A year older and a year wiser, Cory Renfrew sets out on his second campaign as a touring golfer with one specific goal.
The 27-year-old Victoria native wants to claim one of five Web.com Tour cards available to the top five money leaders on PGA Tour sa国际传媒 in 2013.
It all begins today with his 2 p.m. tee time at Uplands Golf Club in Round聽1 of the sa国际传媒 Island Savings Open, in which he made his debut last season in his first full year as a touring professional.
It was Renfrew鈥檚 coming out party, as he finished second to Andrew Roque, who used birdies over his last seven straight holes to swipe the title.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had as much prep as I would have liked, being at the [U.S. Open] qualifier, so I鈥檓 going to go from what I remember from last year and use all my knowledge from that and hopefully do the same sort of thing, only make a few more birdies this time,鈥� Renfrew said.
The former Cordova Bay assistant just returned Tuesday morning from Washington, where he competed with 33 others looking for one of two spots for the U.S. Open. Only two of those players broke par over two days on a stern Tumble Creek Club course in Cle Elum, Wash.
鈥淚t was a tough couple of days 鈥� a tough course. It was a long grind. You had to be on your game all day,鈥� said Renfrew, who will put that behind him and peg it up today.
Mentally that shouldn鈥檛 be difficult, as he finished third on the 2012 Order of Merit behind fellow Canadians Matt Hill and Michael Gligic.
Renfrew defeated Hill in a four-hole playoff at the Syncrude Boreal Open in Fort McMurray, Alta., in 2012, shooting a course-record 9-under 63 on the final day on the way to his first pro tour win.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited, just based on last year,鈥� Renfrew said. 鈥淚 know it鈥檚 going to be tougher, there are going to be better players and lower scores, but I鈥檓 ready and I feel like I can step up my game for that.
鈥淚 got off to a good start in the first three events [in 2012]. Obviously, that鈥檚 a key, to get that good start. Play well early and keep the momentum early.鈥�
And attempt to earn one of the five Web.com Tour cards by year鈥檚 end.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice carrot to work towards, and with nine [PGA Tour sa国际传媒] tournaments, there are definitely going to be at least five or six different winners, so you have to play well for two or three events and not just one.鈥�
Renfrew is used to the competition, having played the All-American Gateway Tour through Arizona this winter, where he placed 12th on the money list through 12 events, including a second at the Legacy Golf Resort, where he recorded the elusive score of 12-under 59.
He also attempted to qualify for two PGA Tour events, the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and the Northern Trust Open at Riviera.
He shot 7-under 65 and 4-under 68 at Thursday pre-qualifiers just to earn a spot in Monday qualifying, playing alongside past PGA winners and major champions like Lee Janzen and David Duval.
Renfrew shot 5-under 67 at the Monday qualifier at the Farmers Insurance and 2-under 70 at the Northern Trust but fell short by one and three shots respectively.
As he told his fans and financial supporters on his website: 鈥淚鈥檓 seeing more and more how much of a difference one or two shots mean at the highest level of professional golf, and, hopefully, I鈥檒l work my way to the better side of those shots in the future.鈥�
It all starts today, as he is one of 156 golfers to tee it up in Round 1 of the sa国际传媒 Island Savings Open. Morning tee times begin at 7:30 a.m., with afternoon players starting at 12:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 daily and $20 for a week pass at Uplands.
