"It stings" PGA Tour pro reacts to losing card despite Friday fireworks

Wesley Bryan says he's "not done trying" after falling short of retaining his full playing rights on the PGA Tour.

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Bryan, 32, will now have to rely on Monday qualifiers, sponsor's exemptions and past champions status if he is to play anymore events for the remainder of the season on the circuit.  

It has been a struggle for Bryan in recent years. Most of his time, he said, has been spent rehabbing wrist and shoulder injuries. He won the RBC Heritage in 2017 but since then has not played as much as he would have liked. 

Playing in his final event on a medical exemption at the Valspar Championship, Bryan needed to finish in the top six to retain his full playing rights. Failing that, he needed to finish T51st or better to retain partial playing rights. 

Both of those scenarios looked like they were out of the realms of possibility during Friday's second round for Bryan. At the par-3 eighth (he played the back nine first), he double crossed his tee shot and sent his ball into a bush. 

Choking down on an iron, he dropped to his knees and managed to hack the ball out, pitched onto the green and clean up a bogey. From there, he stiffed his approach into nine to about three feet, made birdie and got into the weekend on the number. It was truly spectacular. 

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Man Wesley’s finish was INSANE!! pic.twitter.com/b8qdDECJAq

— Bryan Bros Golf (@bryanbrosgolf) March 19, 2022

Been a long few years, spent most of it rehabbing shoulder and wrist. Thank you to everyone for the support this week….definitely felt the love out there. I tried my hardest….came up short. It stings, but I’m not done trying https://t.co/g3tRcIrar1

— Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) March 20, 2022

As he ran off to sign for his score, he let out a visible sigh of relief. Bryan was hoping to emulate Ryan Brehm who won the Puerto Rico Classic on the PGA Tour earlier in the month. 

Like Bryan, he was in the last chance saloon. But he needed a second place or better to keep his card. Instead, Brehm won his first PGA Tour event and kept his status for another two years. 

Bryan knew he needed something special on Sunday but unfortunately it wasn't to be. He carded a final 1-over 71 and finished T62nd.

The Carolina native has only played in 25 tour events since that victory in 2017, with a solitary top-10 finish. 

"I tried my hardest….came up short. It stings, but I'm not done trying," he wrote on Twitter. 

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