"The Big Break V: Hawaii" is the title of the next installment of the popular Golf Channel reality show. It's another "ladies-only" edition, and debuts Feb. 7, 2006.
The competitors have been announced, and this crop of players appears the strongest yet, in terms of credentials, of any of the "Big Break" series. Most of the participants are regulars on the Futures Tour, the LPGA's equivalent of the Nationwide Tour, and some have won major amateur championships.
Here's a look at the contestants for "The Big Break V: Hawaii" (biographical information courtesy of The Golf Channel):
Jeanne Cho, 23, Orlando, Fla.
Although of South Korean heritage, Cho was born and raised in France and speaks four languages. She emigrated to the United States at age 13 to pursue golf and is a product of the David Leadbetter Golf Academies and the University of Florida golf program, where she graduated, cum laude, with a 4.0 grade point average in Quantitative Sciences. Currently competing on the Futures Tour, Cho will be among the 144 hopefuls who will be competing at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament beginning Nov. 30.
Divina Delasin, 24, San Francisco, Calif.
Having delayed her dreams of playing professional golf to help support family finances and the fledgling career of her sister, Dorothy (who currently plays on the LPGA Tour), Delasin dropped out of high school and, at one time, held three jobs. This self-professed "work-aholic" eventually returned to school and college golf to chase her dream, but several failed attempts at the LPGA Qualifying Tournament had her back in the work force again. Currently, she is in the PGA program and works as an assistant golf professional and as a coach for the First Tee of San Francisco.
Nicolle DiSanto, 27 Los Angeles, Calif.
A qualifier in the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship at 295 yards, DiSanto claims to hit her 7-wood – and even her 3-iron – longer than most women hit their drivers. A fairly late-bloomer in competitive golf, she played college golf for the last two years and was captain of her golf team at the College of the Canyons in Valencia, Calif. Currently, she teaches kids and models part time, when not playing golf herself.
Jo D. Duncan, 39, St. Louis, Mo.
The oldest of "The Big Break V" contestants, Duncan nurtured her golf talents not at the local country club, but at the local 9-hole course where people played in cut-off jeans and tank tops. She earned a four-year scholarship to play golf for Missouri State University (then called Southwest Missouri State University) and has competed on the Futures Tour and in several LPGA Tour events. Currently, Duncan is a teaching professional and is a member of the Long Drivers of America, having competed for three years in the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships.
Dana Lacey, 23, North Beach, Australia
After attaining success in her native country as an amateur – having won the Australia Junior Championships, two victories on the Australian Tour, and being named to both the Australian Spirit Cup team and the Queen Sirikit Cup – Lacey decided to head to the United States, turn professional and further test her skills on the Futures Tour. In 2005 – her second year on tour – she finished 23rd on the money list and has set a goal to finish in the top-5 in 2006.
Kim Lewellen34, Wake Forest, N.C.
Having grown up in Raleigh, N.C., Lewellen is a Carolina girl at heart, but has experienced an entire world of golf. A mother of two and the wife of an Episcopal minister, she played golf for the University of North Carolina (where she was a Division I First Team All-American), competed on the Ladies European Tour and the Futures Tour, coached the men's and women's golf teams at The Citadel, and served as a club teaching professional.
