One of Golf Channel’s most popular series, “Big Break” returns tonight. With an all-female cast this season, the dramatics may be ratcheted up a notch. The show goes from the cold and wind of Ireland last season to the beautiful tropics of the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas.
The 12 member cast will be seeking a spot in the LPGA Kingsmill Championship in September. In addition, there will cash prizes along the way. The women range in age from 19-31 and all are in various stages of their golf careers.
Golf Channel has tweaked Big Break to make the show a cumulative points format. You’ll see what that means in the press release.
BIG BREAK ATLANTIS TEES OFF MONDAY WITH POPULAR AND PRESSURE-PACKED ‘GLASS BREAK CHALLENGE’
New Format and Challenges in Store for the 12 Competitors
More than $80,000 in Cash and Prizes on the Line for Ultimate Champion
All-Female Cast at Different Career Stages Looking for a Big Break to the LPGA TourORLANDO, Fla., -– Golf Channel’s Big Break Atlantis reality competition series starts off with a bang on Monday’s premiere episode (9 p.m. ET) which will feature a new format, new twists and challenges that will test the 12 competitors’ mental and physical toughness on the course. With one of the largest prizes in the history of the series on the line, the pressure will be high from the start when the competitors face off in one of the most popular challenges on the series – The Glass Break.
The Big Break Atlantis series format this season will rely on points. Winners of each challenge will receive points, with the first player accumulating 100 points automatically advancing to the championship match in the season finale. The ultimate champion will have the opportunity to put her golf career on the fast track with an invitation to compete in the 2012 LPGA Kingsmill Championship (Sept. 6-9) on the LPGA Tour and $50,000 in cash. In addition to the tournament exemption and cash, the winner also will receive an endorsement contract, which includes an additional $10,000 in cash; a $10,000 shopping spree; a $10,000 car rental credit, full exempt status and all entry fees waived for a full Symetra Tour season and an all-expense paid return trip for two to Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas.
Big Break Atlantis will showcase a cast of 12 women at different stages of their golf careers. Several are currently playing on the Symetra Tour (LPGA developmental tour), while others either turned professional for the series or are giving professional golf a second try. The series also will feature special guest appearances from Women’s World No. 1 Yani Tseng and LPGA Tour professional Gerina Piller, a former Big Break competitor from the series’ 11th season taped on Prince Edward Island. Golf Channel’s Tom Abbott and Stephanie Sparks return as co-hosts for the series.
The competitors on Big Break Atlantis are:
Anya Alvarez, 22, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Shannon Fish, 23, Spring, Texas
Natalia Ghilzon, 21, Windsor, Ontario
Meghan Hardin, 19, Lake Arrowhead, Calif.
Selanee Henderson, 25, Temecula, Calif.
Marcela Leon, 31, Orlando, Fla. / Monterrey, Mexico
Aubrey McCormick, 29, Arlington, Va.
Allison Micheletti, 24, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Zakiya Randall, 20, Atlanta, Ga.
Gloriana Soto, 25, Windermere, Fla. / San Jose, Costa Rica
Christina Stockton, 24, Rocklin, Calif.
Kelly Villarreal, 29, Birmingham, Ala.Shot in January at the Bahamas resort, the 11-part series will unfold on the Tom Weiskopf-designed Ocean Club Golf Course, a picturesque par-72 championship layout featuring breathtaking signature holes, and seaside greens and tees stretched over 7,100 yards of coastline.
The Big Break show concept pits highly skilled golfers against each other in a variety of challenges that test their physical skills and mental toughness. One contestant will be eliminated each week during Big Break Atlantis, with the last player standing awarded her Big Break, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in an LPGA Tour event.
Past Big Break champions have won tournament exemptions to compete on some of the world’s top professional circuits, including the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Canadian Tour. Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey, Big Break VII: Reunion champion and PGA TOUR professional, caught the world’s attention in 2011 with three top-five finishes, and Ryann O’Toole, competitor on Big Break Sandals Resorts in 2010 competed on the U.S. Solheim Cup Team as a Captain’s Pick during her rookie year in 2011.
Several other past Big Break competitors are currently competing on the world’s top tours, including Matt Every (PGA TOUR), James Nitties (Nationwide Tour), Kim Welch and Sara Brown (Ladies European Tour); and Piller, 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team member O’Toole and 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup Team member Kristy McPherson (LPGA Tour).
I’ll have more throughout the day. Keep it here.
