Honolulu's Parker McLachlin shot an even-par 70 and Kane'ohe native Dean Wilson carded a 73 yesterday in the opening round of the U.S. Bank Championship at Brown Deer Park Golf Course in Milwaukee.

Greg Chalmers and Jeff Klauk shared the lead at 64.

McLachlin, a Punahou School and UCLA alum, had four birdies, including three on the front nine, and four bogeys in his round. Wilson, a Castle High and BYU alum, had a birdie on the par-5 No. 14 and four bogeys, all on par-4s.

Frank Lickliter II, Tag Ridings, Jason Gore and Skip Kendall all finished at 4-under 66.

Chalmers, who tinkered with his putting grip and chose a simpler approach, made birdies on five of his final six holes on the front nine, including the long putts on No. 4 and No. 5. He also birdied the final three holes.

Klauk shot 5 under on the front nine after needing only nine putts. He made his only mistake with a bogey at No. 12. But the 31-year-old PGA tour rookie rebounded with back-to-back birdies and finished the round with four straight pars.

The tournament that's opposite the British Open and needs a new title sponsor gives many players a realistic shot at winning.

"These tournaments are definitely an opportunity, but you still have to play well," he said. "I think if you play well any week, you're going to have a chance on Sunday. Just because, yeah, you might not have a lot of the guys here but the depth of the PGA tour — it's very deep, everybody's good."

U.S. PUBLIC LINKS

MAEKAWA OUSTED

Eddie Olson of Aptos, Calif., defeated Hawai'i's Sean Maekawa, 2 and 1, yesterday in the match play round of 16s at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Norman, Okla.

Olson advanced to today's quarterfinals at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club.

Maekawa, 20, of Pa'auilo, Hawai'i, won the first hole with a par, but Olson squared the match with a birdie at the par-4 No. 3 and went 1-up with a birdie on the par-5 No. 5. Maekawa tied it with a birdie on the par-4 No. 8 and the match remained even until Olson took the lead for good, winning the par-3 No. 12 with a par.

Olsen took a 2-up lead, winning the par-4 No. 14 with a par, but Maekawa won the par-3 No 15 with a par. Olsen closed out the victory by winning the par-4 No. 17 with a par.

Maekawa defeated Lion Kim, of Ann Arbor, Mich., 3 and 2, earlier in the day in the second round of match play. Olson defeated Matt Nagy of Buena Vista, Ga., 3 and 2.

In his morning match, Maekawa, a Honoka'a High alum and Oregon junior, took the lead for good on No. 9, going 1-up with a par. Maekawa won No. 11 with a par to go 2 up and birdied the No. 14 to go 3 up. The golfers halved the next two holes giving Maekawa the victory.