He prepared for the New Zealand Open this week near Queenstown by going hang gliding and will consider skydiving as a sideline pursuit if he returns anytime in the future.
This comes after he went bungy jumping three times ahead of the $US600,000 Nationwide Tour event here close to a year ago, but Brigman's adventurous streak off the course certainly does his game no harm.
The Albuquerque, New Mexico, resident is convinced the hang gliding stint helped loosen him up ahead of yesterday's first round when he shot a six-under-par 66 to lie fourth equal, just a solitary shot behind joint leaders, New Zealander David Smail, Australian Andrew Dodt and fellow American Robert Gates.
"It maybe freed me up and it took the fear out of everything. I putted fearlessly and rolled it really well to make a tonne of putts," the 33-year-old said after enjoying the very best of calm early morning conditions.
Brigman, who helped himself to seven birdies alongside a lone bogey, was gratified with his work on the greens at the par-72 6610m The Hills layout.
He had identified putting as an area of his game needing improvement after finishing 53rd in that category on tour last year when he filled the same position on the money list.
He knows he must sharpen up if he wants to play on the PGA Tour again after spending time on the main circuit in 2004, 2005 and 2007.
"It is something I have devoted more work on this year. I wouldn't say it is a weakness but it is a place I can improve," he said after swinging the short stick just 26 times.
Brigman, who began his round at the 10th hole, drained a 40-footer on the seventh after earlier making a clutch putt from 15 feet at the 18th.
He felt the latter effort on the tough 450m par-four hole was pivotal to his low score.
"I was short and left in two, chipped to 15 feet beyond the hole and made it. I was one-under at that stage and it was a huge momentum putt because it kept me going."
He celebrated that par save by posting birdies at the first, second and third and stringing together more birdies at the sixth and seventh.
A one-time winner after six seasons on the Nationwide Tour, Brigman said the form of his playing partners, American Jay Delsing and Smail, helped his cause.
Smail was red hot in his first outing for six weeks to shoot 65 while Delsing played his part with 70.
"I was in a really good group. David Smail played really well and as a group we had some momentum going and held it throughout the round. Between us, we must have birdied just about every hole."
While Smail set a target for his rivals in the morning, it was not matched until after tea time when Dodt and Gates both stormed home.
Dodt birdied his closing four holes while rookie Gates did likewise on the last three after it had earlier appeared Smail would remain a lone figure atop the leaderboard.
While Dodt has a history to recommend him here, newcomer Gates was a revelation in his first outing as a Nationwide Tour player.
Dodt, 24, finished 15th on the Asian Tour order of merit last season, when Gates, 24, quietly went apart learning his trade on the low ley Canadian Tour.
Gates earned his Nationwide spurs by reaching the third stage of PGA Tour qualifying late last season, and yesterday's hot round marked a stunning debut for the tall Texan.
