April 29, 2004

ROCKY MOUNT, NC — To watch Matt Davis hole a few birdies, then make a spirited charge up the leaderboard, brought back memories for the guy he was playing with in the final round of the 2003 Carl Spackler Open.

Brandon Hunter used to know the feeling. Lately, all he can do is watch.

The real difference between scratch and Brandon is not as vast as it looks on a scorecard.  Other than the new attitude and reshaped golf swing, Hunter is virtually the same player who last year had a lot of Davis-like qualities.

He currently sits in 5th place with 38.2 points per round and scheduled to play Sunday at The Crossings.  "There's not a lot I could have done, except make the putts," he said a day after missing a lot of them -- again -- at Hedingham. "I think it will balance out and I'll make them.  I just don't know when this summer I will get the right feel."

Looking over the dimensions of a ballpark, Brandon figures he could hit sand wedge over the fence in right field, but put a putter in his hand, and it would roll foul.

Matt Davis was asked about his performance so far this year.  "Unfortunately for Brandon, he just didn't seem to make the putts.  He had so many beautiful putts that just skirted the edge.  It's just a matter of time before they start falling.  They fall in bunches."

That's exactly what Brandon will require in June when he participates in his first major.  Staying patient through this nasty stretch might not be so easy, especially since he knows what he's missing -- putts -- and he's not sure what he can do to get them.

"You work on your speed, the pace, the stroke," he said.  "But it's not like I'm putting poorly.  I'm just not making as many as I'm used to making."

Fixing a faulty putting stroke is one thing. What may drive Hunter to eat a double cheeseburger are putts that look perfect until they slide by the hole.  Hunter used to coolly bend over and pick his ball out of the cup.  Now, he buckles his knees and looks bewildered.

This is particularly agonizing because Brandon is a big believer that Spackler essentially is a putting contest.

"I can promise you, the guy who won the tournament didn't hit the ball better than I did," he said. "It just illustrates how important putting is. You cannot win tournaments or the On Tour Championship if you don't make the putts."

Right now, no one understands that better.