McClellan's PGA Tournament sojourn is the year's top story
PENN TWP — Rob McClellan finished the 2010 golf season with a bang.
He hopes to generate similar fireworks in 2011.
The Butler Country Club pro, who turns 31 this week, traveled to Sheboygan, Wis., in August to play in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
That achievement is the 2010 Butler County Sports Story of the Year, as voted by the Butler Eagle sports staff.
McClellan failed to make the cut after two rounds, but was close to doing so before a two-stroke penalty he was assessed for being 38 seconds late for his first tee shot of Round 2.
McClellan had 15 minutes to make his 1:22 p.m. tee time for the second round after completing the final 11 holes of his fog-delayed opening round.
“I wasn’t mad at anybody at the time — maybe at myself a little for making that mistake — but I feel like I’ve learned from it,” McClellan said.
“Hopefully, I’ll get another shot at that tournament next summer. I never realized what it took to get there until I stepped back and looked at it.”
The National Club Pro Championship consists of 370 club pros. Only the top 20 placers get a bid to the PGA Championship. McClellan tied for 15th.
To qualify for the Club Pro Championship, McClellan had to finish among the top six in the 100-player Tri-State Section championship. He not only did that, he was named Section Player of the Year.
“I can’t believe all of that happened for me,” McClellan said. “There have been guys qualifying for the National Club Pro for years and have never gotten past that point.
“This was the first year I tried it and I got through. It may never happen again, but I’m going to try.”
The 2011 National Club Pro Championship is in Hershey in late June. It’s the same week as the Frank Fuhrer Invitational.
McClellan finished his two rounds at the PGA Tournament 12 shots over par. He had four birdies, 19 pars and 12 bogeys.
His tee times were disrupted by heavy fog that plagued the tournament. Scheduled to tee off at 2:15 p.m. on the first day, he didn’t begin his round until four hours later.
“I never started a round at 6 p.m. before,” McClellan said. “That was an amazing experience, though, getting a chance to play against the best golfers in the whole world.”
Butler Country Club members sent McClellan and his family off to Wisconsin with a huge show of support. Club president Bob Kadyk and board members presented him with a check for $11,000 to help cover their expenses for the week.
“That was truly amazing,” McClellan said. “I am so fortunate to be in the position I’m in with that club. A lot of country clubs expect their club pro to be there every day.
“I still relish playing in tournaments and Butler Country Club cooperates with me fully in those endeavors. I can’t express how much I appreciate that.”
McClellan will appear in at least one PGA Tour event in 2011. Because he was Section Player of the Year, he receives an automatic exemption to compete in the Greenbriar Classic, slated for late July in West Virginia.
“It will be hard to top what happened for me last season, but I’m taking a shot at it,” McClellan said.
