Personal:
Age: 28
Residence: Plymouth, Mass.
Hometown: Shrewsbury, Mass.
Occupation: Golf Teaching Professional
Marital Status/Children: Single/0
Hobbies: Riding motorcycles, baseball and exercise
Nickname: Boston Bulldog
Experience:
Home Golf Course: Pinehills Golf Club, Plymouth, Mass.
Collegiate Golf Experience: None
Amateur/Pro: Plays in New England PGA sectional events
Profile - T.J. Valentine:
T.J. Valentine has been chasing a ball around all his life – but not always a golf ball. He is the son of a professional bowler who toured with greats like Earl Anthony in the 1970s and '80s, and he also pursued the dream of a professional baseball career, playing college ball for Rhode Island's Bryant University.
He remembers his first set of junior clubs and he played in AJGA tournaments for several years. When golf season began conflicting with baseball, he had to make a choice between the two. His baseball dream tragically ended when a serious knee injury forced him to give up the game, but in stepped golf once again.
His learning curve back to golf was quick and T.J. found himself asking why he didn't stick with it all along. A post-graduate stab at corporate life wasn't for him and when he was offered a club professional spot at a local course, he jumped at it.
But he faced another setback in 2003 when his motivation to play the game was stripped by the death of his mother to cancer. He put away his clubs for nearly a year and lost his game. His father lent perspective and support, and convinced T.J. to get back to the game he loves as a way to celebrate his mother's life.
He now organizes an annual golf tournament for a foundation he set up in his mother's name to benefit at-risk students, called the DLV (Donna Lee Valentine) Chance to Learn.
Valentine is currently the lead teaching professional at Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, Mass., where he plays regularly with former Boston Red Sox great Jim Rice, and former Red Sox catcher and broadcaster Bob Montgomery.
A feel player, he currently holds a +2 handicap and plays in as many New England PGA events, state opens and any other tournaments he can get into. His close finishes have earned him the nickname "Top-5 T.J." among his friends.
T.J. hopes his opportunity as a contestant on "The Big Break IV" will be more than a close call.
"Emotionally, this is huge and will be the best time in my life," he said. "I want to enjoy it, seize the opportunity and not walk away with any regrets."