Age: 28
Residence: Miami, Fla.
Hometown: Park Forest, Ill.
Occupation: Golf Professional – Mini-Tours
Marital Status/Children: Single/1
Hobbies: Real estate
Nickname: Kink
Home Golf Course: International Links, Miami, Fla.
Collegiate Golf Experience: Montgomery College, Rockville, Md.
Amateur/Professional: Numerous mini-tour events
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.
"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."
