Concord’s McNabb shooting for more memories at U.S. Senior Open
BETHLEHEM » Dave McNabb is a self-professed late bloomer when it comes to golf.
The Head Professional at Applebrook Golf Club in East Goshen, McNabb was not a child prodigy. In fact, he only played the game recreationally as a kid, as a college student, and on into early adulthood.
He didn’t land his first job in the golf business until his mid-20s. But some three decades later, McNabb has earned his way into this week’s U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, the pinnacle of 50-and-over golf.
“Most of these guys (in the 156-player field) have careers much earlier in life, and then as they get older they kind of fade,” said McNabb, 56, a resident of Concord Twp. “My route has been the other way around.”
Born in Mount Clemens, Mich., McNabb came east when he snagged a job at Cavaliers Country Club in Newark, Del., in 1993.
“I always enjoyed the competitive aspect of golf but really didn’t start working at it until that point when I was 26,” he recalled. “I guess you would say I am a late bloomer. I didn’t make my first PGA (Championship) until I was 47.”
The winner of two Delaware State Open Championships and a slew of events sponsored by the Philadelphia Section PGA, McNabb first teed off with the big boys in 2013 PGA Championship at famed Oak Hill, and then subsequently qualified in 2014 at Valhalla and 2017 at Quail Hollow.
“What I remember first and foremost is that the
players were really, really good,” he said about his three PGAs. “They hit it really far. There were holes where guys like (Rory) McIlroy and Ricky Fowler were hitting driver-9-iron, and I was hitting driver-hybrid. And I was probably just slightly short of average hitter out there.”
At age 51, McNabb put together his best competitive season, earning hard to secure spots in the PGA, the Senior PGA and the Sr. U.S. Open. He did not make the cut in any, but the experience was invaluable.
“It increased my desire to maintain my level of play, my fitness and my health,” he said.
“I don’t know if people understand how good these guys are because the courses are demanding. The rough is thick and they are long. And with the hole locations, you don’t just need to be accurate, you have to have good touch.”
Since then, McNabb’s made three more return trips to the Senior PGA, including a berth in late May at Harbor Shores in his native Michigan. He shot 7481 and did not make the cut.
“I would say I was playing the best golf of my life in 2017, but I don’t think my level of play has really dropped off too much since then,” he said.
When he tees off for round one Thursday at Saucon Valley’s Old Course, it will the sixth senior major championship of his career.
“And it never gets old,” he said.
“They don’t just hand out a spot to players like me. You have to work hard for it.”
The 72-hole major championship concludes on Sunday, and McNabb’s overriding goal is to make the cut and play all four rounds.
“You need to drive it really straight here because the rough is thick and penal,” McNabb said. “The greens are extremely (undulated) and fast, so you have to keep the ball below the holes. And when you get in trouble, you have to make sure you don’t blow up and make a double bogey or a triple.
“The mental part is probably as big a component as anything else.”
McNabb will be in the first group to get started at 7 a.m., and he will be the first off the tee. His playing partners are amateur Mike Karney and Robert Niger.
“The PGA gave me a great honor to hit the first tee shot of the tournament,” he said. “But it doesn’t much matter to me when I play — I just want to get out there and compete.”
McNabb became the head pro at Applebrook in 2010. He’s been there through most of his golf successes, which included being honored at the Philadelphia PGA Senior Player of the Year in 2020. He peaked as a player in his early 50s, which is about a quarter century later than most of his professional brethren.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to land in a couple (golf clubs) where the memberships supported me playing, and I was able to have enough time to work on my game,” McNabb said. “And my family has been with me every step of the way. They’ve made some sacrifices with the amount of time I spend at work.
“I take a lot of pride with it, but I’m also grateful and blessed to have these experiences, and hope to continue to have them for years to come.”
He singled out wife, Melissa, and son Dalton for years of support. Last Sunday he played a round of golf with Dalton in the morning at Applebrook, and then went to Saucon Valley for an afternoon practice round.
“We played in the morning on Father’s Day, and then came up (to Saucon Valley). It was a pretty good way to spend that day,” McNabb said. “And it’s extra special to have the chance to play in something like (the Senior U.S. Open Championship) that is so close to my back yard.”