The Big Break

The Big Break

Chapter: 20 Seasons (11 Episodes)

Genre:

Overview

The Big Break is the Golf Channel's reality television program. The show's premise is to award an aspiring professional golfer exemptions into selected events on certain tours. The series debuted on October 6, 2003. Currently, the show airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time/6 p.m. Pacific time every Monday or Tuesday. Tom Abbott replaced Vince Cellini as the male host at Big Break Sandals Resorts in the spring of 2010. Stephanie Sparks stayed on as host. Each episode is an hour long, though each season finale is two hours long. The show's chief signature is a giant rock that bears its logo. Until the 11th edition, there was a side rock with the Roman numeral identifying the edition. Now, each show is referred to only by its location.

The Big Break Collection

  • The Big Break I (1 Episode)

    The Big Break I first aired, as said in the introduction, on October 6, 2003. The contest was filmed over ten days at the Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Michigan. The winner would receive exemptions into four selected events on the Canadian Tour in 2004. The ten hopefuls for the first season were Randy Block of San Antonio; Garrett Garland of Northridge, California; Charles Calhoun of Marietta, Ohio; Justin Peters of Plantation, Florida; Steve Duemig of Clearwater, Florida; Anthony Sorentino of Rochester Hills, Michigan; Mark Farnham of Port Jefferson, New York; Craig Pawling of Sunrise, Florida; Jeff Brown of Hampton, Georgia; and Jon Roddy of Orlando, Florida. The show was hosted by Phil Mickelson's former swing coach, Rick Smith, and Katherine Roberts, who was dismissed as eye candy. In the end, Peters defeated Sorentino 3 & 1 in the matchplay final. Peters, though, failed to make the cut in any of the four Canadian Tour events he played in. The first season's webpage is still viewable here.

  • The Big Break II: Las Vegas (1 Episode)

    The Big Break II first aired on September 27, 2004. The majority of the series was filmed at the Stallion Mountain Country Club in Las Vegas, though the matchplay final was held at Vegas' Bali Hai Golf Club. The winner of this edition picked up exemptions into four selected Nationwide Tour events in 2005, a $10,000 cash prize, and a new Ford Five Hundred. The second season's ten hopefuls were Don Donatello of Lake Mary, Florida; Jay McNair of Brandon, Florida; Kip Henley III of Crossville, Tennessee; Bart Lower of Ann Arbor, Michigan; David Gunas, Jr. of Amston, Connecticut; Sean Daly of San Luis Obispo, California; John Turk of Melbourne, Florida; Mike Foster, Jr. of Savannah, Georgia; Shelby Chrest of Olds, Alberta; and Scott Yancy III of Glen Carbon, Illinois. Smith returned to host, this time, joined by Lesley Swanson. Henley and Donatello were the final two, and their match needed two extra playoff holes, with Henley eventually winning. Lower also received a prize. A viewer poll determined that of the eight previously eliminated contestants, Lower deserved another chance at his "big break," and with 37% of the vote, more than anyone else, Lower was invited to take part in The Big Break IV, which he accepted. Henley notes in this diary entry that he has gained further awards since his victory. On April 27, 2005, Henley qualified for the PGA Tour's FedEx St. Jude Classic, and qualified for it again in 2011 by winning a local PGA qualifier.

  • The Big Break III: Ladies Only (1 Episode)

    The Big Break III: Ladies Only is the third installment of The Golf Channel's reality series, The Big Break. This installment first aired on February 8, 2005. The show was filmed in October 2004 at the Kingsmill Resort and Spa just outside Williamsburg, Virginia. The winner of this edition would receive exemptions into two LPGA events and a celebrity tournament in 2005, not all of which aired on The Golf Channel. Also, a leading golf retailer, Golf Galaxy, was offering $5,000 so that the winning player could purchase whatever they need for the LPGA events, such as new clubs or other accessories. The first of those three tournaments was the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, held at the golf resort where the show was filmed. The Michelob ULTRA Open is commonly referred to as the LPGA's "fifth major," much like The Players Championship is for the PGA Tour. The ten hopefuls for the third season were Tasha Browner of Tarzana, California; Danielle Amiee of Newport Beach, California; Pamela Crikelair of Westchester County, New York; Valeria Ochoa, originally from Medellín, Colombia, but who has since moved to Miramar, Florida; Debbie Dahmer of Escondido, California; Jan Dowling originally from Bradford, Ontario, but who has since moved to Dallas; Cindy Miller of Silver Creek, New York; Sarah Sasse of Lincoln, Nebraska; Liz Uthoff of St. Louis; and Felicia Brown of Redondo Beach, California. Vince Cellini and Stephanie Sparks, who once played in the LPGA herself, albeit briefly, became the show's new hosts. The matchplay final was stellar. Crikelair and Amiee faced off, with Crikelair going 2 up after just three holes. Amiee came all the way back, and, at 1 up on the par 3 17th, sank a birdie to go 2 up, and clinch the The Big Break III title 2 & 1. In addition to her exemptions and $5,000 gift card from Golf Galaxy, Amiee also won a new Chrysler Crossfire, which she gave to a friend who had helped her financially. Amiee also donated her Golf Galaxy certificate to a charity for underprivileged children.

  • The Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe (1 Episode)

    The Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe was filmed in June 2005, and premiered on September 13 of the same year. The twelve hopefuls were taken to Scotland's Carnoustie, and the Old Course in St Andrews to compete for exemptions into two European Tour events, an endorsement deal with Bridgestone Golf, a two-year lease on a Ford Explorer, and a $5,000 gift card from Dick's Sporting Goods. The Golf Channel made this a competition between players from the United States and Europe, much like the Ryder Cup. Vince Cellini and Stephanie Sparks returned as hosts. The six hopefuls representing Team USA were Lower; Randall Hunt from Los Angeles, who currently lives in Arlington, Texas; Tommy Gainey, known as "Two Gloves," who hails from Bishopville, South Carolina; T.J. Valentine from Plymouth, Massachusetts; David Carnell, a Miami resident who is originally from Park Forest, Illinois; and Paul Holtby from Simi Valley, California. Team Europe's six hopefuls were former British Amateur winner Warren Bladon of Leamington Spa, England; Guy Woodman from Old Windsor, England; Edoardo Gardino, a Crans-Montana, Switzerland resident who is originally from Azti, Italy; Marty Wilde Jr. from Tewin, England; Richard Gillot from Paris; and Thomas Blankvoort from Wassenaar, Netherlands.

  • The Big Break V: Hawaii (0 Episodes)

    The Big Break V: Hawaii was the fifth edition of The Golf Channel's reality television competition program, The Big Break. The show's premise is to award aspiring golf professionals exemptions into event on major tours, eliminating one contestant each week through a series of challenges until only one player is left. The Big Break V: Hawaii was filmed at the Turtle Bay Resort of Oahu's North Shore in Hawaii from October 16 to October 30, 2005. The shooting location was apparently quite close to where ABC's hit series, Lost, also shot on Oahu, is filmed. The show premiered on The Golf Channel on February 7, 2006. This was the second edition of the show in which all of the contestants were female, the first being the popular The Big Break III: Ladies Only, which aired from February 8 to April 26, 2005. The Big Break V: Hawaii was also the first edition of the show to begin with 11 contestants rather than the usual 10, as one of the contestants would be eliminated on the first episode, the first time anyone would ever be eliminated on the season premiere. Vince Cellini and Stephanie Sparks returned to co-host their third edition of the show. The Big Break: All Access, the show's behind-the-scenes spinoff, returned for its second season. The Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe contestant Marty Wilde, Jr. hosted All Access. All Access premiered the night after the first episode.

Casts & Credits

Similar