THE MODERATOR: We welcome the defending champion Richy Werenski, to the Barracuda Championship media room. What's it like to be back?
RICHY WERENSKI: It's been great so far. I had a stretch of five in a row before last week. So it was, you know -- I feel recharged a little bit this week. So I really just feel refreshed and ready to go.
I always love coming up here. We've had perfect weather for the last two, three days. So I'm looking forward to a good week.
Q. Were there any specific memories that kind of flooded back when you got back here on the course?
RICHY WERENSKI: Definitely, we played with (indiscernible) yesterday and the pro-am today. It was the first time I played the course since last year on Sunday. But I kind of was seeing some of the shots, remembering some of the shots I hit on Sunday. And it was pretty cool.
Q. Take me back to the first PGA TOUR win feeling. What did it mean after that; it was your 100th career start?
RICHY WERENSKI: It was huge. I've been working my whole life to win on the PGA TOUR. And to finally get that first one and get that chip off your shoulder, it was kind of nice. Finished second a couple of times. Lost in a playoff when it was at Montreux a few years ago.
So definitely I felt like I was playing good golf coming into it. And it was just a huge weight lifted off your shoulders. You know what I mean? That first one's the hardest and still trying to get that second one.
Q. It's always kind of an event you seemed to play well at. It was your fifth start. Even (indiscernible) Greenwood, obviously you won here. Even when it was at Montreux, you finished second. So what is it (indiscernible) about this that matches your game?
RICHY WERENSKI: You know, I mean, I think I just have always played pretty well when it comes to elevation. Out here we're at elevation, and you've got to take some percentage into account. Usually about 10 percent, the ball is going about 10 percent further. I don't know if it kind of keeps me swinging easy or whatnot. But I think about my whole career so far, even on the Web.com Tour, when it was the Web.com Tour, I played well at Mexico and at elevation and Bogota, Colombia, played well, finished second in both of those. I think there's a little bit something there.
But I also just love the area. It's just gorgeous up here. So I just feel relaxed and kind of just love it.
Q. Is elevation something you specifically are training for, or just happens to be --
RICHY WERENSKI: No, I don't train for elevation at all. You just kind of do it when you get here. We all got TrackMans and all that stuff to help with the distances on the driving range. But you can't really -- can only get you so far. A lot of it is feel. Starts getting hot in the afternoon. More than 10 percent. I don't know. I don't train for it at all. But it's just kind of something that seemed to come easy for me.
Q. What about the format? Obviously different than stroke play and regular PGA TOUR events. Does that change your strategy entering this week at all?
RICHY WERENSKI: Maybe a little bit. You might play a little bit more aggressive. If you do happen to make a bogey, it's not the end of the world. It's kind of worth a little bit of the risk. I wouldn't say I'm going to go out playing, hitting everything out of every pin and playing super aggressive, but compared to your normal week, I would say 20 percent more aggressive if I had to say. So you kind of pick and choose, but it's nice to know that you kind of have a little bit of cushion to take that extra risk.
Q. With this golf course, it's a lot of opportunities with the par-5s and a few of the par-4s, what do you like most about those?
RICHY WERENSKI: The par-5s are all get-able. So that's huge. I mean, eagles are -- I think you kind of have to make a couple out here. It just helps so much. Five points is -- I mean, say like last year, I made eagle on 16. I really wasn't -- I was kind of in contention, but one hole and then it's like I'm right there.
So they're really big. It makes it a lot easier. So you definitely want to take advantage of the par-5s if you can. I don't really hit it long enough to get to any of the par-4s, unless they're straight downwind. But you can chip it in or do that.
But for me it's going to be if I can take advantage of the par-5s, I know I'm going to make some birdies on the par-4s and par 3s. I think it will be a good week.
Q. You mentioned last week being an off week. And with this event we're down to one of the final three of the 2021 season. What would this event -- offers 300 FedExCup points, what would that mean to add to your ranking?
RICHY WERENSKI: That would be huge this year. I'm not really in danger of keeping my card like I was in previous years at this tournament. But I mean it's been kind of an on-and-off year for me this year. I've had some good events and then gone through some stretches where I've missed some cuts. So I'm not as high up on that FedExCup list as I'd like to be. So kind of trying to get that final little push going into the playoffs. Really that top 70 number is really big.
So that's the goal for these last few events to try to get that done. So 300 points this week would definitely help a lot.
Q. And finally we're back in beautiful Truckee, California. Have you been able to do any exploring outside of the course?
RICHY WERENSKI: I haven't done anything really yet. Might go up to the lake this afternoon. But got in, had kind of a crazy travel day. Got in super, super late. Flights delayed. I've kind of been just coming in here and going back and resting. I think I'll probably go head up to the lake this afternoon, check that out.
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