On the day this article is being published, "Big Break VII: Reunion" wraps up with its championship match. The winner receives an exemption into - depending on the gender of the winner - an LPGA Tour or a Nationwide Tour event.
And what will the winner do with that exemption? Can he or she make the most of the opportunity?
Seems like a good time to take a look back at each of the previous "Big Break" winners and find out how each has fared in his or her exemptions earned through the series. So that's what I've done.
Below you'll see each previous "Big Break" champion, along with the results from his or her tournament appearances gained as a result of the show. And you'll get an update on what the past champions have done in the world of professional golf since their "Big Break" victories.
Let's go:
Big Break I - Justin Peters
Peters gained entry into four tournaments on the Canadian Tour in 2004. Here they are, along with his results:
- Barton Creek Classic - 75-81--156 (+12), missed cut
- Barton Challenge - withdrew
- Greater Sacramento Open - 76-72--148 (+6), missed cut
- Central Valley Classic - 76-70-74-77--297 (+9), 60th
Peters has played mini-tours and in PGA Tour Monday Qualifiers since his "Big Break I" championship, with success in both. Peters tied the course record with a 65 to Monday qualify for the 2006 PGA Tour Booz Allen Classic. He Monday qualified for two PGA Tour tournaments in 2006:
- Booz Allen Classic - 77-74--151 (+9), missed cut
- U.S. Bank Championship - 72-70--142 (+2), missed cut
Big Break II - Kip Henley
Henley won entry into four Nationwide Tour tournaments in 2005 as a result of his "Big Break II" championship. He wound up playing in six Nationwide Tour tournaments that year, plus one PGA Tour event, all via sponsor exemptions.
His "Big Break" tournaments included:
- Henrico County Open - 72-70-- 142 (-2), missed cut
- LaSalle Bank Open - 74-73--147 (+5), missed cut
- Lake Erie Charity Classic - 73-80--153 (+9), missed cut
- Chattanooga Classic - 73-71--144 (even), missed cut
- Knoxville Open - 83-76--159 (+15), missed cut
- Pete Dye Classic - 76-74--150 (+6), missed cut
Henley played in one PGA Tour tournament and one Nationwide Tour event in 2006:
- PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic - 84-79--163 (+23), missed cut
- Nationwide Henrico County Open - 74-79--153 (+9), missed cut
For winning "Big Break III," Amiee received entry into two LPGA Tour events in 2005:
- Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill - 79-77--156 (+14), missed cut
- LPGA Corning Classic - withdrew
Big Break IV - Paul Holtby
Holtby won spots in two events on the European Tour in 2006:
- Algarve Open - 76-69--145 (+1), missed cut
- Celtic Manor Wales Open - 73-69--142 (+4), missed cut
- BA-CA Golf Open - 77-68--145 (+3), missed cut
Holtby currently focuses on teaching and is on the staff of a synthetic putting green company.
Big Break V - Ashley Prange
Prange's prizes included entry into one LPGA Tour event in 2006:
- LPGA Safeway Classic - 77-77--154 (+10), missed cut
Prange has conditional status on the LPGA Tour in 2007, but has not yet gotten into any LPGA tournaments. As of this writing, she has played seven Futures Tour events in 2007, with a best finish of ninth place.
Big Break VI - Bri Vega and Denny Hepler
This season of "The Big Break" included both a women's champ and a men's champ. The women's champ received exemptions into two 2007 LPGA Tour events; the men's champ into two 2007 Champions Tour tournaments.
Vega has already played her two tournaments:
- SBS Open at Turtle Bay - 81-80--161 (+17), missed cut
- Sybase Classic - 74-78--152 (+8), missed cut
- Turtle Bay Championship - 77-72-73--222 (+6), t72nd, $1,168
But Hepler's cash in the Turtle Bay Championship - a no-cut tournament - is only the second time a "Big Break" winner has played all rounds of one of the tournaments he or she got into a result of the show (the first being Justin Peters on the Canadian Tour in 2004).
Vega is playing on the Futures Tour in 2007. In six tournaments played as of this writing, Vega's best finish this year is a tie for 19th.
Next Page: Results for a few more "Big Break" alums
