Like most of us, Parker McLachlin has been caught up with this magical season's exploits of the undefeated University of Hawai'i football Warriors.

The former Punahou School alum was back in Orlando, Fla., with other things on his mind, like trying to make it through the National Qualifying Tournament to keep his full exempt status for next year.

It's a six-round grind and McLachlin had just finished a long day of golf Saturday. It was nearing midnight but he turned on the television to watch the UH-Washington game on ESPN2.

He watched the Huskies take a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and muttered to himself, "Man, I must not be good luck for the team." So he went to bed for some badly need sleep.

The first thing he did when he woke up the next morning was tune in to SportsCenter, where he found out that Hawai'i had rallied to win, 35-28.

"I was so happy and pretty excited. I went out and I shot a 67," said McLachlin in a telephone interview from the Phoenix Airport, where he and his wife, Kristy, were waiting to catch a flight to Tahiti, where they spent their honeymoon three years ago.

Before leaving for the golf course Sunday morning, McLachlin sent a text-message to UH football coach June Jones, congratulating him on his team's historic victory. Jones text-messaged McLachlin back after he tied for 11th after the National Qualifying's final round the following day, offering congratulations in return on McLachlin's own successful showing.

McLachlin had finished 137th on the 2007 PGA Tour money list with $627,582 in earnings, putting him in the conditional exempt status for those in the 126-to-150 category. So he went back to the final stage of the Q-School to improve his standing, which he did by being among those finishing in the top 25 and ties.

After last year's Q-School, where he finished tied for 16th after a year on the Nationwide Tour, McLachlin's exempt priority number for getting into tour events was 36.

"I guess I'm around (No.) 23 or 24 now. I should be OK for the Sony Open but may have to get a top-10 in San Diego (Buick Invitational) to play in Phoenix," said McLachlin, well aware of the importance of playing in as many early events as possible because the priority numbers are reshuffled based on earnings.

"But I'm not worried about the reshuffle. I know my game has progressed," he said. "And I'm in a better place than I was last year. I can set my schedule and plan ahead better next year," added McLachlin, who played in 28 tournaments in his PGA Tour rookie year, including several on sponsor's exemptions.

He joined Kane'ohe's Dean Wilson as the only two local boys in golf's biggest league.

His rookie year was as demanding as he thought it would be, according to McLachlin, who felt he has become battle-tested. "I got a year of the PGA Tour under my belt, which helps," he said.

That helped a little in the recent Q-School, according to McLachlin, 28, who now resides in Scottsdale, Ariz. But he seems to thrive in the grueling event which has led to a lot of heartaches for others.

"I've always said the Q-School brings out the best in me," McLachlin said. "A six-day tournament can test me more mentally and that's one of the strongest parts of my game, the mental part."

Whatever the case, McLachlin says, "It's nice to have another crack at the PGA Tour in my sophomore season."

The last of "Parker's Postcards" in the Advertiser's Golf Page ran a month ago. So he wanted this to be sort of a "Christmas Card" to his local supporters before he returns home on New Year's Day.

In time, he hopes, to watch the Sugar Bowl between Hawai'i and Georgia.