July 09, 2004

By: Tova Laramee
Website: http://www.1st-in-golf.com

Popular Golf Channel Reality Series Gives Audience a Vote

Viewers will put their stamp on the next installment of The Golf Channel hit reality series, The Big Break II, by voting one contestant onto the show.

The Big Break II: Viewers’ Choice will be a two-part special – airing June 1 and 8 – when viewers will be introduced to four candidates and given the opportunity to go online to vote for their favorite to be the tenth – and final – contestant for the 11-part series. Selecting the contestants for the show is one of the toughest parts of our job, said Senior Producer Jay Kossoff. Because there were so many great candidates, it was hard to narrow it down to only 10. So, we’re asking our viewers to help out.

During its debut season in the fall of 2003, The Big Break was one of the network’s most-watched shows ever.

The stakes will be raised for the winner of The Big Break II, which premieres Sept. 28. On the line will be four exemptions on the Nationwide Tour, one of the world’s top professional tours that has produced a long list of marquee names now mainstays on the PGA TOUR, including Jim Furyk, John Daly, Chad Campbell, Stewart Cink, Stuart Appleby, Tom Lehman, David Duval and Steve Flesch.

The June 1 show, will begin with highlights of The Big Break II audition process, which attracted more than 5,000 applicants and screened nearly 1,000 hopefuls from towns across the United States and Canada. These entertaining and, often, humorous clips will demonstrate just how far these golfers will go to make their dreams of playing big-time professional golf come true.

The audition is a wonderful part of the process where we met some great people and some tremendous golfers, said Kossoff.

The Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman and new Big Break co-host Lesley Swanson then will introduce the four candidates. By the end of the show, viewers will have had the opportunity to get to know each candidate by following them through the audition process, sharing moments at home with family and witnessing what skills they display on the golf course.

Votes can only be cast by logging onto www.TheGolfChannel.com, and are valid from the start of the June 1 telecast. Viewers have a full week to cast their ballot, up through a major portion of the June 8 telecast.

Part two of The Big Break II: Viewers’ Choice will be televised live at 9 p.m. ET from The Golf Channel studios in Orlando, Fla. Tilghman and Swanson will host the candidates on stage, with one announced as the viewers’ choice at the end of the show.

The 11-part Big Break II series will pit 10 scratch golfers against each other in a variety of skills challenges. One golfer is eliminated from the series each week, with the ultimate survivor given the opportunity to play big-time professional golf in internationally-televised tournaments on The Golf Channel. Also see: golf equipment reviews.

Author Notes:

Tova Laramee contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-golf.com.  A source of information on golf equipment, golf manufacturers, supplies, tips and more.