Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
McNabb prepares for 3rd PGA Championship
Applebrook’s McNabb preparing for his third trip to PGA Championship
EAST GOSHEN » Qualifying for one of golf’s major championships at the age of 51 is impressive enough. But the fact that Dave McNabb has been able to keep his game razor sharp in the midst of an exhausting daily schedule — that may be the most amazing feat of all.
The head professional at Applebrook Golf Club in East Goshen since 2010, McNabb faces an hour commute each way from his home in Newark, Delaware. His work responsibilities include managing the private 18-hole facility, overseeing member programs and executing player development programs. And at home is his wife, Missy, along with two teenage sons.
That’s hectic enough, but along the way McNabb has somehow managed to carve out, arguably, the most successful playing season of any club pro in the nation. He’s already competed in a pair of over-50 majors: the Senior PGA Championship and the U.S. Senior Open.
And to top it off, from Aug. 10-13, McNabb will face off against the best in the world at the 99th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.
“I’ve got a home life, and I feel good about what I do at Applebrook,” said McNabb, a native of Mount Clements, Michigan. “I spend a fair amount of time at the club making sure the operation runs smoothly and the members have a good experience when they come here — whether it’s teaching, running tournaments or just the day-to-day activities.
“So to also be able to maintain a high level of playing ability, and compete on an international level, I think that’s where I get my greatest sense of pride.”
McNabb previously qualified for the PGA Championship in 2013 at Oak Hill and 2014 at Valhalla. He finished 124th and 140th, respectively.
“It’s hard to strike a balance between taking it all in, enjoying the experience, and still making sure you are prepared to play,” McNabb said.
“You always learn about how you want to pace yourself during the course of the week. You don’t want to just come running out of the gate on Monday, play a bunch of practice rounds and hit balls until dark, because the next thing you know, by Thursday you are worn out.”
A third major championship appearance in a fouryear span will culminate a remarkable 2017 season for McNabb. It actually started last October when he qualified for the Senior PGA in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
He didn’t play much over the winter, other than a few pro-ams and recreational rounds. McNabb then came close to making the cut at the Senior PGA in late May, but a second round 81 derailed those plans.
“I prepared myself in the off season to be physically ready to go once the season began,” he explained. “I was playing well without much practice, so I had some confidence going into the beginning of the season.”
Undaunted, McNabb won the Philadelphia PGA Classic (and the $100,000 first place prize) on June 1, which led perfectly into the U.S. Senior Open qualifier on June 12 at Argyle Country Club in Maryland. He proceeded to card a bogey-free 65 to take medalist honors.
“Prior to that I was kind of struggling with consistency,” he recalled. “When I shot that score, that’s when I thought, ‘Maybe it is starting to come together.’”
It was, because a week later, at the PGA Professional Championship at the Sun Resort in Oregon, McNabb topped a field of 313 of the top club pros in the country. In the fourday, stroke-play event, he shot a four-under-par 283 (74-67-73-69) to get into a playoff with Omar Uresti, but fell on the second extra hole.
“I played three solid rounds, but the last was spectacular,” said McNabb, who went from a tie for 10th place to the top of the leaderboard through 72 holes.
By virtue of his top-20 finish, McNabb qualified for the PGA Championship, which is his third major tournament of the season.
“To play in three major championships in one year is a bit of a surprise, but it was a goal,” McNabb said. “To actually see it come to fruition is a cool thing. Those are three of the four I’m eligible for, and the other is the U.S. Open. As much as I’m an optimist, I am also a realist, and (the U.S. Open) is a little beyond reach at this point for me at my age.
“I was hoping for one major, and two would have been a huge year. But three is beyond belief, really.”
In late June, McNabb was at Salem Country Club in Massachusetts for the U.S. Senior Open. And even though he went 74-72 for a 146, McNabb missed the cut by five strokes.
“I still feel like I am playing well, but I have a few things to work on,” he said.
During a summer that includes home life, work responsibilities and one prestigious tournament after another, it makes you wonder if there are enough hours in the day for McNabb to actually work on his game. He has that covered too.
“I try to use my time wisely if I’m playing with members,” he explained. “And if we’re not too busy at the club, I may go down to the putting green for a half hour, or I may stay late and hit balls.
“It’s really just sneaking it in when the opportunity presents itself. I just kind of push myself.”
All of it has led McNabb to Quail Hollow, where a field of 156 players will be vying for a total purse of $10.5 million. He will be twice the age of a sizable portion of the competitors, like Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. But McNabb will rely on his experience.
“I want to get to a tournament site two or three days earlier so I can clear my mind, chip and putt, and get to know the golf course,” he said. “Even if I haven’t had much time to practice ahead of time, at 51 years old, I have plenty of experience to draw on.”
According to McNabb, none of it would be remotely possible with the unwavering support of his wife, and the members at Applebrook.
“I’ve received tons of support from the members,” he said. “I am the type of guy who feels guilty when I’m away playing and not at the club, so to have that support eases my mind a bit. I know they are behind me and want me to do well.
“And with two kids at home, there is no way I could do this without Missy. She does it all, especially when I’m away. Even with the support of the members, without that support at home, I couldn’t do what I do.”