RALEIGH, N.C. -- High Point University men's golfer Brandon Einstein returned to competitive action last weekend (June 18-21), playing in the 60th North Carolina Amateur Championship at North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh, N.C. The rising junior had a strong showing on the weekend to propel him into a tie for 10th place with a 279 (-1).
 
"It was a good icebreaker to get back into competitive golf," Einstein said. "You could definitely tell the first two rounds I was rusty and uncomfortable but I found something rolling into the weekend. It was also really good to see all of my buddies after three months of quarantine. We go to the Carolinas (Amateur Championship) next down in Wilmington where I hope to capitalize on another top-10 finish. As always Roll Point!"
 
Einstein's struggled a bit in the first round, shooting a five-over 75 without a birdie. He was able to right the ship in the first half of round two, posting four birdies on the front on Friday. The back proved to continue to give him issues, however, as three bogeys on the back, coupled with three on the front, put him at +7 after the two rounds, right on the cutline.
 
Einstein looked like a different player on the weekend, carding a 67 and a 65 in the final two rounds, tying with the eventual champion of the tournament for the best play over the weekend. Einstein birdied hole 1 on Saturday for the second straight day and then rattled off 10 straight pars before rolling in another birdie on the 12th and then one on 15. The only blemish on his card from round three was a bogey on 17, which he quickly counteracted with a birdie on 18 to shoot a 67 in the third round and sit at +4 heading into Sunday.
 
He continued the momentum from the day before into the final round, bookending the front nine on Sunday two pairs of birdies to make the turn at even par, birdieing the first hole for the third straight round. Einstein gave two strokes back to start the final nine holes with successive bogeys, but once again was able to bounce back with three birdies in his final seven holes to end the round with a five-under, 65 and the tournament with a one-under, 279. Einstein's 65 on Sunday was tied for the low round of the day and was the third-lowest round of the tournament, with two golfers shooting 64s over the previous three rounds.