Topic: Christian Brand Shoots 61 in Web.com event

[mu79grad]

Marshal alum, Christian Brand, is now tied for second in the Web.com event in Utah after shooting a superb 61 today.  Most likely he'll be in the final group on Saturday.  Golf Channel will air the event live on Saturday from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.   

Here are some comments found on pgatour.com:  Despite bogeying his first hole of the day (No. 10) Friday, the Marshall University grad poured in five consecutive birdies on Nos. 11-15 to charge up the leaderboard. The 29-year-old poured in six more birdies on the back, including a 35-footer at the last (No. 9) to break the course record with a 61. 

“I switched putters this week. I got a face balanced putter, which has helped me out,” Brand said. “The last few weeks I haven’t been playing the best and it’s because of the putter. So, we’ve got something new in the hands, and I’m just hitting the ball the same way as I always do but rolling a couple in.”

It’s working. Brand’s needed the putter only 51 times through two rounds, tied for fourth best in the field. He was driven to change putters after playing the Greenbrier Classic last week on the PGA TOUR. He missed the cut with rounds of 72-70, but played the first two rounds with the 36-hole leader Sebastian Munoz and felt like his ball-striking had been better than Munoz’s.

“He was making everything, and I keep looking at my caddie, and I’m going, ‘I’m hitting it better than this guy, I’m hitting it better than this guy, but I couldn’t make a 10-footer to save my life,” Brand said. “I couldn’t throw it in the ocean if I was standing on the beach, and I’m not kidding. So, I said we got to save something, definition of insanity, so I switched the putter and switched some of the mental practices and it seems to be working, so we’re going to keep it rolling.”

[mu79grad]

Brand shot a one under par 70 today.  He is now tied for fifth place and he is three shots out of the lead.  A stretch of four straight bogeys hurt but after those bogeys he bounced back with three birdies in his last six holes.  He is tied for fifth place and he has a decent shot at the title when the tournament concludes tomorrow.  Golf Channel will provide the coverage from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

[mu79grad]

During the final round, Brand shot a 69 and finished this tournament tied for 13th place.