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,

I'm back in the Phoenix area after seven weeks on the road. It's funny to say this, but I think my most enjoyable week was the one I spent in Washington, D.C., at the AT&T National as an alternate. I didn't get into the tournament, but it was special because it was the first time I had ever been to our nation's capital, and my parents were able to see Washington, D.C., with me.

I made the cut last week in Reno, and I'm continuing to learn each and every week. Going through swing changes in the middle of the season is something that was needed to be done, but that means I have to go through a few weeks where I have to swallow my pride and not hit the prettiest of shots.

As many of you amateurs know, it challenges you mentally when you initially don't trust your swing in competition. But the past three weeks I've really felt like I've seen the improvements with all of my ball striking, and I know that I am ready for that breakout week.

Ideally, it would have been nice to have spent this past off-season working on my swing, but I didn't really have that option. Now, though, with my changes, I feel that my foundation is much more solid. It's not so much that I'm changing my swing. It's more about changing my setup.

I've tried a few different things throughout the year to get ready for competition. Sometimes, I'll play 18 holes Monday, nine holes Tuesday, and play nine more holes on Wednesday before the Pro Am. Sometimes, I'll just put on my running shoes and walk the course on Wednesday to get a better feel for the setup. Because of my success last year on the Nationwide Tour, I think I developed a good system where I know that I have to have a good routine every week. It's important to realize that you don't have to go out and play 18 holes every day in the practice round. You always want to find a way to have a full tank of gas for Thursday.

I'm looking for a top 20 next week at Greensboro. I feel that with a top 20, I can move into the Fed Ex Cup, which starts in three weeks.

Mahalo,

Parker

Parker McLachlin can be reached at www.parkermclachlin.com