Parziale’s course is clear

Not exactly a eureka moment, but it’s paid tremendous dividends.

“I didn’t play well that week, but for some reason, ever since then I’ve turned it around,’’ said Parziale. “Since that tournament in New York, I’ve been in contention almost every time and felt like I had a good chance to win them all.

“Golf’s strange. You have times where you feel like nothing’s going to go right. But when you get that feeling that you can win - you’re not going to win them all - but just to have that feeling, you know you’re going to play good golf.’’

Parziale has been doing plenty of that. The 22-year-old from Brockton has to be considered one of the state’s top amateurs, his roll call of summer events yielding impressive results: Second (and low amateur) at the 100th Massachusetts Open; quarterfinalist at the prestigious North and South Amateur on Pinehurst No. 2; victories in the Brockton City Fourball, the New England Amateur (the first Massachusetts winner since 2005), and the Ouimet Memorial Tournament.

That stretch of strong play has pushed Parziale into the lead in the race for Massachusetts Golf Association player of the year, something he’s never won.

“I never really set any goals. I just wanted to play well and have fun,’’ Parziale said. “I’ve been able to keep it out of trouble, that’s been huge for me all summer. I’ve also been putting well. When you’re putting well, even on days when you’re not hitting it well, you can still score.’’

Success isn’t new to Parziale. He attended New Testament Christian School in Norton, then played four years at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., graduating in May. Along the way he’s generated lots of headlines - college wins, national player of the year, All-American, an appearance in the 2006 US Amateur.

This summer shouldn’t be a total surprise, either, based on how he’s fared in prior state-level events. Parziale finished second in the 2007 Ouimet, and lost, 1-up, in the championship match last year at the Mass. Amateur, against fellow Thorny Lea Golf Club member John Hadges.

Winning the 80th New England Amateur last month at Portsmouth (N.H.) Country Club has been the highlight, with Parziale overcoming a third-round deficit and finishing three strokes in front. His victory last week at the Ouimet was also special: Paired with reigning Mass. Amateur champion Bill Drohen, Parziale came back from another deficit, this time in the rain-delayed final round, and held off nine-time state player of the year Frank Vana Jr. by one stroke.

Now that summer is winding down, he can start to look toward the future. By the time he reached his senior year at Southeastern, a professional golf career had already been determined. And while thoughts of becoming a pro were exciting, they also grew constant. At school. During practice. On the golf course. Looking ahead was tempting, and quickly becoming disruptive.

“I was thinking way too much about it, and the best thing for me to do was to stop thinking about it and wait until I got done with the summer,’’ Parziale said. “I’m still trying to figure this out.’’

Embarking on a pro career can be costly, so Parziale is trying to make the financial piece - frequently the toughest part - fit the puzzle. He’s hoping to play in a pre-qualifying stage for PGA Tour Qualifying School next month, and then will look for other events and tours.

It’s the life he’s imagined having, and Parziale is eager to see if he can parlay the hot stretch into upcoming tournaments that award two prizes to the winner. He’s already built an impressive collection of trophies. Steady paychecks will come in handy, too.