Playing less paying big for Wesley Bryan
A change in strategy – playing less – paid handsome dividends for Wesley Bryan in his quest to reach the PGA Tour.
Rather than spending the year competing on mini-tours, the former University of South Carolina star focused on the fall’s Web.com qualifying school, the steppingstone to golf’s major leagues, in 2015, and the plan worked.
“A baby step, but very satisfying,” Bryan said after sharing ninth place in the Q-shool’s final stage earlier this month at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Wesley and brother George, of course, are the Bryan Brothers who have turned trick shots into an art form, and that sideline kept both busy in their travels. Wesley played a few mini-tour events, but he mostly used his off time to work on his overall game and went into the three-stage competition well-rested.
“I was fresher than in the past and that made a difference,” he said. “I didn’t need the tournaments to get ready to compete.”
Bryan finished fifth in the first stage (October) and tied for 12th in the second stage (November) before his tie for ninth. The latter guarantees him 15 starts on the 2016 Web.com tour, and the remainder of his season will be based on earnings. The top 25 on the Web.com money list advance to the PGA Tour the following year.
“The top 25 is obviously the goal this year,” said Bryan, who finished USC in 2012 and ranks 10th in career scoring. “It’s very satisfying to get to this point, to have this opportunity.”
Bryan opened the final stage with a 67 and finished four rounds at 6-under-par 280. He said he took advantage of a windless day on the easier course on his first day and finished with rounds of 71, 72 and 70 with the wind blowing in the 25 mph range.
“I knew I was one or two inside the number (to qualify) on the final day when I got to the Bear Trap (Nos. 15-17), which are tough any time and especially with the wind at 25,” he said. “I got through there OK, then I made an ‘accidental’ birdie on18.”
That “accidental” birdie boosted him into the top 10, which increased his 2016 playing opportunities.
Bryan carried his own bag and did his own yardages in the first two tournaments, then George took his bag for the final stage. But Wesley “didn’t want to change anything, and I did my own yardages.”
Wesley, who won two state individual state championships at Dutch Fork High, lives in Augusta, Ga., where wife Elizabeth is in the Physicians Assistant program at Georgia Regents University.
Players who finished tied for ninth or better are exempt through the first three re-shuffles of the 2016 Web.com season. Those who finished tied for 45th or better are exempt through the first two re-shuffles. Players who finished after No. 45 and ties earned conditional status. Two former USC Aiken golfers, Matt Atkins (tied for 14th) and Roberto Diaz (tied for 21st), and former USC golfer Mark Silvers (tied for 34th) are in the second category. Former USC golfer Mark Anderson finished 141st.
Chip shots
Dawn Woodard (Greer) earned the WSCGA’s player of the year award for the fifth straight year. Lea Ann Brown (Charleston) won the senior player of the year award for the second consecutive year. … Christian Salzer (Sumter) and Ashley Czarnecki (Greenville) have been named Carolinas junior players of the year by the Carolinas Golf Association. Salzer, whose victories included the South Carolina Junior title, has signed to play at North Carolina State. Czarnecki’s won five titles, including the WSCGA Junior and the South Carolina Junior Match-Play. … Salzar added to his championship collection by winning the CGA’s Charles Tilghman tourney in North Myrtle Beach. Smith Knaffle (Murrells Inlet) took the overall girls’ title and also led the girls’ 13-15 age group. Other division winners: Jodee Tindal (Rock Hill, girls’ 16-18); Ross Funderburke (Myrtle Beach, boys’ 13-14) and Reed Bentley (Wellford, boys’ 15-16. … The Global Golf Post’s All-Am teams included Todd White (Spartanburg, first team, Men’s Mid-Amateur); Matt NeSmith (North Augusta, USC, second team, Men’s Amateur), Rick Cloninger (Fort Mill, second team, Men’s Senior Amateur), Steve Liebler (Irmo, honorable mention, Men’s Senior Amateur) and Dawn Woodard (Greer, honorable mention, Women’s Mid-Amateur).
This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 4:50 PM.