The highlight came at the 1993 Hawaiian Open. McLachlin was 14 and still three years away from winning the state high school championship. He was caddying for family friend Scott Simpson, six years removed from winning the U.S. Open.

"I was really a little guy and he had a big bag," recalled McLachlin, 27. "It's one of my best memories because being inside the ropes has a totally different feel. At that age I was so impressionable. Being inside the ropes in a tournament like that I'd grown up watching ... I was blown away. I thought 'This is so cool.' I wanted to be that guy playing this golf course in this tournament. I think that was an important point for me as far as my development toward my goal of playing on the PGA Tour."

McLachlin is there now. He tied for 16th at the tour's qualifying school after finishing 29th on the Nationwide Tour money list last year. He won nearly $200,000 in 2006 and cobbled together a pro career complete with agent, psychologist, coaching stable and Web site (parkermclachlin.com). As he and wife Kristy celebrate their second anniversary, McLachlin is thriving in the life he drew out in his dreams years ago.

This week, and this year, the focus will be long-term and fluid. He calls Rookie of the Year a "great goal," but believes most of what he is working toward needs to be process-oriented as opposed to result-oriented.

"Getting too caught up in results, you almost set yourself up for disappointment," McLachlin said. "I'm going to try to continue to get better and better, like I have been the last few years. That will produce good results."

McLachlin has been practicing with Michelle Wie — brother Spencer's classmate at Punahou — while he is home. With Simpson on his bag last year, he shot a third-round 65 here to climb into contention and help fill the attention void created when Wie missed the cut.

That also made his Top 10 list at Waialae, where he used to work. He learned a little that week about what Wie and Tiger Woods deal with every time they tee it up — and he liked it.

"I think I was a little overwhelmed with all the fan support and family support and the people of Hawai'i," McLachlin said. "It was something I never experienced before. Dealing with that and playing good golf while dealing with that was something that wasn't easy to do. I was able to do it pretty well. I was excited about that."