Mark Farnham
• Age: 36
• Residence: Chicago, Ill.
With a nickname like "Moose," it’s not surprising that Mark hits the ball a long way. As a matter of fact, one of his seven holes-in-one came on a 335-yard par 4. Possibly missing his true calling as a comedian, Mark doesn’t hesitate to cut loose on the golf course and says his "creative genius" will make The Big Break fun to watch. He lists Payne Stewart as his hero because Stewart proved that life is too short to forget to laugh at yourself once in a while. Amazingly, Mark played golf no more than a few times in the 10 years preceding 2000 and the clubs he played with during the taping of The Big Break were only two weeks old. But his regimen is a dedication to continual improvement. He shot a career low score of 63 in 2002, and he plans on attending the 2003 PGA Tour Qualifying School. Success is guaranteed if he does as well at golf as he has at his job. Mark became the youngest president in the history of his company, having worked his way from janitor. Recently moved to Chicago from Long Island, New York, where he played out of Port Jefferson Country Club.
Garrett Garland
• Age: 56
• Residence: Northridge, Calif.
Garrett, one of the jokesters in the group of contestants, boasts an impressive golf resume, having served as an alternate for three U.S. Open Championships and one U.S. Senior Open. He aspires to play on the Champions Tour. He also competed in the Western Open on the PGA Tour. A former military man, real estate broker, publisher and sales executive, Garrett has proven not only good at golf but at trivia, as well, with an appearance as a contestant on Jeopardy. He is most proud of his 14-under-par 58, shot at Tierra Rejada Golf Club in Moorpark, Calif., and holds more than 20 course scoring records. Garrett calls golfing legend and The Golf Channel co-founder Arnold Palmer his hero. He even named his oldest son Brandon Palmer.
Craig Pawling
• Age: 29
• Residence: Sunrise, Fla.
The quietest of the group, Craig dropped everything from his former life in Pennsylvania and moved to Florida to chase his dream. He ended up losing his fiancé and a lot of good friends, but feels what the future holds will be worth the sacrifice. A golf and baseball standout in high school, he gave up golf for a baseball scholarship at Dartmouth College and was prospected by many professional teams. An injury forced him to give up baseball and return to golf (his golf bag sports a leather string from his baseball glove for good luck). He has professional status and lists the Hooters Tour as his only professional tournament experience. His fellow contestants were impressed by his improvement during the taping of the show. Currently, he tends bar and eats TV dinners to keep the dream alive.
