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Brent Kelley's Golf Blog"Big Break III": And the Winner Is ...The champion of "The Big Break III" was revealed Tuesday night, when the championship match between Danielle Amiee and Pamela Crikelair was aired. Who won the match - and the LPGA Tour exemptions that went with it? If you missed the final episode, read on for a recap. If you haven't yet seen it but taped it or plan to catch a repeat, stop here unless you don't mind spoilers.
Episode 10 starts with Danielle Amiee and Pamela Crikelair driving up, live, to Kingsmill Resort and Spa, where "Big Break III" co-hosts Vince Cellini and Stephanie Sparks are waiting. Vince asks the women to talk about the other's game. Pamela offers high praise for Danielle, but Danielle doesn't return the compliments; instead, she dodges the question with platitudes. That sets the tone for the taped match, which is full of gamesmanship from both players. Cut to a tension-filled breakfast, then a few early morning swings on the driving range, and Danielle and Pamela are off to the No. 1 tee box in their taped match. They will play match play with the winner claiming the "Big Break III" championship, which results in exemptions into LPGA Tour events. Danielle tees off first and hits a good drive down the middle. Pamela answers with a 3-wood that flies past Danielle's driver. Both hit the green with their approaches, then two-putt for pars. All square after one. First blood is drawn on No. 2. Pamela, after a short tee ball, sticks a 4-iron approach about 3 feet from the pin. After Danielle 3-putts, Pamela 2-putts for par and a 1-up lead. On No. 3, Pamela crushes a drive and carries the corner of a water hazard. Danielle tries to do the same but splashes into the hazard. Pamela's approach is safely on. Danielle makes a putt to save bogey, but Pamela 2-putts for par and another hole. Pamela is 2-up after three holes. The first outward clash between the two players comes on No. 4, where they halve the hole. On the green, Danielle lags a putt to about 1 foot, then putts out. Pamela calls her on it. In match play, order of play is taken seriously; a player hitting out of order can be made by her opponent to replay the stroke. Pamela makes Danielle replace her ball one foot from the cup and mark it. After Pamela holes out, she picks up Danielle's marker. "I knew she wasn't going to miss it," Pamela tells the camera, "it's a foot away, a straight putt ... but hey, rules are rules." Danielle is seen muttering "unbelievable" to her caddie. The players halve No. 5, so Pamela remains 2-up through five holes. At the par-3 No. 6, Pamela's tee shot is pulled left into thick vegetation. Danielle's tee ball is short in the front bunker. Pamela hacks her ball out into the rough, then chips up to about 15 feet. Danielle blades her bunker shot, flying the green into the back bunker. But her shot from that bunker is excellent, to about 3 feet. Pamela misses her 15-footer, Danielle makes her 3-footer to get a hole back. Pamela's lead is 1-up after 6. The seventh hole is halved, then Danielle takes No. 8 to bring the match to all square. At No. 9, Pamela makes a 5-footer to halve the hole. More halves follow at Nos. 10, 11 and 12. Along the way, both players pass up obvious opportunities to give their opponent a 1- or 2-foot putt. Pamela says to the camera, "There are some miserable attitudes floating around out here." Speaking of miserable, that's what the conditions have been all during the round. It's cold and wet, and the rain becomes visible on camera. The match is all square heading to the 13th hole, a par 5. Pamela hits driver, flies over a mound and her ball bounds over the cart path, well left. She punches a 6-iron through trees and up the fairway. Danielle's third shot is a 108-yarder that she puts on the front of the green, a long way from the cup. But Pamela blades her approach over the green and is left with a severe sidehill, downhill shot from thick rough. She leaves it in the rough, then rolls a chip well past the hole. Pamela concedes and Danielle goes 1-up. They halve No. 14. At No. 15, Pamela pushes her drive into the rough and behind trees; her ball is sitting almost directly behind a tree. She takes a full swing, cutting the ball around the trouble and onto the center of the green. Danielle's approach from 164 yards is outside of Pamela's. Both players lag to about 2 feet, 1 1/2 feet. "Good, good?" Danielle asks Pamela, meaning I'll-give-you-yours-if-you-give-me-mine. "No," Pam replies. Both players putt out to halve the hole. Danielle's lead is 1-up after 15 holes. As Danielle is teeing off on No. 16, Pamela, behind her and off to the side, starts to bend forward, then, during Danielle's backswing, Pamela reaches to the ground to pick something up. "Pamela!" Danielle exclaims on her follow-through - but her tee ball turns out pretty good. On the green, both players make 2-footers for par to halve the hole. Danielle is 1-up through 16. The 17th hole is a par-3. If Danielle wins the hole, she wins the match. If they halve, the match goes dormie. If Pamela wins, they'll go to 18 all square. Danielle's tee shot is a great one, and the ball sticks about 6 feet from the cup. Pamela hits a terrible tee ball, pushing the ball off the green and into some rough on a downhill slope. Pamela chips on a good line, but is short. Danielle steps up and sinks her birdie putt. Danielle Amiee wins "The Big Break III," 2-and-1. Danielle does a little victory sprint, hugs her caddie and sheds a tear. Back live at Kingsmill, Vince and Stephanie congratulate Pamela on her great showing, then present the victor with her spoils. Danielle learns that in addition to the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill, May 5-8, she'll also be playing in the LPGA Corning Classic May 26-29. In addition, Danielle receives entry into the American Century Championship, a celebrity tournament in Lake Tahoe. Danielle is also presented with an oversized gift certificate for $5,000 worth of equipment from Golf Galaxy, along with the keys to a new car. Vote: How will Danielle fare in her LPGA tournaments? "Big Break III" homepage on About.com Tuesday April 26, 2005 | comments (0) Display Latest Headlines | powered by WordPress |
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