chance to play on the weekend, Parker is feeling great about his game and is enjoying getting back into his rhythm. On his time off, he visited the Titleist facility in Southern California and has put a new driver in the bag for these upcoming weeks.

Off the course pretty much consisted of movies and working out. They had a great gym nearby where I went with the girls and took cycling classes and pilates classes. Both were a first for me, and I loved it! It was great to have a group of us that motivated each other to go everyday. There was also a movie theater right by the hotel and we saw three movies this week. I think that there might be something with movies and golf...It is one of our favorite hobbies on the road. I know that Parker loves movies but it is also great way for him to get out of the sun, the heat, and away from golf crowds. Just a cool dark place to escape and enjoy.

Back to AZ

2008-06-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

The US Open Qualifier is finally complete and now we can plan out a schedule for the upcoming months. I know that it was disappointing when Parker missed at the qualifier but somehow this break might be just what he needs to prepare himself for some solid summer tournaments. I didn't go to the qualifier but I knew that the course was either going to seem really easy after the long weekend at Memorial or he just wasn't going to have enough steam to battle through a 36 hole day? Even though it would have been great to play at Torrey with a hometown crowd (all of the So Cal relatives), being able to going home for more than one week is going to be a first for the year. We are both looking forward to some down time and going to enjoy being back in Arizona.

"Rough" Week at the Memorial

2008-06-02T14:48:00.001-07:00

I sit here patiently waiting back at the hotel, I am supposed to pick up Parker in about an hour from his US Open Qualifier. We have been in Ohio for over a week now. And the results of today's qualifier, somewhat determine our schedule for the upcoming weeks. This past week was...how shall I say it... quite a "rough" week!

Parker and I managed to sleep through our first tornado warning. There was a storm that came through overnight, with lightning striking down hitting a nearby hotel. The thunder was so loud that it woke us both up, however somehow we fell back asleep as the city sirens went on full blast... (telling everyone of a possible tornado). I have no idea why it didn't occur to us in our half asleep state that we should get out of the room and go to the lobby of the hotel??? Thankfully it was just a warning and the very next morning brought sunny skies and I didn't hear of any major damage or injuries from the storm. It is good to know for the future...next time we hear those sirens, we will get downstairs!

This week was very special to be in the presence of Jack Nicklaus. It seemed like he was deeply involved in every aspect of the tournament. I would often see him around the club house or on a golf cart driving around his course. Oh but his course...as I am sure some of you saw, his course challenged everyone out there. Parker had a nice Thursdays round (looking back that +1 looked awfully nice) but on Friday his allergies got to him and he battled through the entire day sneezing and sniffling as the cottonwood trees blew what looked to be like snow through the air. I am not sure if that is what even got to him, but the site of the little cotton balls blowing around is enough to make you sneeze just by looking at it. The weekend brought more difficulties. Parker managed to find his way through of the rough and out of bunkers but definitely paid a price. It was a long day on the golf course on Sunday and I am starting to think that the excitement of AT&T, the heat in TX and the treachery of the course in Ohio is starting to get to him.

Even though it was a difficult week on the course, we had a great time in Dublin. It was a quaint little town with some fun restaurants. We loved our dinner at Tucci's Italian Restaurant, however after the really long days, Chipolte seemed to be the dinner of choice. We also had the chance to meet up with my cousins that live up in Ohio. We visited them back when Parker played the Nationwide Event in Cleveland, and then this year during the Memorial. Next we hope that we will be back one of these years in the near future for the World Golf Championship in Akron!

Fort Worth, TX

2008-05-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Fort Worth, TX came as a surprise to us. I think we were expecting a bigger city like Dallas, but we were pleasantly surprised with a small downtown with lots of character. It felt like we were truly in Texas. It seemed like everyone drove huge trucks, and it was very common to share the elevator with people their wrangler jeans, cowboy hat, and boots. We loved it! Not far from where we were staying were the Stockyards. On one of the first nights we headed over there and went to a place called Billy Bobs, it is apparently the world's largest Honky Tonk. I am still not really sure what that truly means, but it was this huge indoor facility with music, food, bull riding,and more. That night we saw Travis Tritt in concert and tried some local food (and were even served calf fries)... I didn't eat it and neither did Parker. We will try pretty much anything, but that went beyond our limits!

Later that week we went to dinner with some friends at a place called Lonesome Dove. www.lonesomedovebistro.com. It was an awesome experience. They had quite a bit of game on their menu which was a little intimidating at first but we decided to try it out and had appetizers which included kangaroo nachos! The food was phenomenal! The chef and owner Tim Love, was actually a winner on Iron Chef America. He is know for his signature desert...Warm Ancho Chile Chocolate Cake. WOW it was amazing!

This was the first year that Parker had the privilege of playing at the Colonial. I know that it was a special tournament for him because of the history with Ben Hogan. Looking back, we called this week his Cruise Control week. I think that both his body and mind were pretty exhausted after the excitement from Atlanta. Yet, he managed to play well enough to successfully play all 4 days. I am sure that the heat didn't help with the energy level. It was close to 95 degrees with humidity!!!! (Which made it nearly unbearable to walk the course, and I am sure even more difficult to play.)

We have already made it to Dublin, OH. Parker snuck into this tournament just before the cut off. You had to be top 70 after the week of Atlanta and because of his great play there, Parker was 69th on the Fed Ex List. This morning Parker had the privilege of meeting Jack Nicklaus. Parker saw him when he was at the course registering for the tournament. Parker was in his street clothes because we had sent his luggage through the luggage transporting service (to avoid all of these extra charges & hassle at the airlines). Well Parker introduced himself to Mr. Nicklaus and thanked him for the invitation this week. Parker told me that Mr. Nicklaus shook his hand and politely said "Your welcome, thank you for being here"... with this extremely blank stare on his face. I am sure he thought... now who is this???? Parker and I got a little laugh because we thought, with some more hard work on the golf course, maybe one day soon Mr. Nicklaus might get the chance to know who this guy from Hawaii really is.

It Must Have Been the Pants!

2008-05-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

If you can believe it, only a few hours after Parker finished on 18 at the AT&T Classic in Atlanta, we were already on a plane in two middle seats (one right in front of the other) on our way to the next tournament in Fort Worth, TX! WHAT A DAY! On the plane was where I did most of my reflecting on one of the most exciting days we have ever experienced on the golf course!

When Parker got ready Sunday morning I saw him starting to iron his pants... oh yes, the wild ones. I looked at him and said... "REALLY!?!" Normally he only wears these pants during practice rounds? But we looked at his alternative outfit and he wasn't really into wearing the more classic khaki and blue that day, so we said... "Go For It!" Little did we know that this would be the most media coverage Parker has ever had on the PGA TOUR. After dropping him off I went back to the hotel, packed up and checked out (my usual Sunday routine). I met up with Curt who has been his long time sponsor through his company Tee Time. Curt came in from the Nationwide Tour BMW Charity Pro Am in SC where he had been playing in the pro am the last 3 days. Curt and I caught up with Parker at the 7th green. We saw his 2nd shot land about a foot away from the hole, at that time he was already 3 under for the day. Parker continued to make another birdie at the 9th hole and I knew this was going to be a very special day.

As Parker approached the 12th green, I saw my first glimpse of the leaderboard and I had to stop for a quiet moment and take it in. For the first time on the PGA TOUR I saw Parker's name T1 at the very top! It was an amazing feeling. I knew that there were a few other guys tied at that point so I didn't know how long it would last - but it is a moment I will keep with me forever. That very same hole, Parker birdied again and he was in sole first place. Then came 13, I was disappointed that the ball landed in the bunker there because from our view it looked like he hit an incredible drive. You could barely see Parker in the bunker because it was so deep. When that shot went in, I could barely believe what I was seeing. I even saw on pgatour.com that it made the #1 shot of the week! From that point on Curt and I just tried to stay as calm as possible and take everything one hole at a time. It was unfortunate to see him not able to save par on 14 & 16... and almost made birdie on 15 & 17 for that matter. The 18th hole wasn't what any of us were hoping for, but looking back, Parker would have had to make eagle to even get in a playoff. I still know that he wouldn't have changed his decision to lay up. I don't know where that wind came from, but it just wasn't meant to be. I just keep reminding myself, that he shot 5 under par to even end up were he was, and on any Sunday that is an incredible score.

On the plane, I was still processing it all, as he was too, I am sure. Wow, he really had a chance to win! I know that we can look back and see a shot here and a shot there...and how it could have added up in his favor. But more than anything, he now has the experience of playing in the lead on under his belt (both on Thursday and on Sunday), and I know that this is just an indication of greater things to come.

Right after the round I ran into Kenny Perry's wife in the clubhouse. She has been a great friend to me during our first two years on tour and we had a chance to catch up about both of our husband's dramatic rounds of golf. After I was telling her about Parker's day she said to me... "Oh, this is your first time in the lead!" She was so excited for us that this was our very first experience in this situation. It really made me think... because to me, today felt like this was "IT"...like everything came down to this one day, this one 18th hole. When you right there in the moment, I think it is only natural to have those emotions. But what I realized after talking to my friend, was that Kenny Perry has been in this situation, many many times in his career, and so will Parker. It is all part of the process and his development as a successful PGA TOUR Professional (and for me as his supporter & teammate, I am always developing and learning too!)

Birthday Dinner at Canoe

Besides all of the excitement on the course, we had a great week in Atlanta. We celebrated both of our birthdays at an awesome restaurant called Canoe. We had the opportunity to get together with Parker's management group, Career Sports, who is also based in Atlanta. (They had a very busy week since they also represent Ryuji Imada who won the tournament). We had the chance to go to an incredible Thai food Restaurant called NAN...(twice) www.nanfinedining.com! This was actually the restaurant that catered Vijay Singh's Champions Dinner at the Masters.

I also had the opportunity to be a part of Golf In the Garden which was a day of fun for the children at Children's Heathcare of Atlanta. It was a very special day where we got to hang out with the kids and give them something to smile about during this difficult time in there lives.

This week in Atlanta was a very memorable one. It is hard to believe that we have already moved on to the next tournament. Another great thing about Parker's T5 finish last week is that it moved him up to 69th on the FedEx list. Top 70 get into the Memorial in Ohio so we are very excited to be a part of that tournament as well.

Thank you to everyone for all of your phone calls, e-mails, and txt messages! I can't believe how many people were watching! It means so much to know that so many people are behind him. It is just a matter of time before it all comes together!

Dallas

2008-04-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

I was sure that I was going to wait another week before I could express my thoughts about our week in Dallas, but already this Monday, we have moved forward and can reflect back on the last few days with a smile.

I would consider myself a pretty relaxed spectator. I can take both bogeys and birdies in stride, and know that 18 holes is a lot of golf and 72 holes is even more. A lot can happen in that time frame so I try to never get too high or low when I am watching. When people gasp when these guys hit it in the sand, I barely flinch. I have seen Parker get it up and down so many times now that I am pretty confident when the ball goes a little off the target he can make a great recovery. In fact, I think that is why people say "these guys are good" - because they can and do "recover"! All of that said, it doesn't mean that I don't let my emotions get involved when I am watching.

Again we were able to experience Parker's name at the top of the leader board for the second week in a row. With just some consistent play he managed to be at T3 going into the weekend. It was unfortunate to not see his game materialize the way he wanted on Saturday and Sunday. He had a stretch on Saturday of 7 birdie putts that just did not go in. Then a a couple bogeys... and boom, he was over par like "that." (Doesn't it aways seems to add up a lot faster when it is going in the wrong direction) At the end of the day, I felt deflated. Trying to keep my head up for Parker was hard when it seemed like everything was so in his reach. It just seems like when you are there in the moment, it can get so emotional.

Now a day later, already in a new city, I look back, it all seems like part of a greater learning experience. This has been the first time in a few years where Parker has been consistently getting off to a really great start. Before he often seemed to be putting himself behind the 8 ball on Thursday and Friday, and his top finishes came from the weekend rounds. So now is he on the other side of the spectrum. Now more that ever I am so confident that all of this experience is helping him develop into a stronger player. He is getting experience playing in the last few groups on the weekend and that is invaluable.

Off the course we had a great week. The Byron Nelson is a fabulous tournament that gives so much back to charity. The PGA TOUR Wives Association was also able to donate money to a local charity to help sponsor students to go to college. The Salesmanship Club (those guys in the "red pants") were so generous and accommodating the whole week. Plus we had access to a great gym this week, which is one of those little things that make such a difference!

Also since we were in Dallas we were able to attend a playoff game (Mavericks vs. Hornets). We went to the game with our great friends, the Allreds (who also play on TOUR). Fun story... Parker and I met at their wedding!

*You might not know that Parker has another quite unique talent...arcade basketball! They have an basketball game at the movie theater close by and last year Parker posted a record score. This year we went to that same movie theater...and his score still held!

We are already looking forward to this week in Charlotte. This was Parker's favorite tournament last year and I know he is excited to be back.
-Kristy

A New Favorite

2008-04-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

This year's Hilton Head experience could not have been more different from last year. In 2007, Parker was an alternate for the Verizon Heritage in Hilton Head, SC. After a few people backed out of the tournament it was looking like Parker's number was going to get in. He flew on a last minute flight that arrived Wed at midnight. After catching a cab from Savannah to Hilton Head, he finally got to bed around 3am... needless to say, he had a rough 2 days to follow. Living off very little sleep, no practice rounds, and practically no energy, it wasn't the best combination for a successful tournament.

This year he was fully exempt into the tournament and we arrived with plenty of preparation time. My first thought after checking into our hotel (which overlooked the water) was... how could I have missed this one last year!!! What a special place. Everywhere you look people are riding their bikes, enjoying the beach, and basically making the most of being outside.

On the Wednesday before the tournament Parker and I joined our friends Matt and Sybi Kutchar on Daufuskie Island. Matt and Parker played golf while Sybi and I took a golf cart around the island with their 6 mo. old baby. After golf we found this little restaurant (below) on the opposite side of the island where we ate dinner and enjoyed the sunset. It was a great way to get out and explore a bit.

Thursday Parker played great, after 8 holes he was even tied for the lead. I took a peak at the leader board and I saw his name at the top of the list... this was the first time he had been in the lead on the PGA TOUR!!!!! Even though it lasted just for a hole, it is definitely something that i could get used to seeing more often. :-)

Parker had a great round both Thursday and Friday but struggled a bit on the weekend. It just goes to show you that 4 rounds of golf is a long time. I am not going lie... watching a rough round can be heartbreaking. Its just that you know the potential and know that that he is so capable ... you are just always hoping for the best. At the same time, after we leave the golf course (as one of my girlfriends out on tour said)...you never want it to show if it was a great round or one that you would rather forget, at the end of the day, it is still just the two of us and thats truly all that matters. Even though Parker didn't finish as high as he hoped, I still believe that he was able to take a lot of positives from this tournament, and its going to happen for him one of these weeks.

For me it was probably one of my favorite spectating tournaments of the year. Even though I was completely on the other side of the country, the feel of the community reminded me so much of where I grew up in Northern California. There was just something about it that I connected with. Each hole was lined by beautiful tall trees and every home on the course seemed to blend in perfectly with its environment. Nothing too overpowering, it just looked like a great place to live. Not only was the tournament beautiful, but it was quite the social gathering. I won't go as far as saying it was the FBR or anything, but it was definitely the place to be in South Carolina. Every home was having some sort of get together on their back patio, as the golfers played through. There were thousands of people out watching...the men in their collared shirts and their plaid shorts and the women in their most fashionable sun dresses. I think that they even had a contest for the best Tartan on Saturday! I just loved that!

-Kristy

March Madness

2008-04-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

Parker and I are home now enjoying the Masters on TV. It is the one time of year that when I wake up in the morning, I know that Parker is already out in the living room on the couch with the Masters on.

We had a blast the last two weeks on the road, but even before that we had a great getaway during the week of Puerto Rico/Doral. Parker chose to skip Puerto Rico because we knew that we had a pretty intense schedule coming up. Instead we decided to take a trip up to Montana with friends and escape the golf atmosphere for a bit. We skied Whitefish Mountain the first day, went fly fishing in the freezing cold the second day, then skied again the third day. It was such a great opportunity to be up in the mountains and breathe that fresh air.

It proved to be a great trip because the next week he came back well rested and ready to play. We loved our time in New Orleans once again. I was able to see one of my best friends from college who now lives in the city. That is probably one of the most special parts about all of this travel...all of the great friends and family that we get to see on the road! One of the highlights of the week for me was the luncheon that we had with Emeril Lagasse. We joined with the Fore Kids Foundation and were treated to a demonstration by Emeril himself and then got to enjoy his delicious cooking. Parker and I also enjoyed the annual dinner at Acme Oyster House hosted by the tournament. By our measurements it is one of the most highly attended events by all of the players! Plus March Madness was on tv, you can't get much better than Charbroiled Oysters and basketball. Overall New Orleans was a great week both on and off the golf course, with Parker gaining another Top 15 finish under his belt!

In Houston last week we were faced with some crazy weather. Friday was one of those days where I was following Parker and thinking to myself...what are we still doing out here!!! Finally it got too dark to play (not to mention freezing and wet) and Parker had to come back in the morning to finish his round. Unfortunately his score was not a good indication of how he was playing. I thought he was hitting the ball even better than the week before, it was just one of those weeks where the birdies didn't add up. After a disappointing finish on the 18th hole, we took some time to digest it all and then realized that San Antonio was only 2 1/2 hrs away. We were fortunate enough to get our hands on some tickets to the Final Four (thanks to Parker's amazing agent) and decided to jump in the car and turn our day around! We had a blast and got to watch both games Saturday night. We wished that UCLA would have won but I guess it just wasn't a good sports day all around for us. It was a very special treat to be there none the less!

Now we are home, enjoying some down time before we get on the road again! With the Masters on 24/7 in this house, it just might be a that source of inspiration he needs for our upcoming weeks on the road!
-Kristy

Arnold Palmer Invitational

2008-03-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

Right now I am enjoying this Sunday back at home, with the exciting final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on TV in the background. We FINALLY had HD installed, and WOW, does it makes a world of difference! I know...totally behind on that one. :-)

Parker on the other hand is back out at the golf course in Scottsdale getting a round in with some of his friends, before he heads to the practice range with his coach this week.

Unfortunately, it was a disappointing end to the week, missing the cut at the Bay Hill just by a shot. It was one of those courses that you had to hit it in the fairway and hit greens, otherwise you were penalized. But even though we weren't there on the weekend, it was a special week for both of us. I had the opportunity to visit the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. We were given the tour of the absolutely amazing facility by the head doctor himself. I know that it was also really special for Parker to be a part of such a prestigious tournament.

(they even assigned your name to a parking spot here!) Another special part of the week was when Arnold Palmer came to say hello during Parker's Monday Pro Am.

On Friday afternoon we watched the cut line closely (with many people thinking it might go to +3), and as it turned out, Parker missed the cut only by one player. So that night we laid low, found a great little Indian Restaurant not to far from our hotel and enjoyed some quality time together... and somehow a quiet night with great food seemed to lift our spirits!

We also changed our flight from Sunday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Changing flights is something that you just have to deal with out on tour, sometimes you are changing it to accommodate a later tee time, sometimes you are changing it because of a missed cut, and occasionally you get it just right! It is just all part of the travel that we are getting very used to. Thankfully the PGA Tour has an amazing travel agency that is always available (even when you have to call them from the golf course!)

We had Saturday to pack and had a little extra time to spare so we decided to go play miniature golf. Funny enough, Parker and I had never played miniature golf together!!! Not even when we were dating, how ironic! I was pretty proud of myself because I actually held my own. And even beat Parker on one hole! I think it might be all of the "watching" I do! On the score card, I also had a hole in one, but it really shouldn't have counted as a 1, because it actually went in the "yellow" hole, and I was definitely aiming for the "red" hole ;-). We had a great time and I think it helped Parker to relax and have some fun after a long demanding week of golf!

Now we are looking forward to our upcoming travel to New Orleans and Houston, two of our favorite tour spots from last year!
-Kristy

Buenos Dias Amigos!

2008-02-28T05:57:00.000-08:00

We just arrived home from Mexico and we are already missing that amazingly blue water, those fish tacos, and our friends in Playa Del Carmen. This was one of our favorite weeks of the year during Parker's rookie season, and we had a amazing time again this year. It's definitely not a bad place to be as an alternative to Tucson (if you are not "yet" in the top 60 in the world). In Mexico, the Tour does a great job of making different activities available during the tournament week so you can really make the most of your trip and appreciate where you are! (sometimes with all of the travel it is easy to just go back and forth to the golf course, and not even know what city you are in?). But not this week...this week we were definitely making the effort to enjoy everything Playa Del Carmen had to offer.

At the beginning of the week we had the opportunity to visit an underground river called "Rio Secreto" or "Secret River." Not knowing exactly what to expect, we took a wild ride in a 4x4 jeep out to the middle of the jungle to the entrance to the river. We went on an hour&1/2 walk and swim through this underground cave. The most unique part of the excursion was when we were about mid way through the cave and our guide asked us all to turn our headlights (on our helmets) off. There was absolutely no difference with your eyes open or shut, and all you could hear were the sounds of the water dripping from the various geological formations surrounding you. It was incredible.

The next day Parker played in the Pro Am and I had the opportunity to swim with the dolphins. This was an amazing experience and something that I have always wanted to do. What surprised me the most was how strong they were. When I looked at the dorsal fin I was almost afraid to grab on to it, but as you can see, I had to hold on like crazy because they swim so fast and are so powerful.

The rest of the week was filled with enjoying our time with our family friends that we stayed with, jumping in the water everyday, and eating amazing food. Our friends have had a home in Playa Del Carmen for 16 years now so they know every local restaurant possible. I think that is what we love the most, finding those hole in the wall places that we would never find without a "local" guiding us. We ate the best shrimp tacos, guacamole, and arrachera all week long. We enjoyed happy hour every night and cribbage games after sunset.

The only downside to the trip was getting "Tourista" or "Montezuma's Revenge." Whatever you want to call it, it was no fun :-(. Ironically, I am the careful one out of the bunch. I am the only one to brush my teeth with bottled water, and I am always conscious of what I am eating, but what can you do? I couldn't seem to pin point what caused it either, I even ate at the golf course that day? I am just glad that Parker steered clear of it. Plus the only thing I missed was a few days of golf...and to be honest, I watch a lot of golf all year long. ;-)

All in All it was an amazing trip! We are excited about being at home for a week and then heading out to Florida for the next few.
Hasta Luego!
-Kristy

West Coast Swing

2008-02-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to get the chance to write after the Sony, then after Torrey Pines, and now I am realizing that 3 tournaments have already gone by in a blink of an eye. To sum it up, it has been a very busy, yet extremely fun filled last month.

The Sony Open had to have been one of our most memorable tournament weeks thus far. We had a great support group of family who came from the mainland and local friends & family who came out to cheer on Parker. Thanks to Waikoloa, we all sported the "Go Parker" Waikoloa hats for the week. After coming close the cut line, Parker battled through the weekend and finished T10 at the first tournament of the year. Not only did he have a great finish, but I have never seen him play in front of such a big crowd. Between his local following and the Shigeki Maruyama fans, hole to hole, that was the most people Parker has ever played in front of.

The "Beers for Birdies" Group at The Sony Open

Parker unfortunately has been battling a flu/cold for a while now and had to take off the Bob Hope. The turn around from Sony to the 5 day tournament in Palm Desert was going to be too much to handle. So instead we had a nice week at home and he prepared for The Buick in San Diego.

San Diego was also a special week. We had a large group of family and friends from Southern California come down to support him. We got to stay at my sister's house which was very nearby the golf course. Parker played great finishing at T29, even though I know that he had a lot on his mind that week. His dad had suffered a stroke the weekend before up in Northern California. After being with his Dad and knowing that he was going to make a full recovery, Parker was able to remain in the tournament. Thanks to the support of all of his family he was able to play.

From San Diego we headed back home to Phoenix. It would have taken a top ten at the Buick for Parker to get into the FBR. Either way we were going to be at home, which is always nice. The FBR week in Phoenix was crazy... because it was also the week of the Super Bowl. Since Parker wasn't playing this week, he actually had the opportunity to go! He and one of his best friends got to watch the game from amazing 50 yard line seats. One of my best girlfriends also came into town for the Super Bowl. Her husband and a friend went to the game and all of the wives enjoyed an very nice and relaxing afternoon watching it at home. We got to be in sweats, had some great Super Bowl food, all from the comfort of our living room couches. The guys called us about once a quarter telling us how amazing the whole experience was!

The next day after the Super Bowl, we got on a plane to go to Pebble Beach. One of the great things about the AT&T Tournament is getting to stay with our friends Genny & Dan at their beautiful home on the Monterey Peninsula Country Club. We always have such a great time with them. Even though we are not from the area, we consider this tournament to be one of our home tournaments. We have spent a lot of great time at Pebble and it happens to be close enough for the Southern California friends and family and close enough for the Northern California friends and family to all come and watch! We had close to 75 people out there! Parker and his partner Jim Rohr gave us quiet a show. After the second day of play they were leading in the team scores! Jim chipped in and dropped some long putts for birdie. Even making a few natural birdies for eagle! In the end Jim and Parker ended up placing 3rd in the team scores, and Parker played great on Sunday to sneak up to T14th! One of the other highlights of the week was getting to meet one of my favorites... comedian/actor, Kevin James (who was just as great in person as he is in his show). The most special part of the week for us was having Chris, Parker's Dad a part of all of the festivities. He walked the golf course each day (including part of the wed. practice round) and amazed us all with his strength and positive energy.

Now that the West Coast Swing is winding down we wanted to thank everyone who made the effort to be at these tournaments with us! It is our favorite time of the year! Now we are enjoying a bit of down time at home and look forward to our upcoming trip to Mexico for the Mayakoba Classic!

Kristy

Happy New Year

2008-01-04T19:51:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! I can't believe that the 2008 season has come around already. With the intense fall finish and Q-school, our "off season" consisted of only few weeks in December. But even though it was short, Parker and I definitley made the most of it. We took a week and went on an nice get away, with no cell phones, no computers, and most of all no golf clubs! It was great for the mind, body, and soul to relax and enjoy our surroundings and each other.

Once we got home, for me it was Christmas central... getting situated for the holidays. For Parker, he got back into a practice routine to prepare for the 2008 season. He had consistent workouts with his coach and trainer in Arizona. Then we spent the holidays with family and friends. It was a nice little break from golf and just what we needed.

On New Year's Eve we took a flight to Hawaii to bring in the New Year with the McLachlins. As we approached Oahu, the island looked almost like a rock concert... there were flashes everywhere and spectacular fireworks. It was such an amazing view from the plane. I was almost positive we had missed the New Year's count down but Parker assured me, that Hawaii likes to celebrate big... and that I would know when it was midnight! Of course he was right...just as we were about to touch down, all of Waikiki exploded with fireworks and we landed at 12:00 on the dot! It was a great way to see the New Year's celebration.

Parker is enjoying being back at home, frequenting his favorite spots...the Outrigger and Andy's Sandwiches. We are looking forward to new adventures, new challenges, and new opportunities this year and we are especially excited about kicking off the 2008 PGA Tour Season in his home town.

Hope to see you out at the Sony!
-Kristy

Looking forward to 2008!

2007-12-04T00:16:00.000-08:00

YEAH!!! He did it. It is about 1 something in the morning right now and I am running totally on adrenaline to stay awake and pick Parker up from the airport at 2am! I wanted to thank everyone for their e-mails, text messages, and phone calls this week. We truly appreciate all of the support. I know that all of your positive thoughts were with him throughout the tournament. We couldn't be more excited about looking at his 2008 schedule with Full PGA Tour Status!

I could finally breathe for the first time in a week when I got the first text message today the he did it! I hadn't looked at the scores on the internet or TV so I could remain calm and neutral each time I talked to Parker on the phone. We decided that I was going to stay home this year and Parker was going to go and just be in his "game time" mode! And it worked. Each time we chatted on the phone there was very little golf talk...more about Christmas shopping, Christmas cards, etc... I knew his approach to Q-School from being with him for the last 2 years and I wanted to stay as consistent to that as possible on my end. I know that I could have looked at the scores today, but my nerves were racing and I thought that I would just rather know when it was all done! Each day I got the vibes from him that he was playing well, so going into the last day I knew he had a great chance. I am just so proud of him for finishing strong and securing full status for next year. I really feel that his game is so ready to take on the PGA Tour again in January.

Thank you all for all of your support and encouragement this year. It has been a crazy journey and we are so thankful for the opportunity to do it all again! Wishing everyone a wonderful Holiday Season!
Kristy

2007 Commonly Asked Questions

2007-11-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

This being my first year out on tour, I have been asked some very original and unique questions by curious spectators. Now that the 2007 Season has ended I thought it might be fun to share some of the more frequently asked questions with all of you. As you will see, some might be more appropriately answered by Parker... but since I am the one outside the ropes, they get the answers from my perspective :-). Here are some that I thought you might enjoy.
-Kristy

What was your favorite tournament?

We have definitely had a few favorite tournaments of the year, but if I had to pick one, I would say Turning Stone. It was a great event and the tournament thought of everything to make our stay so enjoyable. Plus Parker had his best finish there! :-)

Does Parker usually hit the ball that low?

Normally I would not be able to answer this one, but since I have been asked this question a few times throughout the year... I am going to go ahead and say "Yes!"

How far does he hit the ball?

Honestly... I wouldn't be much help here either. I am not so sure about yardages...I tend to focus more on ... is it in the fairway :-)

Do you travel with him full time?

Yes, this year is my first year traveling with Parker. It has been so great to be on the road together. The alternative is not seeing each other very much, so we chose to do it now because we felt like this was a great time in our lives to take advantage of this opportunity.

Do you hang out with the other wives, are they nice?

Yes, all of the wives/significant others have been so amazingly welcoming and supportive. Usually a group of us will get together early in the week to do something fun in the area. I am also a member of the PGA Tour Wives Association - it is a not-for-profit organization that fundraises to give back to the community that is hosting the tournament. You can look out for our projects on the golf course too... like the "Chip In for Recycling" initiative.

Have you met Tiger's wife?

No I have not meet Tiger's wife. There have only been a few tournaments where Parker and Tiger have been in the same field, and I would imagine she tries to lay low with all of the craziness that surrounds him.

What was your favorite city that you visited?

We absolutely loved our time in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. It was such a special week. We stayed with family friends and really got experience the city from a local's perspective.

Where does Parker practice?

All over the USA! But when we are at home, he mainly practices at TPC Scottsdale.

Do you guys have a jet?

Um... no, not quite yet. Parker and I travel on commercial airlines... in coach...trying our hardest to not sit by the bathroom or in front of the exit row where the seats don't recline! We usually frequent Southwest or US Airways because they have the most flights out of Phoenix. We are always looking for the cheapest direct flight that we can find!

Is that Parker's regular caddy?

Parker's regular caddy is Rusty Uresti (Omar Uresti's brother). Everyone calls him "Hoss." He has also had a few other great caddies this year including Cubby (who used to caddy for Davis Love).

Can I caddy for him?

Sure! But that bag is even heavier than it looks!

Who does Parker hang out with on tour?

Parker hangs out with lots of the guys from his rookie class as well as some of the guys who have been on tour before like Matt Kutchar, Rich Barcelo, and Notah Begay. I know that Parker also tries to get out and play practice rounds with as many different guys as possible so that he can continue to learn from some of the more seasoned players.

So how close was that alligator...?

We have heard this one a lot lately, those of you who saw it on TV know what I am talking about. The funny thing is, Parker didn't even look to see what was behind him! Thankfully it was just a little creative editing from the Golf Channel.

The Florida Finish

2007-11-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

Parker and I just arrived home in Scottsdale last night. We are so excited to be back and reflect on our adventures on the 2007 PGA Tour. As you may have seen, Parker finished 137 on this year's money list. Most of you might think that he missed getting his card by just a few, and well that may be true, another way to see it is that he finished inside the top 150 which means he is still a member of the PGA Tour next year and he is exempt to the 3rd Stage of Q-School where if successful, he can improve his status for 2008. It sounds complicated, but in summary, we are so thrilled with his accomplishments in his rookie season and by many pro's standards, finishing in the top 150 your first year is something to be very proud of.

It was great to finish off the season on a high note in Florida. After a series of missed cuts, Parker went by himself to the Ginn sur Mer Classic. We felt that it was probably best for him to get out there with no distractions and just focus on his game. He was just playing too well to continue to miss chances to compete on the weekend. Everything seemed to click and our theory proved to be correct - that week Parker played great and finished T-12 to move up the money list and give himself a little bit of cushion inside that top 150 money list number.

The next week I flew out to Orlando to meet him for the last tournament of the year. Growing up in California I had been with my family to Disneyland, but had never had the opportunity to see what Disney World was all about. I was shocked! It is practically its own city! Parker wasn't much for going to the parks that week...the crowds, lines, and roller coasters were not exactly how he wanted to prepare for the tournament. But early in the week I did get to go to Magic Kingdom (equivalent to Disneyland in CA ) with some of my girlfriends on tour. On Wednesday Parker and I made our way to another park, Epcot, for dinner. We walked around and visited all of the countries and ended up in Japan where we had a amazing teppanyaki meal!

At Epcot, Walt Disney World

This week was unique because it was a pro am format. Parker had the chance to play with MacKinzie Kline (15 yrs old) and Kelly Allen (14 yrs old)...definitely look out for both of these names in the future on the LPGA and PGA Tours!

Parker also had the chance to play with Tad Fujikawa as his professional pairing. It was a great opportunity for both of them, since they hadn't really had the chance to spend too much time together, though being from the same island. What fascinated me the most was that they played right behind Daniel Chopra who was the champion from the previous week's PGA tournament. Yet no one seemed to be watching him... all of the cameras and spectators were intrigued by the 16 year old from Hawaii who had just turned pro earlier this year. Everyone seemed to want to catch a glimpse of this 5'1'' kid who grabbed the golf worlds attention when he made the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. I had the opportunity to walk with his management team and his family who were all such incredible people. It made me think, what would i have done in his situation, do you jump on the opportunity while the media is on your side, or do you take the more traditional approach and progress through the ranks of amateur and professional golf - mastering each level? I have to think that it must be hard to go home after a round and have to work on your algebra homework? I don't know that the guys on tour would be able to juggle both? But I guess when he turned pro he knew that his competition wouldn't have to spend any of their time working on school work. Well, I still don't know what I would have done in his shoes, but what I do know is that right now he is loved everywhere he goes, and I just hope that his golf comes together where he is at a level that he can be competitive on tour. Until then I am confident that he is surrounded by a great group of people, and that is definitely a solid foundation for future successes.

With Parker's T-26 finish at Disney I can't express enough how proud of him I am. You are only a rookie once, and I know that we will look back on this year with amazing memories. I realize that all of the drama is surrounding the 125 number, but the truth for us is that we both consider his rookie season a great success - it was learning year to say the least, together we learned how to live on the road, adjust to knew cities week to week, manage being at "work" together, and balancing the intensity of golf as well as the enjoyment of the travel. It was truly an adventure. I know that on the golf end, Parker considers this year as a huge learning year as well and is looking forward to tackling the tour again with a little more experience under his belt in 2008.

Now it is a little R&R before he gets into those clubs again. (I think that they are still in the travel bag right now). :-)

Kristy

4 Week Stretch

2007-10-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

I feel like after these last 4 weeks there is quite a bit to sum up. It has been an adventure to say the least. After leaving on such a high note from New York, we seem to be riding the wave of golf right now. But through it all we are loving every second of this journey.

Our time at the Viking Classic in Jackson, Mississippi was very special to us. We stayed at the home where one of our best friend's grew up. It was in a beautiful neighborhood and we received nothing but the best southern hospitality from his family & friends. We are so thankful to have spent time in Andrew's hometown. Also that week, the tournament treated the wives to a trip to Greenwood to tour the Viking Headquarters! I wished that parker could have seen all of the amazing BBQ & kitchen equipment. Another highlight was seeing Paula Deen's (from the Food Network) sons do a cooking demonstration at the course - i think that women is hilarious - she fries everything! I skipped watching a few holes to try the lamb & grits that they demonstrated -it was awesome.

Riverwalk

The Alamo

The next week brought us to San Antonio where off the golf course we enjoyed the sites of the San Antonio Riverwalk and the Alamo. I probably got the most exercise on this course than any other course this year! There were steep hills and the course spread over such a vast area. The highlight of this trip was the annual caddy dinner that is hosted by Parker's caddy's family every year. The Uresti family made an incredible fajita and enchilada meal that fed hundreds on the driving range!

Parker & Caddy, Rusty Uresti

The following week we started to make our way further west. We arrived in Las Vegas and decided to break up the trip a bit by staying down on the Las Vegas strip Sunday - Tuesday and the moving out to the golf course in Summerilin Wed - the weekend. Parker taught me how to play blackjack at the tables and we even hit up the casino war table and walked away winners. One of the best parts of this week was the Beach Boys concert at the Mandalay Bay. Parker's Dad was there to enjoy it with us and loved every second. Even though golfing on the weekend didn't work out we were so thankful to have spent time with all of our family and friends that made the trip out.

Parker & His Dad at the Concert

Last week we were finally HOME! It was such a treat to have a tournament in our backyard (that makes 2 this year!) The second we got back we unpacked our suitcases and were determined to live out of our closet for the week. We had dinner at home every night... which we loved after 4 weeks on the road. After just missing the cut we decided to bring our spirits up and enjoy some music in old town Scottsdale where Josh Kelley was performing. We are huge fans and listen to his music all of the time when we are home.

The last 4 weeks took us from the south... back out west... and now it is all the way out to Florida for the last two. I am excited for Parker to get back out the road with 2 events left to make his move. Even though on paper he has missed the last few cuts, in my opinion he has been playing amazing golf and it will all come together before we know it.

Turning Stone

2007-09-25T20:15:00.001-07:00

Well, as many of you may have seen, last week was a pretty good week for "team parker." For the first two days I was a bit rusty after the 3 week layoff. I made a lot of birdies... and a lot of bogeys, but on Saturday I found something in my swing and it sparked me to make 7 birdies and no bogeys - the low round of the day. Although at the end of the day I was still 6 shots behind the leader, I was only 2 shots behind 2nd and in great position to have my best PGA Tour finish ever. I know that a lot of you sympathized with me when I lost the 7 shot lead in West Virgina in my last competitive outing, but in retrospect that 77 on sunday in the Nationwide Tour event really helped me to keep it together and shoot under par this sunday in contention. It was a great experience to be playing in the second to last group on sunday in a PGA Tour event. It is one of those feelings as a competitor that you wish you could have on a weekly basis and hopefully I will be able to have this feeling a few more times in the next 6 events. I am here in Mississippi now getting ready for the Viking Classic. I am still intending to play the last 6 events...unless I can get a victory before the year is out!
-Parker

Overlooking Lake Oneida, NY

I know that Parker and I will definitely consider New York as one of our favorite tournaments of the year. Not only because of his great finish but the whole week was so special. The Turning Stone Resort was beautiful, the weather couldn't have been better, and everyone was going out of their way to make this inaugural event something that all of the players would remember.

After a solid first 2 days I knew that parker was getting back into his groove. On Saturday he started the round with a few quick birdies which was so much fun to watch. He and his playing partner were hitting solid shots one after another and then the putts just started dropping. To be honest, I didn't even look at the score board. I just knew that he was making birdies.... so that had to be a good thing. It is just so easy to get so caught up in the score ...where that would put him on the money list...etc. So i just decided not to look. That night I knew that he must have been up toward the top of the leaderboard when he said that he was teeing of at 1:45! We ended up watching 3 different movies to get our minds off things. That next day I continued to keep my eyes off the board. Actually I didn't even realize until the 3rd hole that we were the second to last group! He played great, making critical putts for par and keeping his focus the entire round with the growing crowds and tv cameras present. It was so great to watch him birdie the last hole and finally look up at the leaderboard seeing his name in the top 5!
-Kristy

Back on the Road

2007-09-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

I just arrived in Syracuse joining Parker at the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, NY. It is beautiful up here, a nice cool change of temperature too!

Although I am sure that it would have been fun to experience the first year of the fedex playoffs, we had such a great couple weeks off and enjoyed some much needed r&r to get ready for this "Fall Finish." We had a wonderful vacation with my family on the Big Island of Hawaii and had a chance to see Parker's family too! Parker was able to practice out at the Waikoloa courses and kept his competitive edge with some intense matches on the tennis court.

We are looking forward to our upcoming 7 week adventure, especially the Las Vegas and Scottsdale events where we hope to connect with lots of family & friends.

Here are some of our favorite sunset moments from our trip...
-Kristy

The Week From My Perspective

2007-08-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

I wanted to first thank everyone for their great phone calls and e-mails this past weekend! Unfortunately I can't say that I was there watching in person but I was glued to the TV and internet for 4 days straight.

The week before Parker called me after missing the cut in Greensboro, NC. He said that even though he missed the cut, he was just playing too well to come home and wanted to see what my thoughts were on playing in the Nationwide Tour event instead. We decided that he should of course keep playing if he was feeling on top of his game - so he drove out to West Virginia to catch up with the Nationwide Tour. He also told me before the tournament started that he was going to "play to win" this week...instead of playing just to make the cut, as he had felt he had been doing recently on the PGA Tour. I loved hearing that passion in his voice and was eagerly anticipating the week to come.

Thursday was amazing - I have seen the potential for this round, but to actually see it come to life on a scorecard was such an incredible feeling. I got the chance to see that last 30 ft. put drop on the 18th hole on the golf channel, and knew that it was going to be a special tournament. Since I am always watching the leaderboards on the internet, i know that statistically it is soooo difficult and rarely occurs to follow up a 9 under par with another solid round of golf. I can't tell you how many times I have seen the 1st round leader end up down the learderboard the very next day. So when parker ended with a solid 4 under par on Friday, I personally felt that this was one of the biggest accomplishments of the week.

Another 4 under par on Saturday was so much fun to watch. He made so many up and downs to save par - which I know are often more important than a putt for birdie. I have never had the opportunity to see him this much on TV before... what a treat. Afterwards, I was joking with him saying that I could really get used to this. Having the camera following each hole... each shot even ...all from the comfort of our living room! :-)

Sunday obviously was not what I was hoping for... I was in such shock that I even had to giggle a few times when things weren't going his way. How could this tournament have turned out this way???? At times I was wondering if it was harder to watch on TV than if I had been there walking with him...? It is funny how a rough day of work for most people can go relatively under the radar, but a rough day at work when its on TV seems so magnified.

However as Sunday progressed I realized that each round and each tournament are building blocks helping you learn how to succeed. Winning on Sunday may have earned him the trophy, but not winning on Sunday may have taught him things about himself and his golf game that could contribute to even greater successes down the road.

He called me after his round and was surprisingly in really great spirits! We realized what an amazing accomplishment it had been to lead a tournament for 3 days straight... and finally play to win!

-Kristy

Week Off

2007-08-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I lived in a neighborhood with a handful of extremely talented musicians who were constantly on tour. They would come home and then we wouldn't see them for days or even weeks at a time. I have since come to realize why they liked to be so secluded when they first came back. It hit me the other day when Parker came home after a 7 week stretch. The windows were closed, the house was dark and he didn't have any obligations to go anywhere or to do anything... he was just enjoying his moment of "hibernation."

After laying low for the first few days, we had a great week at home, relaxing, cooking, and catching up on the odds and ends that are left when we are gone for such a long period of time.

We had the chance to go to the Arizona Diamond Backs game, courtesy of my younger sister who is an intern for the team this summer. Later in the week we also went to see Paul Thorn in concert. He and his band are managed by a long time friend of ours who first introduced us to Paul's music earlier this year. He is such a great live entertainer - funny, witty, and a gifted artist. (he is the one in the Dbacks jersey)

I am hopeful that the relaxing week off gave Parker the opportunity to recharge and regain his strength and energy for the upcoming event in North Carolina!

-Kristy

Change of Plans

2007-08-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last week's Reno Tahoe Open was a very memorable week for us. It was extra special because we had about 20 family members and friends to share it with.

The week started out with a crazy flight experience on Sunday night before the tournament. After leaving Toronto 3 hrs late, missing our next connection at about midnight, then having to spend the night in Denver, and flying standby the next morning... Parker finally made it to the 12:00pm shot gun pro am on Monday at 11:50 am. He changed in the parking lot and then hopped in a golf cart and was off!

We are very thankful to have made it on the morning flight because this Monday pro am was a particularly special one. Parker was paired with a junior golfer who has become a close family friend of ours. They had such a fun time together and the whole family came out to watch them.

On Thursday Parker started the day, accumulating 4 quick bogeys which honestly just came out of no where. He was playing well and then you looked and he was 4 over? But he had such a great come back and played extremely solid the rest of the round to finish at even par.

The next day started out great and looked like the round was going to have potential to finish well under par. Then as the last 3 holes approached a few shots here and there resulted in bogeying 2 out of those last 3...deflating hopes of having a weekend of golf to look forward to. At that time we thought that the cut was going to be -2. (Parker at Even).

We took a while to leave the golf course, he packed up his locker then sadly said goodbye to everyone who had been out there cheering him on. Parker and I drove back to our friends home, talking about the day, when we were going to change our flight, etc. Then as we were driving we noticed it was quite windy outside and Parker and I jokingly said...keep blowing wind :-)?

When we got back to the house Parker took all of his frustration out on the family's poor Pacman machine for about an hr. Then we decided to look at the scores, just in case the wind was doing anything to the cut line. To our surprise, when we pulled up the tournament on the computer, the cut was EVEN! We were shocked. We couldn't believe that it had changed so much since we left. We had to wait quite a bit longer to see what the final result was going to be and then at the end of the day...the cut was officially Even par! We called all of our family and told them that there was more golf to be played on the weekend! It was amazing turn of events that gave Parker a whole new look at his week.

He had a great Sunday and moved up the leaderboard 23 spots to finish T37!

It was an amazing week to lead into his week off after 7 on the road.

-Kristy

Plan B

2007-07-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

As a rookie on tour many times we are faced with an "alternate situation" for some of the smaller field tour events. So far Parker has been fortunate to get in as the last alternate in both the Wachovia Championship and the Hilton Head event. It is a bit of a gamble because you just never know how many players, if any, are going to back out on the days leading up to the tournament. This week Parker was 7th alternate, however because it was 4th of July, I think that the other alternates in front of him decided not take the risk of being at the tournament and missing 4th of July with their families. It turned out that only Parker and one other player ahead of him to decided to come to the course and be "on call" in case a player from the field had to withdraw at the last minute. This week it didn't work out for us, but thankfully we were in a great city and realized the importance of having a "Plan B" just in case.

Our Plan B turned out to be a blast. Parker's parents had come into Washington DC to spend 4th of July with us. Instead of playing in the tournament the 4 of us toured around Washington DC - It was Parker's first time there. There is just so much to see and learn about in the city. On Friday we took a tour of the capital that Parker's Dad arranged with one of his former students who is now a staff member for Hawaii Senator Dan Inouye. Later that day we visited the Spy Museum and learned about the CIA and the history of international spying! We also went to go see the white house from afar.

The next day we took a tour of the city and saw all of the major monuments and visited museums. We also visited Georgetown and enjoyed dinner overlooking the Potomac River. It turned out to be a great 4th of July weekend and we look forward to coming back next year!

Funny Moment of the Week: The houses next to the course were charging people $40 to park cars in their front lawns... And people were actually parking there!

-Kristy

Memphis Memories

2007-06-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Ya'll, as they say here in Memphis. Parker and I arrived in Memphis after taking a 10 hr. all night flight from Hawaii to Atlanta and then had an additional flight from Atlanta to Memphis. It was quite a whirlwind and I had no clue what time it was for about 2 days. It was definitely worth the crazy time change because before coming here to Memphis we had a wonderful two weeks in Hawaii where we were able to see Parker's younger brother Spencer graduate from high school and also be a part of his dad's retirement celebration after 37 years at Punahou.

Our time here in Memphis has been wonderful thus far. Earlier this week Parker and I attended the annual BBQ at the Target House. This amazing facility supports the children and families that are undergoing long term treatment at St. Jude Children's Hospital. We met some wonderful children and were truly inspired by by their strength and courage. I think they even gave Parker some pointers on his golf game.

Another highlight off the golf course was our experience with the Fed Ex Flight Simulator! All I can say is "buckle up"! It felt so real. Parker and I were able to get into the simulators where they train the Fed Ex pilots. Parker and I both had the opportunity to fly the plane. I felt confident in my take off but had a very rough landing, I believe that my plane ended up off the runway in the grass. Parker was much better at the landing. We were able to program the simulator to take off and land in Paris and Honolulu! It was so much fun.

Our memories from Memphis would not be complete without including a little bit of BBQ! During our stay we tried two amazing BBQ spots including Corky's and Rendezvous. Both were outstanding, each with their own twist on the BBQ.

-Kristy

Junior Clinic at Waikoloa

2007-05-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I did a video and photo shoot for Waikoloa Beach and Golf Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was not the main event though, a junior clinic with a putting contest was the main attraction for the weekend. It was a great first, of hopefully many, visits for me to some of the junior golfers on the Big Island. I was able to meet many of these young junior golfers and hopefully share some of the things that I have learned growing up in Hawaii and how I have made it onto the PGA Tour.

My thanks go out to the staff at Waikoloa for putting on such a great event and for all the parents and juniors who attended. I am looking forward to my next visit back out toward the end of the year.
Aloha,
Parker

New Orleans

2007-04-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hello again from New Orleans! Our time here seems to be flying by. We have enjoyed etouffee multiple nights in a row now (which we were introduced to by one of our very best friends) It is this amazing combo of crawfish, rice, and vegetables, in a yummy Cajun sauce. Honestly I was intimidated by the crawfish at first, but now I am hooked - you will have to try it! We also had the opportunity to see Hootie and the Blowfish the other night - they are so great live!

Today a group of us participated in a build for the Habitat for Humanity in the upper 9th Ward. I am still in awe of all the devastation that remains but more taken back by all of the people that are joining together to bring this community back on its feet.

The other highlight of the week was one of our all time favorite meals - at Acme Oyster House. We ordered the Charbroiled oysters that were amazing, so much so that we had to get a second round ;)

Aside from the many food highlights, we have truly enjoyed our New Orleans experience and look forward to making this an annual stop.

-Kristy

Welcome!

2007-04-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Thanks for visiting the site. This is our very first entry!!! Keep in touch as Parker and I share our experiences from both "inside and outside" the ropes of the PGA Tour. - Kristy