| You are here: | About>Sports>Golf> Tours / Events> "The Big Break"> David Carnell - Profile of Big Break IV Contestant David Carnell |
 | Golf |
 David Carnell, Big Break IV contestant Courtesy of The Golf Channel, used with permission David Carnell - "Big Break IV" ContestantFrom The Golf Channel Personal: Age: 28 Residence: Miami, Fla. Hometown: Park Forest, Ill. Occupation: Golf Professional – Mini-Tours Marital Status/Children: Single/1 Hobbies: Real estate Nickname: Kink Experience: Home Golf Course: International Links, Miami, Fla. Collegiate Golf Experience: Montgomery College, Rockville, Md. Amateur/Professional: Numerous mini-tour events Profile - David Carnell: It seems David Carnell has seen and tried it all in his short 28 years – and all in pursuit of a golf ball. From odd jobs too long to list, to being homeless, flat-broke and in trouble with the law, he says he's risked it all for the game and won't give up until he realizes his goal to one day play on the PGA Tour. A Chicago native, David began playing golf when his father decided to take lessons. The instructor provided free buckets of balls to keep the 8-year-old occupied on the range. He caught on quickly and began "beating the heck out the balls" with the wooden-shafted
club he had been given. When his father realized his son had talent, David was awarded
his first starter set from a local flea market, and the rest is history. At 12 years old, he was being dropped off at golf courses by his mother and, unknown to her, was playing for other people's money at what local gamblers called "betting horses." He was the number-one player on his high school golf team and was riding high until he got his "wake-up call" at a Junior Match-Play Championship in Wheaton, Ill., where he played in the same field as Tiger Woods. From there, it was on to the Washington, D.C.-area,
where he played two years for Montgomery College and captained a team that reached the NCAA Division III National Championships in 1995. It was in D.C. where, he says, he really cut his teeth on the game by learning from and playing with some great players. "My game is self-taught," he said, "but experience also was a great teacher along the way." Tall and lanky, David doesn't fashion his golf game against any famous players because he has had to develop his own style due to his unique circumstances. He survived a major car crash in November 2003, but trauma to his left eye has forced him to compensate in unusual ways during his golf swing. "It’s really difficult for me to line up correctly because I see the ball position as distorted," David said. "It's the effect most people see when they look at objects in water, which never quite line up the way you think." He says he practices a lot with his eyes closed and just has to trust it. These days, David says he plays in too many mini-tour events to count, and also competes in tournaments hosted by African-American organizations. His hero is Teddy Rhodes, the star of the post-World War II United Golf Association, who won 150 times on the Blackrun summer tour, a golfing equivalent of baseball's Negro Leagues. And like his hero, he is grateful just to have the chance to compete on "The Big Break IV." "I want to know that all I've been through hasn't been in vain," he said. "I love the game. It's all I have." |
Las Vegas on a BudgetFind a BargainHotel DealsCheap EatsFree AttractionsEntertainment for Less |
All Topics | Email Article | |  |  |
| Advertising Info | News & Events | Work at About | SiteMap | Reprints | Help | Our Story | Be a Guide |
| User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | ©2008 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved. |