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

Aloha again from Hawai'i. I'm back home, relaxing after playing in the AT&T Classic in Atlanta.

As some of you may have seen, this past weekend was my best finish so far on the PGA Tour, a tie for 16th. I started the week in Atlanta spending most of a day filming a new segment called "Tips From The Tour with Parker McLachlin."

It's a new video podcast where I've filmed 12 different "tips" for amateurs golfers. Over the next few months, you'll be able to download the videos on iTunes, YouTube, etc. I'm really excited about this being another avenue for me to connect with all of you back on the Islands, and I'll have even more information on that in my upcoming stories.

But now, back to the good stuff. Coming into last Sunday, I was at 2-under par for the tournament and in the middle of the pack, but I knew that I was playing well because I had made a lot of birdies over the first three days. Knowing that I was going to take the next two weeks off, I really wanted to leave everything out there on the golf course and put the pedal to the metal. So I went out to the first tee with the mindset of being aggressive and making the most of my round.

I got off to a great start, making birdie on holes 3 and 4, and then making eagle on the par-5 sixth hole.

If this had been a few months ago, I would have started to look at the leaderboard and worry about where I was in the field. But I have learned a lot over my first few months on the PGA Tour, and now that I'm much more experienced, I decided not to take a look at the leaderboard the entire round. I knew I was moving up with each birdie, but I just told myself to keep grinding, to keep staying aggressive, and to keep striking the ball well. That helped keep my round going, as I finished with a bogey-free 66.

I had to catch a flight immediately after, so I wasn't aware of the final scores on my flight to Phoenix. The PGA Tour has a system where they "text message" the players their final position and the amount of money they win. When I landed, I opened up my text message and it said: "Tied for 16th, $81,000." I did a double-take when I saw the number, and then I thought, "Not a bad week at the golf course." That's the most that I have ever made in one tournament.

My perception not only of the PGA Tour, but also of my game, is starting to change. I'm starting to see now that the sky is the limit. Over the past few years, when I was playing on the mini-tours, the most you might be able to win is $20,000 to $25,000. And that's if you win a tournament. Now, to make $81,000 with a tie for 16th? It's pretty amazing. I'm starting to feel the pressure of each putt, and I'm starting to embrace it. To already have four top-25 finishes this season is great. But now I'm looking to being in contention on the weekend.

With that said, I'm also looking forward to enjoying these next two weeks off. On Saturday, I'm going to be doing a junior clinic at Waikoloa Beach Resort, one of my great, local sponsors. I'm going to host a free clinic on the Kings' Course driving range from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by a putting challenge with junior golfers.

The public is invited and admission is free. Waikoloa has always been a big contributor to junior golf programs in Hawai'i, and I really can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to going out there and helping the junior golfers of today.

I'm also really looking forward to attending the graduation of Spencer, my brother, who is off to Stanford on a volleyball scholarship. Congratulations, Spence.