PENN TWP — The golf ball slowly rolled over the manicured green, twisting and turning toward the hole before finally plopping into the cup.

And Rob McClellan laughed out loud.

It was his day.

It turned out to be his week.

The putt was a 60-footer on the No. 15 hole at Sewickley Heights Golf Club on a muggy Monday afternoon.

The weather wasn't the only thing that was hot; so was McClellan's golf game in the opening round of the Sewickley Heights Open. The putt put the Butler native at 8-under par and kicked off a week to remember.

After he made a short putt on No. 18, McClellan finished the day with a 10-under 63 — four strokes better than the course record.

"You never can predict that, beating a course record," said McClellan, an associate golf pro at Butler Country Club. "Monday was just one of those days when nothing I did went wrong."

McClellan eagled No. 14 before his long birdie putt on 15.

In the final round Tuesday, McClellan cruised to a 70 to win the event by eight strokes.

"Going into Tuesday, I was trying not to make any bogies," McClellan said. "I was playing to keep the lead."

As well as McClellan played on Monday on his way to a course record and a Sewickley Heights Open championship, he was perhaps even better Wednesday and Thursday.

McClellan shot a 67 in the opening round of the Tri-State Section PGA Assistants Championship at Williams Country Club inWeirton, W.Va. Wednesday.

He followed that up with a 66 on Thursday to win the event by four strokes.

McClellan hit 35 of the 36 greens in regulation and did not bogey a hole during the two-day tournament.

"I've posted scores like that before, but never over four days in two tournaments in a row," McClellan said. "I played four rounds and was 21-under par. Yeah. It was a pretty good week."

With the win in West Virginia, McClellan qualified for the National Assistants Tournament in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in October.

"It's one of the biggest tournaments I get to play in as an assistant golf professional," McClellan said.

McClellan, 27, got his start at Olde Stonewall Golf Club in Ellwood City before coming to Butler Country Club.

He has been an associate golf pro since 2002 and is getting close to becoming a card-carrying member of the PGA.

It's not as easy as one might think.

It takes as long as six years to become a golf pro and it takes more than being handy with a 5-iron.

"You have a 36-hole playing test, then the rest of it is written," McClellan said. "It's like getting a master's degree."

The written test covers topics such as the rules of golf, cart fleet management, teaching, golf swing analysis and a myriad of other topics.

"It tests you on the business side of golf," McClellan said.

For now, McClellan is focusing on the playing side of the game.

Always eager to play in a tournament, McClellan plans to enter as many as possible.

"I always try to qualify for the U.S. Open," he said.

McClellan has another big tournament on the horizon. He will compete in the Pennsylvania State Open at Lancaster Country Club next week.

The winner gets $10,000.

Last year he finished third in the event; the year before that, he came in fourth.

The way he has been playing lately, McClellan could enter the tournament as the favorite.

"I'll practice a little bit," McClellan said. "I'll be working a lot before I leave and it's a four-hour drive. I'll hit a couple of balls and play a practice round on Sunday then be ready to go Monday."