My Big Break Experience - Breaking Glass

This past week was really busy for me.  In addition to watching the Big Break Disney along with the rest of you, I was competing at the First Stage of Q-School at Carlton Oaks Country Club in Santee, Calif.  Remember, we completed filming the entire show in July, so while I know the results of each  challenge before any episode airs, I am contractually obligated to keep everything a secret...from everyone including my family!  What I don't know is how they put the show together to make it the most interesting for the viewers.  For instance, in the last episode where we had the home run challenge, they added a significant amount of drama by having my attempts air at the end even though I really hit my shots early on.

This week we had J.B. Holmes make a guest appearance for the Immunity Challenges which included the popular Glass Break Challenge as well as the 100-yard wedge shot and 10-foot putt to determine who would be forced into the elimination challenge.  Whomever had the most points at the end of the three contests would face-off for elimination.

I got off to a good start with the glass break challenge.  The glass is about 2-square feet and is placed about 25-yards from the teeing area. I hit it on my first shot so I got zero points along with I think half of the other guys. 

From there we went to the 100-yard wedge shot.  J.B. set the standards with his shots hitting his first to 7-feet and his second to 21-feet.  So that meant that the crew went about setting up a circle with a 7-foot radius from the hole that if we hit would give us zero points, then a circle with a 21-foot radius that was worth 1-point.  Hitting the green was worth 2-points and if you missed the green you were given 3-points. This is really an easy shot, and one of my strengths is my short game. It was so straightforward. But as I mentioned before, its not like we are able to get into any real rythm going into any of the contests.  We have limited warm-up periods way in advance of the days' shooting schedule, then there's lots of hurry up and wait as the crew sets up all the shots.  Sometimes we are waiting a good two hours before we can take that 1-swing in a contest.  Unfortunately for me, I put way too much spin on the ball, and while I hit the green, it spun off giving me three points thru the first two contests in the challenge.  I went from the top of the pack to the bottom three.  That put some significant pressure on me to ensure that I would not be going into the elimination. 

I knew I had to make something happen with the 10-foot putt.  With no practice time to get any feel for the speed of the greens, we just had to step up and make the shot.  It seems so easy, but as you saw on the show, most of the guys were unable to sink the putt in their three attempts.  I missed the first attempt too, but sank the second to give me a total of 4 points for the contests which was good enough to give me an automatic pass to the next show.

The drama that continues to build in the show is that basically they are making Andrew Guilianni to be the "villan." You saw Blake and Andrew get into it a bit (with me sitting uncomfortably between them).  You really saw it a couple times in the show.  When Kevin Erdmann missed his putt that would've have forced a playoff against Andrew, he actually stated that he wanted to see the playoff.  Of course he really just wanted to be nice (in his way), but Blake called him on it, and it really set him off.  Andrew is a talker.  One of the guys actually said, "If you have to sit next to Giuliani, your ears will bleed!"

Blake got a little p-o'd again while watching the elimination challenge when both Kevin and Sean played it safe on the first hole by not going pinseeking over the tree from 150-yards.  Andrew made some comments then as well as a few other times.  I don't know what they're planning, but my guess is you'll see some more fireworks next week.

In the end, Kevan "K-Max" Maxwell was the one eliminated.  I think he was one of the guys most pumped up about the whole experience.  While he took it well, what you didn't see is that off-camera being eliminated really got to him as he broke down.  I really felt bad that he was off the show.

So, while I can't reveal what happens in future episodes, I can fill you in on what I am doing now.  As I mentioned, I was competing in the first stage of the PGA Tour's Q-School.  I started out strong on Tuesday, shooting a 1-under par 71 good enough to put me in 11th place, but things went downhill from there. 

I had a late tee time the second day where I had to deal with very strong winds.  While I was strong on the front nine each day, shooting 1-over par for the four rounds, I really struggled on the back nine ballooning to scores of 4-over on the second day and 7-over the third as I had a triple bogey on 613-yard par-5 13th hole and a double on the par-3 17th.  I really ruined a good round after playing even par through 11 holes.  I played the last round at even par, but that was not good enough to advance to the next stage of qualifying.  They took the top 22 players, and I finished in a tie for 43rd, 9-strokes from the cut line.  I only had 4 bad holes during the four rounds, but those four holes accounted for the 9-strokes that I missed the cut by. 

Next week, I'll fill you in on what my plans are going forward.

Don't forget to watch me on the Big Break Disney, Tuesdays at 7pm on The Golf Channel!

Vincent