Join us as we take a tour on the PGA Tour with Parker McLachlin, a former Punahou athlete who joins Castle alum Dean Wilson as the only Hawai'i golfers on the PGA Tour this season. McLachlin, Waikoloa's touring pro, will write his impressions on events that he's just completed and tournaments that are upcoming on his calendar.

Last week I played in the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina and I knew that I had to finish in the top 20 to get into this week's Fed Ex. I played really well — shooting 3-under par for two days — but this is the PGA Tour and 3-under par last week didn't make the cut.

I started out strong on Thursday, but I got a tough tee time on Friday going out with the last group. To make matters worse, there was a 2-hour rain delay, so I wasn't able to tee off until about 4 p.m. The things I'm working on with my swing have come together, though, and I'm in the right place. I'm a lot more consistent right now and I'm at a point where I'm feeling great about my game.

I feel so good on the golf course, so I don't want to rest. Because I'm not participating in the Fed Ex Cup, I've decided to come out to the Nationwide Tour event here in West Virginia, and that's where I am writing to you from right now.

When you come here to play the Nationwide Tour event you get a grasp of just how good things are out on the PGA Tour. The courses on the Nationwide Tour are just different. The quality is not quite as high as it is on the PGA Tour. The golf course is just a little bit more forgiving.

I played a practice round yesterday with Tyler Williamson and as we approached a tee box we were discussing if we should hit a 3-iron or 3-wood off the tee. (That's a natural discussion that two players would have during a practice round of a PGA Tour event.) But when we arrived at the tee box, we realized just how wide the fairways are on the Nationwide Tour, and we both pulled out drivers. Coming back this week has made me realize that there is a lot more strategizing that goes on during a PGA Tour event.

At the same time, I'm now taking the mindset that I want to come out here and win this week. I think it's been a while since I've really, really believed that I can win and it's great to be in a place mentally where I know I can win.

I think this is probably the only Nationwide Tour event that I will play. I may play the event in Oregon, but as of right now I think I'm going to take three weeks off — including a return trip to Hawai'i around the first of September — and then get ready for the PGA Tour's fall finish, which is seven straight events.

Parker McLachlin can be reached at www.parkermclachlin.com.