The thrill of having his name announced when stepping up to the first tee box never gets old for Parker McLachlin. But it was extra special today when the 29-year-old made his debut at the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

“;I definitely dreamed about this happening,”; said McLachlin in a phone interview earlier this week. “;I remember working the tournament from the time I was 14 to 17, coming over as a standard bearer, working on the range collecting balls.

“;It's pretty cool to have something you've dreamed about come to fruition.”;

Something else adds to the chicken-skin moment, he said.

“;When I get announced, I'll have that 'PGA winner' label by my name,”; McLachlin said. “;That is pretty awesome.

“;Even in the practice rounds, I've been taking a second to look around. I've been pinching myself.”;

Although technically one of the dozen Kapalua rookies entered in this winners-only PGA event, the former Punahou and UCLA golfer said he has played the course more than two dozen times.

“;I like the course,”; he said. “;It definitely can be extremely challenging. But it's a fun course. I have a few different things I can pull out.”;

McLachlin, who is also entered in next week's Sony Open, earned this week's tee time by winning the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open by seven shots. It was the second-largest margin of victory on tour last year.

McLachlin made 17 of 27 cuts last season, had three top-10 finishes—including a tie for 10th at last year's Sony Open—and earned just over $1.3 million.

But getting to play in Hawaii the first two weeks of this season is priceless.

“;Obviously, it's great to be back home,”; he said. “;It's a huge added bonus to play two events here to start the year.”;

And there is the added boost of confidence that winning brings.

“;Being here in such an elite field reinforces the feeling that I belong,”; McLachlin said. “;I definitely feel good about that.

“;Yes, a few things have changed because of the win. Some of it is mental, some of it is physical. I've been working hard, changing a few fundamentals, working with a new swing coach.

“;It's a constant evolution to continue to learn and to see how good I can become.”;