The Big Break V: Hawaii
Encyclopedia
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.
Just after the show premiered, a calendar
featuring the 11 contestants in model-style poses while wearing beachwear was released. It drew some criticism from the show's viewers, who said that The Golf Channel was more interested in potential contestants' looks rather than their playing skills, but the contestants themselves said they enjoyed doing the calendar shoot.
Ashley Prange
was the show's eventual winner, defeating Jeanne Cho in the matchplay final, which aired on May 9, 2006, 5 & 4, in the show's most lopsided matchplay final victory to date
. The "Elimination Challenge" consisted of hitting an iron shot to a circle on a green from two distances. The battle to stay out of last came down to Lucidi and Ruhe, and it was Ruhe who ended up being sent home by just one point.
, and could barely walk the next day. The "Immunity Challenge" consisted of the eight ladies hitting a shot from distances of 100 and 150 yards to a green with a circle. The circle size was determined by shots hit by LPGA players Beth Bauer
and Lorie Kane
, both of whom were making a cameo appearance. Hitting a shot to the closest of the two shots from Kane and Bauer got a contestant two points, outside of the shots one. Prange won immunity with a 5-point total over the two rounds. The "Elimination Challenge," the ladies had to hit three shots from three different distances to a green, and the closest to the pin on each shot moved onto the next show. The remaining four would have to play one hole of golf to determine who would go home. Lucidi, Tucker and Lacey won the distance challenges, sending Lewellen, Cho, Wells and a brave Delasin to the one hole playoff. All four made par, sending them back to the tee. On the second try, Delasin's leg problems got the best of her, and she ended up with the highest score on the hole, becoming the fourth contestant to leave the show.
golf from two different locations: 72 yards and 178 yards. The 72 yard shot would have to be hit from behind a tree, after which the players would have to finish the hole. Whoever had the lowest score after the first location would be granted immunity, but a tie would send everyone to location two. The tie took place with Tucker in last, the scores carried over, and everyone went to the second location, where there was a water hazard in-between the tee box and the green. Cho and Lewellen decided to hit their shots to the fairway beside the hazard, while Wells, Lacey and Tucker decided to go for the green, but with different results. Lacey and Tucker's shots came up short and found the water, while Wells' shot made it across, only to land in the bunker behind the green. She, Cho and Lewellen all made it onto the next show, while Lacey won the war of attrition with a double-bogey that helped her beat Tucker by one shot, and send her packing (Tucker also made double bogey). But for Tucker and the other eliminated contestants, good news awaited.
.
scoring system, with one point for a par, three for a birdie, and five for an eagle, whereas a bogey would cost a point, and a double or worse three. After two holes, Cho had two points and Wells minus two. There was no miracle for Wells, and so, the final match would pit Cho against Prange.
The Golf Channel
Golf Channel, known as The Golf Channel before the July 2008 dropping of The, is an American cable television network with coverage focused on the game of golf. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, the American headquarters and studio are currently located in Orlando, Florida...
's reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
competition program, The Big Break
The Big Break
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, and has become very popular. As of November 2011, Big Break is in its 16th...
. The show's premise is to award aspiring golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
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
Turtle Bay Resort
The Turtle Bay Resort is the major hotel on the North Shore of Oahu island in Hawaii.-Description:The resort is about a 50 minute drive from Honolulu, between Kahuku, Hawaii to the east and Kawela Bay, Hawaii to the west....
of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
's North Shore
North Shore (Oahu)
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oahu between Kaena Point and Kahuku Point...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
from October 16 to October 30, 2005. The shooting location was apparently quite close to where ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's hit series, Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, 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
Vince Cellini
Vincent Robert Cellini is a long-time sports broadcaster for radio and television. Most recently, he was an anchor and program host for The Golf Channel. It was reported that his contract was not renewed for 2010.-Early life and career:...
and Stephanie Sparks
Stephanie Sparks
Stephanie Sparks is an on-air personality at The Golf Channel and a former golfer, whose best years in golf came as an amateur.-Golfer:...
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.
Just after the show premiered, a calendar
Calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
featuring the 11 contestants in model-style poses while wearing beachwear was released. It drew some criticism from the show's viewers, who said that The Golf Channel was more interested in potential contestants' looks rather than their playing skills, but the contestants themselves said they enjoyed doing the calendar shoot.
Ashley Prange
Ashley Prange
Ashley Prange is a professional golfer and winner of the reality television program The Big Break V: Hawaii.-College and amateur career:...
was the show's eventual winner, defeating Jeanne Cho in the matchplay final, which aired on May 9, 2006, 5 & 4, in the show's most lopsided matchplay final victory to date
The prize package
The Big Break V: Hawaii contained the show's largest prize package to date for the winner. These prizes were:- An exemption into the LPGA Tour's Safeway ClassicSafeway ClassicThe Safeway Classic is an annual golf tournament for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour. Founded in 1972, the 54-hole event takes place every year in the Portland, Oregon area and is the oldest continuous event on the LPGA Tour. Tournament Golf Foundation has managed the tournament since...
, to be held in August 2006 - Entry into all remaining 2006 FUTURES TourFUTURES TourThe LPGA Futures Tour, previously styled in uppercase as FUTURES Tour and known for sponsorship reasons between 2006 and 2010 as the Duramed FUTURES Tour, is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour...
events, with waived entry fees and travel expenses (7 of the 11 contestants were already FUTURES Tour members) - An endorsement deal with Bridgestone GolfBridgestone GolfBridgestone Golf is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Ltd, and is based in Covington, Georgia, United States. The company is primarily known for their golf balls, and claim to be the number one golf ball producer in Japan...
- A $10,000 shopping spree from GolfsmithGolfsmithGolfsmith International Holdings Inc. is a golf and tennis specialty retailer based in Austin, Texas. The retailer distributes golf and tennis equipment, as well as other related services. CEO Marty Hanaka has stated, “Our purpose is to inspire golfers to play better and love life more.”Founded by...
- Golf instruction from world-renowned teacher, Dean Reinmuth
- Fitness training from former The Big Break co-host, Katherine RobertsKatherine Roberts (TV personality)Katherine Roberts is a golf fitness instructor to the pros. She made her TV debut with Rick Smith, famous swing coach of PGA touring pro Phil Mickelson on the reality series The Big Break, as a co-host for Season 1 of the show....
- Mental coaching from Dr. Gio Valiante
- A 2006 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster
The contestants
- Jeanne Cho — born to South Korean parents in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Cho began playing golf at age 12, and her parents eventually sent her to David LeadbetterDavid Leadbetter (golf instructor)David Leadbetter is a leading golf instructor, originally from Worthing in England. He began his career on the European and Southern African tours, but had little success as a player...
's world-famous academy in FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where Jeanne decided to move to the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
permanently after two years. She played golf at the University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, where she co-captained the women's team, and graduated cum laude with a 4.0 grade point average. Cho has also competed in the U.S. Women's Open, even missing her high school graduation to take part in it. She currently plays on the FUTURES Tour, and lives in OrlandoOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
with her fiance Brian. - Becky Lucidi — the MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
-born Lucidi boasted the biggest accomplishment of all the contestants, having won the U.S. Women's Amateur in 2002. Five months later, she won the Mexican Women's Amateur, and in 2003, won a national championship for the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in her senior year of college (she had played for two years at the University of New MexicoUniversity of New MexicoThe University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
before transferring). She, too, plays on the FUTURES Tour, where she finished 2nd in her very first event, and lives in Poway, CaliforniaPoway, CaliforniaPoway is a city in San Diego County, California. Originally an unincorporated community in San Diego County, Poway officially became a city in December 1980. Even though Poway lies geographically in the middle of San Diego County, most consider its relative location as north county inland...
. - Dana Lacey — the show's first contestant from AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(Perth, Western AustraliaPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, to be exact), Lacey had a successful amateur career, winning the Australian Junior Championship at age 17. Lacey was the only one of the 11 contestants who didn't attend college, although she did attend the Australia Institute of Sport for four years. Lacey also plays on the FUTURES Tour, where, in 2005, she finished 2nd in the Michelob ULTRA FUTURES Players ChampionshipMichelob Ultra Futures Players ChampionshipThe Tate & Lyle Players Championship is an event on the FUTURES Tour, the LPGA's developmental tour. It has been a part of the FUTURES Tour's schedule since 1985. It is held at the Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur, Illinois....
, losing out to eventual tournament winner Jenny Gleason in a playoff. Dana lives in Wilmington, DelawareWilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. - Katie Ruhe — born in Montpelier, OhioMontpelier, OhioMontpelier is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,320 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Montpelier is located at ....
, Ruhe began playing at age 9 after winning her first trophy in a tournament, despite shooting a 72 for just nine holes. In high school, Ruhe played on the boys team, and was named an All-American by the American Junior Golf AssociationAmerican Junior Golf AssociationThe American Junior Golf Association is a "501 nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf." AJGA is considered by many leaders in the golf industry to be the premier...
. She chose to play golf at the University of South FloridaUniversity of South FloridaThe University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
because her grandparents lived close by, but the beginning of her college career was ravaged by bouts with both bulimia and anorexiaAnorexia nervosaAnorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
, at one point weighing 105 pounds with a 5'9" frame. She turned her health around, and improved her game drastically, being named to the Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
team in both her junior and senior years. Ruhe currently lives in Wesley Chapel, FloridaWesley Chapel, FloridaWesley Chapel is a census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States. Wesley Chapel is considered part of the Tampa Bay Area metro. The population was 44,092 at the 2010 census. In 2003, some residents of Wesley Chapel started a movement to incorporate the community...
, and plays on the FUTURES Tour. - Kristina Tucker — born Kristina Engstrom in StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, the SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Tucker began playing golf in her homeland at age 10. She won the Swedish Girls Championship back-to-back, and moved to the U.S. in 1999 to play at Duke UniversityDuke UniversityDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, where she won three collegiate tournaments, and even got to meet President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
at the White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
after her she and her teammates won the national championship her junior year. After graduating, Tucker returned to SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to play on the Telia TourTelia TourThe SAS Masters Tour, is a domestic professional golf tour operated by the Swedish Golf Association. There are separate tours for men and women...
, where she won one event. In Sweden, Tucker attended the same high school as PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
player Jesper ParnevikJesper ParnevikJesper Bo Parnevik is a Swedish professional golfer. He spent 38 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings in 2000 and 2001.-Early years:...
and had a class with Tiger WoodsTiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
' wife, Elin NordegrenElin NordegrenElin Maria Pernilla Nordegren is a former Swedish model and the ex-wife of professional golfer Tiger Woods.- Early life :Nordegren was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her mother, Barbro Holmberg, is a politician and the former Swedish migration and asylum policy minister, and the current Governor of...
. Kristina lives in Pageland, South CarolinaPageland, South CarolinaPageland is a town in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,521 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pageland is located at ....
with her husband, Paul, whom she met at Duke, and also plays on the FUTURES Tour. On July 1, 2006, Tucker made the cut at the U.S. Women's Open in Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, Rhode IslandNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, becoming the show's first-ever contestant to make a cut in an event on a tour offered as a prize after taping The Big Break. She ended up finishing in a 4-way tie for 20th at 12-over. - Kim Lewellen — the second-oldest contestant at 35, it took bribery from her father with hot dogs and other treats to even get Kim to go to a golf course at first. By age 14, she had grown to like the game, and was on her way to a successful collegiate career at the University of North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, where she earned Division I All-American honors. In 2005, Lewellen was named one of the 50 greatest women golfers in the history of the Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. In the mid 1990s, Kim played on the Ladies European TourLadies European TourThe Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1979. It is based in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money,...
, but with no success. In 1997, Kim began playing on the FUTURES Tour, and won an event her first year. She stopped playing golf for some time so that she and her husband, John, an Episcopalian priest, could start a family. The couple now have two sons, Jack and Simon. Kim still plays on the FUTURES Tour, but also coaches the women's golf team at East Carolina UniversityEast Carolina UniversityEast Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
. - Divina Delasin — Divina was the show's first-ever contestant to be a sibling of a professional on a major tour, as her sister, Dorothy DelasinDorothy DelasinDorothy Delasin is a Filipino-American professional golfer on the LPGA Tour.Delasin was born in Lubbock, Texas and grew up in San Francisco, California. She had dual American and Filipino citizenship but gave it up sometime before 1999. She had a strong amateur career, wining both the U.S. Girls'...
, has won four times to date on the LPGA. Divina dropped out of high school to support her family and help Dorothy get through the LPGA Qualifying Tournament, at one point, holding down three jobs. Divina caddied for Dorothy at the beginning of the ladder's LPGA career, but once Dorothy won for the first time, Divina was able to go back to school and attend college at Foothill CollegeFoothill CollegeFoothill College is a community college located in Los Altos Hills, California and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.-History:...
, but mainly to pursue her own golf dreams. Divina currently works as an assistant professional and a coach for San Francisco's First Tee program, with hopes of opening her own golf school someday. - Jo D. Duncan — born in St. LouisSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Duncan was the oldest contestant at 39. Duncan at first played both golf and basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, but at 15, took golf more seriously, as her small frame made basketball success unlikely. She played on the boys' team in high school, and was the only girl in her entire county playing high school golf. She got a partial scholarship to Missouri State UniversityMissouri State UniversityMissouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
, then known as Southwest Missouri State, where she played with and against women for the very first time. After failing to get through the LPGA Qualifying Tournament in both 1996 and 1997, Duncan became a teaching professional. She also competes in long drive competitions, playing in the RE/MAX World Long Drive ChampionshipRE/MAX World Long Drive ChampionshipThe RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships, also known as the World Long Drive Championship, REMAX World Long Drive, RE/MAX WLDC or REMAX, is an annual world championship in long drive golf driving, hosted since 1975. RE/MAX became the title sponsor in 1995; it evolved out of the original Long Drive...
three times. - Julie Wells — born in Eugene, OregonEugene, OregonEugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Wells was a last-minute replacement, as one contestant withdrew on the first day of filming. Julie began playing golf at age six, and saw much success in high school, being named both OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
's Athlete of the Year and Golfer of the Year. A successful career at the University of IdahoUniversity of IdahoThe University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
saw Wells helping her team win the Big West ConferenceBig West ConferenceThe Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
championship, and her garnering Player of the Year honors. Julie currently works at the Oregon Golf Club, and lives in Wilsonville, OregonWilsonville, OregonWilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...
with her husband. - Nikki DiSanto — DiSanto was the least experienced of the show's contestants, never having played in a pro tournament before the show was filmed. Like Duncan, she competes in long drive competitions. DiSanto played college golf at the College of Canyons in Valencia, CaliforniaValencia, CaliforniaValencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the...
, where she was team captain both years. DiSanto is a part-time model and teaches golf to juniors in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. - Ashley PrangeAshley PrangeAshley Prange is a professional golfer and winner of the reality television program The Big Break V: Hawaii.-College and amateur career:...
— the show's eventual winner, Prange comes from a golfing family, as her father and three of her uncles are teaching pros. She began playing at age 2, but didn't start competing until she was 12. Prange, like Lewellen, played collegiate golf at North Carolina, where she won three events, and was an NCAA First Team All-American her senior year. Prange plays on the FUTURES Tour, and on March 19, 2006, while the show was airing, picked up her first professional win in the Greater Tampa Duramed FUTURES ClassicGreater Tampa Duramed FUTURES ClassicThe Greater Tampa Duramed FUTURES Classic was an annual golf tournament for professional women golfers on the FUTURES Tour, the LPGA's developmental tour. The event was a part of the FUTURES Tour's schedule from 2003 through 2007. In 2003 it was played at Rogers Park Golf Course. In 2004 and 2005...
. She would win for a second time on July 2 in the Northwest Indiana FUTURES Golf Classic in Hammond, IndianaHammond, IndianaHammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
.
Elimination Chart
| Contestant | Ep. 1 | Ep. 2/31 | Ep. 4 | Ep. 5 | Ep. 6 | Ep. 7 | Ep. 9 | Ep. 10 | Ep. 11 | Ep. 12 | Ep. 13 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mulligan |
None | None | Ashley |
None | None | Kristina | None | Kim | None | None | None | ||
| Ashley | IN | HIGH | IN | WIN | LOW | WIN | WIN | IN | HIGH | WIN | WIN4 | ||
| Jeanne | IN | WIN | HIGH | LOW | IN | IN | HIGH | LOW | LOW | LOW | OUT | ||
| Julie | IN | WIN | WIN | LOW | HIGH | HIGH | LOW | WIN | HIGH | OUT | |||
| Kim | IN | LOW | HIGH | IN | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | OUT | ||||
| Becky | WIN | LOW | LOW | IN | OUT | WIN3 | OUT | ||||||
| Dana | LOW | WIN | WIN | IN | WIN2 | LOW | OUT | ||||||
| Kristina | IN | IN | HIGH | WIN | IN | OUT | |||||||
| Davina | IN | WIN | WIN | OUT | |||||||||
| Katie | IN | WIN | OUT | ||||||||||
| Nikki | LOW | OUT | |||||||||||
| Jo D. | OUT | ||||||||||||
- 1 The 2nd elimination took place across two episodes. In the first hour, the contestants faced off in an immunityImmunity (reality television)Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
challenge. The second hour was where the 2nd contestant was eliminated. - 2 Dana won a brand new Chrysler Crossfire Roadster for being the first individual to win 3 immunityImmunity (reality television)Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
challenges. - 3 In episode 8, all previously eliminated contestants were brought back to compete in a series of challenges where the winner would be brought back. Becky won and returned to the competition.
- 3 Ashley won the final match 5 & 4 over Jeanne. This is currently the most lopsided victory to date.
- Green background and WIN means the contestant won matchplay final and The Big Break.
- Blue background and WIN means the contestant won immunityImmunity (reality television)Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
from the elimination challenge. - Light blue background and HIGH means the contestant had a higher score in the elimination challenge.
- White background and IN means the contestant had a good enough score in the elimination challenge to move onto the next episode.
- Orange background and LOW means the contestant had one of the lower scores for the elimination challenge.
- Red background and OUT means the contestant was eliminated from the competition
Week one
A series of challenges saw contestants playing their way onto the show, as only 10 spots were available. The last challenge, one hole of golf, saw DiSanto and Duncan tie for the highest score, while Lacey clinched the ninth available spot by winning the challenge. In the one-hole playoff, DiSanto made par to eliminate Duncan.Week two
Week two took place in two parts, with the "Immunity Challenge" taking one hour, and the "Elimination Challenge" taking another. The "Immunity Challenge" consisted of one hole of golf conducted under matchplay rules. In the challenge, Cho, Ruhe, Lacey, Delasin, and Wells all won their matches to earn the right to play the next day, while DiSanto, Lewellen, Lucidi, Tucker, and Prange had to go to the "Elimination Challenge," which consisted of putting challenges and hitting closest to the pin from a sand trap. In the end, DiSanto was eliminated.Week three
The "Immunity Challenge" was a team affair, as the contestants were divided into teams of three, with each player being responsible for a shot on one hole of golf, with one player hitting the tee shot, the other hitting a shot onto the green, and the last having four attempts to sink a long range putt. With her team leading going into the putting portion of the challenge, Cho, paired with Lucidi and Ruhe, missed all four of her putting attempts, while Delasin, paired with Lacey and Wells, sunk her team's putt on her second attempt, helping the three gain immunityImmunity (reality television)
Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
. The "Elimination Challenge" consisted of hitting an iron shot to a circle on a green from two distances. The battle to stay out of last came down to Lucidi and Ruhe, and it was Ruhe who ended up being sent home by just one point.
Week four
Delasin had developed shin splintsShin splints
Shin splints or medial tibial stress syndrome refers to pain along or just behind the shins with sports that apply extreme pressure to the legs, such as gymnastics...
, and could barely walk the next day. The "Immunity Challenge" consisted of the eight ladies hitting a shot from distances of 100 and 150 yards to a green with a circle. The circle size was determined by shots hit by LPGA players Beth Bauer
Beth Bauer
Beth Bauer is an American professional golfer.Bauer was born in Largo, Florida. As an amateur, she won the 1997 U.S. Girls' Junior and in 1998 and 1999 she earned back-to-back victories at the North and South Women's Amateur at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. She played on the U.S...
and Lorie Kane
Lorie Kane
Lorie Kane, CM is a professional golfer on the LPGA Tour. She began her career on the LPGA Tour in 1996 and has four career victories on the tour...
, both of whom were making a cameo appearance. Hitting a shot to the closest of the two shots from Kane and Bauer got a contestant two points, outside of the shots one. Prange won immunity with a 5-point total over the two rounds. The "Elimination Challenge," the ladies had to hit three shots from three different distances to a green, and the closest to the pin on each shot moved onto the next show. The remaining four would have to play one hole of golf to determine who would go home. Lucidi, Tucker and Lacey won the distance challenges, sending Lewellen, Cho, Wells and a brave Delasin to the one hole playoff. All four made par, sending them back to the tee. On the second try, Delasin's leg problems got the best of her, and she ended up with the highest score on the hole, becoming the fourth contestant to leave the show.
Week five
In week two, Sparks and Cellini told the players that the first to win three "Immunity Challenges" would win a 2006 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster of her own. Going into week five, Lacey and Wells had each won two. The "Immunity Challenge" was the same as the one that eliminated Ruhe, but with two twists. The first was after each failed attempt to hit it into the circle, the player couldn't use the club she hit the shot with for the rest of the round (there were two). The other twist was that an orange circle was placed 7'11" from the pin. The contestant who could hit a shot into that circle would win $5,000 cash from 7-11. In round one, only Lacey and Tucker hit the shot into the circle on their first attempts. In round two, they did it again, but Cho managed to stick her second attempt within eight inches of the cup, securing the 7-11 prize. In the playoff, Tucker hit the circle on her second attempt, while Lacey again stuck her shot in on one attempt, clinching her third immunity and the car. The "Elimination Challenge" dealt with hitting out of two bunkers to a green with three rings, the one being closest to the pin being worth five points, then a three-point circle, then a two-point circle. Anywhere outside of those circles, but still on the green was worth a point. The weather had been particularly uncooperative all day, with high winds and heavy rain. After the first round, only Wells and Cho scored any points. The second round came down to Lucidi and Prange, with Lucidi unable to send Prange home. After this episode aired, Lacey announced she would sell the car to pay back her parents for supporting her career, and to help her get through the LPGA's Q-School, despite her father's pleas for her to keep the car. She is presently hearing offers: http://www.danalacey.com/Week six
Five down, six left, and this time, the weather was much better. Prange won the "Immunity Challenge," in which the contestants hit three tee shots into a grid, from which they'd have to hit those shots onto a green with more painted rings around the pin for points. The "Elimination Challenge" had the five remaining players playing stroke playStroke play
Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in the sport of golf. It involves counting the total number of strokes taken on each hole during a given round, or series of rounds...
golf from two different locations: 72 yards and 178 yards. The 72 yard shot would have to be hit from behind a tree, after which the players would have to finish the hole. Whoever had the lowest score after the first location would be granted immunity, but a tie would send everyone to location two. The tie took place with Tucker in last, the scores carried over, and everyone went to the second location, where there was a water hazard in-between the tee box and the green. Cho and Lewellen decided to hit their shots to the fairway beside the hazard, while Wells, Lacey and Tucker decided to go for the green, but with different results. Lacey and Tucker's shots came up short and found the water, while Wells' shot made it across, only to land in the bunker behind the green. She, Cho and Lewellen all made it onto the next show, while Lacey won the war of attrition with a double-bogey that helped her beat Tucker by one shot, and send her packing (Tucker also made double bogey). But for Tucker and the other eliminated contestants, good news awaited.
Week seven
This episode was very different. The five remaining players were given a rest day, during which they did the calendar shoot. The six eliminateds would have one chance to play their way back into the competition, the first time in Big Break history any eliminated players had such a chance. Delasin was out after finishing last in a narrow zone fairway challenge. Duncan was out after a greenside bunker challenge. Ruhe mastered the challenge that knocked her out in week three, with her third attempt landing straight into the cup without even landing on the green. DiSanto was eliminated after that challenge, with Tucker out after a putting challenge. Lucidi and Ruhe played one hole of matchplay, in which Lucidi made birdie to earn her way back onto the show.Week eight
With the number of players back to six, the "Immunity Challenge" was again made a team event, with the players split into pairs of two. The three pairs would play three holes in alternate shot format. One hole was a par-3, one a par-4, and the last a par-5. Prange was paired with Lucidi, Wells with Lewellen, and Cho with Lacey. After three holes, Lacey and Cho went to a playoff with Lucidi and Prange, with the latter pair winning the challenge. The other four were now paired against their teammates in the elimination, which was getting up and down from a bunker. The losers from each match would play each other for the right to stay on the show. Lewellen and Cho won both matches, meaning Wells and Lacey would play each other to stave off elimination. Wells won the match, and Lacey was out, though her new car was a nice reward for her efforts.Week nine
The "Immunity Challenge" had the five remaining players playing "B-R-E-A-K," the golfing version of "H-O-R-S-E." Each player picked a shot location everyone had to hit from. Winning a location meant the other players got a letter, and also meant that the winner could add an extra letter to another player's bank. The winner of the challenge would be the only one who didn't spell out "BREAK." Wells easily dominated this challenge, failing to win only one location, and she also handed all of her extra letters to Prange. It would be the only time all season in which Wells would gain immunity. Elimination had the other four hitting shots from three different locations onto a green painted with horizontal lines for points. The leader after two locations would be safe from elimination. Lewellen led after two locations, so she got to sit back and watch along with Wells. Cho and Prange scored five and eight points at the final location to bring their scores up to 20 and 21, respectively, while Lucidi scored two points, and became the first Big Breaker ever to be eliminated twice in one season.Week ten
There was no "Immunity Challenge" this time out, so it was straight to the elimination, where the final four would be paired against each other in two holes of stroke play, with the two losers playing each other for the right to be one step from the matchplay final. In the first match, Cho was with Prange. Both made par on the first hole, but Prange birdied the second hole to move on to the next-to-last show. In their match, Lewellen and Wells also made par on the first hole, but Wells made her way onto the next show with a par at the second hole, while Lewellen could only manage a bogey. Lewellen's putter failed her in the extra match. She had a chance to have a one-shot lead over Cho after the first hole with a two-putt, but missed them both, and so they went to the second hole tied. Lewellen was gone after making bogey, while Cho made par. During her "walk of shame," a walk in which the eliminated player walks with his or her back to a camera, Lewellen humorously walked to back edge of the beach next to the course, and threw her putter into the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Week eleven
The last "Immunity Challenge" was a two-parter. First, the three players would hit four tee shots to a narrow grid on the fairway. Each shot that landed outside the grid would have distance taken away from it, depending on how far it landed outside of the grid. The lowest scoring player would go straight to elimination, while the top two would move on to a putting challenge. The top two in this case were Prange and Cho, and Prange would win the putting challenge, securing her place in the final. Elimination had Cho and Wells playing three holes with the modified StablefordStableford
Stableford is a scoring system used in the sport of golf. Rather than counting the total number of strokes taken, as in stroke play, it involves scoring points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole...
scoring system, with one point for a par, three for a birdie, and five for an eagle, whereas a bogey would cost a point, and a double or worse three. After two holes, Cho had two points and Wells minus two. There was no miracle for Wells, and so, the final match would pit Cho against Prange.
Week twelve
The matchplay final had arrived. Cho was the first to lead after three holes, but her 1 Up advantage was gone at the very next hole, where she made double bogey to Prange's bogey. Prange would take the lead after eight holes, and never looked back, increasing the lead the following four holes, though she had help from many mistakes made by Cho. At the 14th hole, both Cho and Prange made par, securing the victory and big prize package for Prange.How Prange faired at the Safeway
Ashley missed the cut at her exemption, shooting 77s in the first two rounds of the 54-hole event (see her scorecard here: http://www.lpgascoring.com/5372/scorecards/53360.html).Big Break players at 2006 LPGA Qualifying School
Six players from The Big Break V went to the 2006 LPGA Qualifying School, or Q-school, tournament in an attempt to earn playing privileges for the 2007 LPGA season. The top 12 finishers and ties earned exempt status for the 2006 season. The next 41 finishers received non-exempt status.- Jeanne Cho missed earning a fullly exempt tour card by one position and one stroke. She is at the top of the list of non-exempt players for the 2006 season.
- Becky Lucidi finished 36th and earned non-exempt status.
- Dana Lacey did not advance beyond sectional qualifying.
- Ashley Prange finished 37th and earned non-exempt status.
- Kristina Tucker finished 27th and earned non-exempt status.
- Julie Wells did not advance beyond sectional qualifying.