Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Residence: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Home Course: Ancala Country Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.
College: Arizona State
Interests: Hockey, ping pong, poker, yoga
Occupation: Golf professional
About Benoit Beisser:
The Golf Channel says:
The Rat Pack hits the fairway with the one-of-a-kind Benoit Beisser. "Wah," as he likes to be called, is all about living in the moment and going to the extreme. Pure Beisser, he first caught the eyes of Golf Channel producers in his audition tape when he dressed in an outfit his sister Laura London wore as a contestant on two "Big Break" series, and danced to the song "I'm Too Sexy.""It was funny and it fit in the audition video that we were putting together," said Beisser. "We needed a joke to show how I would be if I got on the show. I was coerced into doing it, but it was fun."
Not as enjoyable was Beisser's route to professional golf. His career was derailed by a number of injuries suffered while playing hockey, wakeboarding and defending himself and a friend against a drug-raged addict. The injuries didn't keep him from playing golf, though. While at Arizona State, he Monday qualified for the 2002 Tucson Open on the PGA Tour despite the fact that he was nursing a hangover and was in the middle of college finals. He is proud of the fact that his mother caddied for him in the event, which made her one of the few moms to caddie for their sons in a PGA Tour event.
Admittedly, there was a time that Beisser's lifestyle hurt his golf. However, he now pays more attention to his health and has developed an obsession with yoga. As a result, he currently is in the midst of his first injury-free period in his competitive history. Evidence that the work has paid off, "Wah" was second on the Pepsi Tour's money list prior to competing in "The Big Break: Mesquite."
"Within 30 minutes of getting the call that I was going to be on the show, I was in the gym working out," said Beisser. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I want to make the most of it."
In addition to the physical preparation, Beisser worked on the mental aspect of his game and even changed his sleep patterns to get accustomed to the early morning call times for the shooting of the show.
Growing up, golf was not his first calling. He trained to be a competitive figure skater and hockey player until his ice dreams were ended by a vicious check in a hockey game that injured his spinal cord. When Laura broke her ankle figure skating, the family moved to a house in a golf community. When not playing tournaments, "Wah" plays golf with his father at 6:15 every morning.
Biography courtesy of The Golf Channel; used with permission
