Fast start gives Richy Werenski boost on 2016 prospects

In 2015, Richy Werenski made 14 of 20 cuts on the Web.com Tour, finished two events among the top 15, and had to go through the qualifying process again to regain his place on the circuit.

Two events into this season, the Bluffton pro has all but removed that pressure.

A runner-up finish at last weekend’s Club Colombia Championship nearly equaled Werenski’s earnings from all of 2015, allowing him the rest of the year to take aim at the real objective — earning a PGA Tour card for next season.

“It kind of makes the rest of the year easier,” Werenski said Wednesday. “If you make a decent paycheck in the first few events, you don’t have to worry about the reshuffles. You know you’re going to get into every event you want.”

The former IJGA student picked up $61,600 for finishing one shot behind Sebastian Munoz, vaulting him to No.5 on the money list. He’ll stay there for a while, too, with the tour playing just one event in the next seven weeks.

The real relief is that he won’t have to worry about the earnings cutoff at the end of May, when the tour reorders its priority for player entry to allow those playing well to move ahead of strugglers. After tying for 34th at Q-school, Werenski’s position could have been precarious with a few bad starts.

“If you can make way more money than you need to, you don’t have to worry about it,” he quipped.

If there’s one thing Werenski learned from his rookie Web.com Tour season, it’s that a few high finishes far outweigh the consistency of making cuts. After focusing on his wedge game in the offseason, he came out with a different mindset.

“Every time I have a wedge in my hand, I feel like I’ve got a really good chance of making birdie,” he said. “I’m trying to win as many tournaments as I can. Last year I was just going out to make some cuts. I didn't have a goal. Now I know I'm good enough to win, and I will win. It's just a matter of time.”

This story was originally published February 11, 2016 at 10:36 AM with the headline "Fast start gives Richy Werenski boost on 2016 prospects."