Join us as we follow Parker McLachlin, a former Punahou athlete, on the PGA Tour. McLachlin, who joins Dean Wilson as the only Hawai'i golfers on the Tour, became a first-time winner in his second season at the Reno-Tahoe Open. He shares his thoughts on past and upcoming events throughout the year with Advertiser readers here and at www.HONOLULUADVERTISER.com

Aloha from Phoenix,

I'm back in Arizona after seven weeks on the PGA Tour. It was supposed to be five weeks, and then I made the decision to go to Reno. After the win at Reno, that meant another week at the PGA Championship, my second major ever and my first PGA Championship.

When I arrived at the PGA Championship I was still coming off the emotional high of winning my first PGA Tour event. It started to hit me when other winners on the PGA Tour — guys who have won multiple events over the years — came up to me and told me and congratulated me. It's as if I was joining the "Double Wink Club." The guys out there on Tour were telling me how proud they were of me, and it's as if I am now a member of an elite fraternity. I played a practice round with Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger and he really opened up my eyes. He told me that if I really think about it, with the tens of thousands of players who have competed on the PGA Tour, I had now joined an elite club of incredibly few who can actually say that they won a PGA Tour event. It's just so exciting to be a winner on the PGA Tour.

Well, the PGA Championship was certainly a challenge. My energy was low and it was very tough to get momentum. It's hard to believe that I played pretty well and didn't make a single birdie over 36 holes. That shows how difficult the course was, especially since I had come from Reno, which was a tournament where I had made so many birdies.

Now, with the win, I have completely revamped my goals. The one negative of winning in Reno is that it did not give me a spot in the Masters. But I actually look at that as a positive. Now, my goal is to get into the Masters, and I need to finish in the top 30 to do that. With the Fed Ex Cup coming, and with the fact that I'm still just 20 or so places outside of the top 30, I have a real, attainable goal.

I know that I have said this before, but I want to thank you all again for supporting me. Every one of you in Hawai'i has been nothing short of incredible. You are incredibly supportive, and I feel your support when I'm out there on the PGA Tour. Most importantly, I want you all to know how much I enjoy representing the entire state of Hawai'i when I am on the golf course. Your support enabled me to become a winner on the PGA Tour, and I hope to continue to make you all proud. I'll see you in the Fed Ex Cup playoffs!

Mahalo,

Parker