HONOLULU (AP) -- Parker McLachlin is in his third year on the PGA Tour and he still hasn't even met Tiger Woods, let alone played with him. He has heard stories of young players being overwhelmed, but at least he will have experience to lean on when the time comes.

After all, not too many golfers get to guard president-elect Barack Obama in a pickup basketball game.

McLachlin's father was Obama's high school basketball coach at Punahou School in Honolulu, and during a vacation to Oahu over Christmas, Obama got together with some old friends from school. McLachlin's father was invited, and asked if his sons could come along.

Next thing he knew, McLachlin was on the court with Obama and had to guard him.

"It was his choice," McLachlin said. "I think he wanted to have an easy game on defense. He said he wanted to guard the golfer."

McLachlin wasn't always a pushover.

"He was trying to back me down, and I'm giving him an elbow to the kidney," McLachlin said. "And I'm sure the Secret Service guys are like, 'Get your hands off of him.' I had to belly up and play a little hard-nosed defense. Looking back on it, I'm like, 'I can't believe I was elbowing him.' But that's what you've got to do."

He was asked to compare being on the court with Obama to his first time on Tour being in the presence of Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson, players he had only seen on television.

"That's an interesting question," McLachlin said. "I think to me, there's still a little bit more of an air with Tiger ... just because it's what I do and I aspire to be in Tiger's shoes. There's sort of a bit more of an air there, more unattainability."

Then he paused and smiled at what he had just said.

"Obviously, the presidency is very unattainable, as well," he said. "Maybe it's just the way that Barack was. He was very genuine and very interested in what I was doing and everyone else that was there. He made a genuine effort to really connect. That was something that really made you feel at ease with him."

McLachlin said he would watch the inauguration with more interest than most.

"Just knowing the fact that my dad has had a part in his upbringing and that he's influenced him in some way, I think, is something pretty special," McLachlin said.

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