Big Break: Greenbrier

[utztech]

  Golfingdad said:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

A question for those of you who have watched past seasons of the show:  Do the contestants always have as much experience as this seasons seem to have?

I pictured the show as being more of an American Idol type thing where the contestants were "nobody's" in need of a "Big Break."  But there seems to be quite a few players this season who have had web.com tour experience, or who have even had professional wins, and one that competed in the US Open a couple of years ago.  Also, based on the few episodes from last season that I saw, most of those girls were pretty inexperienced players, so I assumed it was always like that.

I'm liking watching Sasquatch and Robert (I think that's his name, the guy that works in a pro shop and has no experience) and starting to really pull for both of them lately.  (Still a big fan of Rick and his attitude though)

I have not seen every season, but I have watched about 2/3 of them.  This season seems to have more talented players to me.  In the last few episodes guys were actually beaten by birdies instead of by making their own stupid mistakes. (There were a couple of short missed putts, but those happen).  I don't know specifically if the players have more experience, but the quality of play has been high so far.

Unrelated question:  Why does everyone have a problem with Chan.  I have been working on my computer while watching these, so maybe I missed something?  As far as I can tell he is a little neurotic and nerdy, but other than that I don't get the hate.  Is he just not cool enough for these guys or is there some jerky behavior I missed.

I am surprised Anthony has made it this far.  He has an ugly swing and more than that, it seems yippy.  Anyone else see the same thing?

[wadesworld]

  Golfingdad said:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

A question for those of you who have watched past seasons of the show:  Do the contestants always have as much experience as this seasons seem to have?

I pictured the show as being more of an American Idol type thing where the contestants were "nobody's" in need of a "Big Break."  But there seems to be quite a few players this season who have had web.com tour experience, or who have even had professional wins, and one that competed in the US Open a couple of years ago.  Also, based on the few episodes from last season that I saw, most of those girls were pretty inexperienced players, so I assumed it was always like that.

I'm liking watching Sasquatch and Robert (I think that's his name, the guy that works in a pro shop and has no experience) and starting to really pull for both of them lately.  (Still a big fan of Rick and his attitude though)

It has been fairly common to have mini-tour players on Big Break.

Remember that you have have go pro to be on the Big Break.  There aren't likely many random amateurs out there who are ready to make that leap, so it's more common to have those who have already made the jump, but not experienced much success.

[newtogolf]

I think some on the show believe that Chan is just trying to get tv time by his quirky actions and behavior.  It seems everything he does is over the top, it could be his personality or he could be acting for the cameras.

Anthony readily admits he's lucky to still be on the show.  I think he knows he's the least skilled but last week he hit a long putt to save himself.  He'd have likely gone home this week if Mike's putt didn't lip out and he was sent to elimination.

  utztech said:

Originally Posted by utztech

I have not seen every season, but I have watched about 2/3 of them.  This season seems to have more talented players to me.  In the last few episodes guys were actually beaten by birdies instead of by making their own stupid mistakes. (There were a couple of short missed putts, but those happen).  I don't know specifically if the players have more experience, but the quality of play has been high so far.

Unrelated question:  Why does everyone have a problem with Chan.  I have been working on my computer while watching these, so maybe I missed something?  As far as I can tell he is a little neurotic and nerdy, but other than that I don't get the hate.  Is he just not cool enough for these guys or is there some jerky behavior I missed.

I am surprised Anthony has made it this far.  He has an ugly swing and more than that, it seems yippy.  Anyone else see the same thing?

[Golfingdad]

  utztech said:

Originally Posted by utztech

I have not seen every season, but I have watched about 2/3 of them.  This season seems to have more talented players to me.  In the last few episodes guys were actually beaten by birdies instead of by making their own stupid mistakes. (There were a couple of short missed putts, but those happen).  I don't know specifically if the players have more experience, but the quality of play has been high so far.

Unrelated question:  Why does everyone have a problem with Chan.  I have been working on my computer while watching these, so maybe I missed something?  As far as I can tell he is a little neurotic and nerdy, but other than that I don't get the hate.  Is he just not cool enough for these guys or is there some jerky behavior I missed.

I am surprised Anthony has made it this far.  He has an ugly swing and more than that, it seems yippy.  Anyone else see the same thing?

Anthony ... that's his name.  (I said Robert in my post, but was referring to Anthony)  And, yes, he does have the "yippiest" swing of them all I think.  He's got a couple of jerky movements in it, one with his head at the start, and one with his left arm at the transition.

I kind of agree with newtogolf on Chan.  He seems like he's trying too hard to be quirky and weird ... not genuine.  But, no, he doesn't seem like a jerk or anything, like he's messing with other players or anything other than readily admitting he took a loooooong time on his putt in the elimination match against Liam.  An example:  Did you see what he was doing in the background at the beginning of the first elimination last night while waiting his turn to hit?  I don't even know how to describe it but he was moving his hands around in front of his face in a really strange way for no apparent reason.  The guy next to him (James maybe) just looked at him like WTF??  That kind of stuff, the grass eating, all adds up to be a tad annoying to me.

[Beachcomber]

  gimpermike88 said:

Originally Posted by gimpermike88

Put $$$ on James Lepp - only Canadian on this show and possibly the most accomplished player of the group! NCAA Champ, couple of Canadian Tour wins (one as an amateur).

I thought James was legit until I saw him chip.

[Beachcomber]

  mvmac said:

Originally Posted by mvmac

yeah never seen anything like it

I think he needs to invest in some Edel wedges?

[sacm3bill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by namkrats

Quote:

Yep it's legal.

I was under the impression a stroke only constituted as legal if the ball was struck. This seems like a scooping motion similar to dragging the putter along the ground towards the ball.

A scoop would be if you started with the club directly touching the ball, motionless, then pushed the club forward. In this case the club has forward momentum before it hits the ball, so it's legal.

[BuckeyeNut]

I like many of the players this season.   I'm a little surprised that I like so many of these contestants.

My take on the players after 4 episodes:

Squatch is still one of my favorites.  He seems likeable and I like his demeanor both on and off the course.

James.....another one of my favorites.  I'm rooting for him too. The more I see of him on the show, the more I like what I see.

Rick....how can anyone root against this guy? he seems like a class act.

Anthony.....I like his attitude.  his game is extremely rusty, and he knows it.  he doesn't try to make excuses for bad shots or have emotional breakdowns after one of those bad shots.  How can anyone not like this guy?   The guys who annoy me most are those who act like they're in shock if they miss a shot and try to make excuses or go into a rant how they never miss a shot.  Anthony is definitely not one of these guys, and I'm pulling for him.

Chan..........he's a weird dude, but I like his attitude. My biggest issue with him is slow play.  I don't think he's being different for the cameras....I think he's weird like this every day on or off the cameras.  LOL

Ray............send this bloody fool back to Australia.  Did you see what he did to the tee box after he pushed the 3-wood shot into the hazard?  Is destroying the tee box really necessary?  Golf doesn't need his type....He can get kicked off next for all I care.

Brian..........please act like a man.  You're 40yrs old for Gods sake.   He can go next too..........Brian and Ray are my least favorites.

Mark.....seems like a class act with a good game.  He doesn't seem to get as much TV time yet so I don't have a good feel for him yet.  Probably because he hit's 1-2 shots an episode and is safe and on to the next week all the time..LOL

[Golfingdad]

  Beachcomber said:

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

I thought James was legit until I saw him chip.

I don't know ... I think it takes a lot of cojones to come up with something so unorthodox like that knowing that a lot of people aren't going to take you seriously.

He spent time on the web.com tour a couple of years ago, but I don't know if he was already chipping like that or not??

[Golfingdad]

  BuckeyeNut said:

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I like many of the players this season.   I'm a little surprised that I like so many of these contestants.

My take on the players after 4 episodes:

Squatch is still one of my favorites.  He seems likeable and I like his demeanor both on and off the course.

James.....another one of my favorites.  I'm rooting for him too. The more I see of him on the show, the more I like what I see.

Rick....how can anyone root against this guy? he seems like a class act.

Anthony.....I like his attitude.  his game is extremely rusty, and he knows it.  he doesn't try to make excuses for bad shots or have emotional breakdowns after one of those bad shots.  How can anyone not like this guy?   The guys who annoy me most are those who act like they're in shock if they miss a shot and try to make excuses or go into a rant how they never miss a shot.  Anthony is definitely not one of these guys, and I'm pulling for him.

Chan..........he's a weird dude, but I like his attitude. My biggest issue with him is slow play.  I don't think he's being different for the cameras....I think he's weird like this every day on or off the cameras.  LOL

Ray............send this bloody fool back to Australia.  Did you see what he did to the tee box after he pushed the 3-wood shot into the hazard?  Is destroying the tee box really necessary?  Golf doesn't need his type....He can get kicked off next for all I care.

Brian..........please act like a man.  You're 40yrs old for Gods sake.   He can go next too..........Brian and Ray are my least favorites.

Mark.....seems like a class act with a good game.  He doesn't seem to get as much TV time yet so I don't have a good feel for him yet.  Probably because he hit's 1-2 shots an episode and is safe and on to the next week all the time..LOL

I think you nailed it.  I'm inclined to think Mark belongs in your good guy group but you're right, he hasn't been on much yet.

P.S.  Without the invention of DVR, I would never be able to sit through this show.  Way too much non-golfing and contrived suspense through commercial breaks, etc.

[BuckeyeNut]

  Golfingdad said:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

P.S.  Without the invention of DVR, I would never be able to sit through this show.  Way too much non-golfing and contrived suspense through commercial breaks, etc.

Oh yes....agreed!   I DVR everything.  Even if it's a live sporting event that I want to watch right away, I'll DVR and watch on a delay to skip past the stuff I don't want to see.

I want to make 1 other observation, and would appreciate feedback from everyone to see if anyone agrees.   Tom Abbott absolutely annoys the hell out of me and I can't figure out how he ever got the job as host.  Surely the Golf Channel can find somebody more interesting to host the show, right???   He makes me want to pull my hair out..............   In contrast, I absolutely love Stephanie Sparks.  I have a  huge crush on her...LOL

[Golfingdad]

  BuckeyeNut said:

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I want to make 1 other observation, and would appreciate feedback from everyone to see if anyone agrees.   Tom Abbott absolutely annoys the hell out of me and I can't figure out how he ever got the job as host.  Surely the Golf Channel can find somebody more interesting to host the show, right???   He makes me want to pull my hair out..............   In contrast, I absolutely love Stephanie Sparks.  I have a  huge crush on her...LOL

Yes.  There is only one thing that bothers me, but it really bothers me, and that is his unnecessarily hyperbolic reactions to mediocre shots.  "That was an UNBELIEVABLE mistake!"  Not really ... these guys aren't seasoned pros and there is obviously A LOT of pressure on them.  All of these mistakes are VERY believeable.

And, in general, I know you guys that watched last season complained about this with the girls, but now that I'm watching I can agree that the hosts and players sitting on the sidelines need to talk to the balls a lot less ... as in not at all.  And Stephanie Sparks is guilty of this one as well.  All of the extraneous "sits" and "go's" and "get up's and "get down's" are kind of annoying.

[Beachcomber]

  Golfingdad said:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Yes.  There is only one thing that bothers me, but it really bothers me, and that is his unnecessarily hyperbolic reactions to mediocre shots.  "That was an UNBELIEVABLE mistake!"  Not really ... these guys aren't seasoned pros and there is obviously A LOT of pressure on them.  All of these mistakes are VERY believeable.

And, in general, I know you guys that watched last season complained about this with the girls, but now that I'm watching I can agree that the hosts and players sitting on the sidelines need to talk to the balls a lot less ... as in not at all.  And Stephanie Sparks is guilty of this one as well.  All of the extraneous "sits" and "go's" and "get up's and "get down's" are kind of annoying.

  BuckeyeNut said:

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I want to make 1 other observation, and would appreciate feedback from everyone to see if anyone agrees.   Tom Abbott absolutely annoys the hell out of me and I can't figure out how he ever got the job as host.  Surely the Golf Channel can find somebody more interesting to host the show, right???   He makes me want to pull my hair out..............   In contrast, I absolutely love Stephanie Sparks.  I have a  huge crush on her...LOL

  Golfingdad said:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Yes.  There is only one thing that bothers me, but it really bothers me, and that is his unnecessarily hyperbolic reactions to mediocre shots.  "That was an UNBELIEVABLE mistake!"  Not really ... these guys aren't seasoned pros and there is obviously A LOT of pressure on them.  All of these mistakes are VERY believeable.

And, in general, I know you guys that watched last season complained about this with the girls, but now that I'm watching I can agree that the hosts and players sitting on the sidelines need to talk to the balls a lot less ... as in not at all.  And Stephanie Sparks is guilty of this one as well.  All of the extraneous "sits" and "go's" and "get up's and "get down's" are kind of annoying.

Both are annoying.  Stephanie slightly less than Tom.  And the 'sit', 'go', 'get down' are way - WAY less annoying this season than last.  Atlantis with the girls was terrible.

[walk18]

  Beachcomber said:

I thought James was legit until I saw him chip. :loco:

You did see him chip it right next to the hole, right?

[Datsyuk]

  walk18 said:

Originally Posted by walk18

You did see him chip it right next to the hole, right?

No, which hole was that on?

[Beachcomber]

  walk18 said:

Originally Posted by walk18

You did see him chip it right next to the hole, right?

Yes, I saw him 'scoot' the ball.  I'm not saying he can't pull the shot off... But I can tell you Golf is a mental game.  If he tries that shot on tour - in front of millions of fans watching.  He is going to be lit up and laughed at.  And I really believe he will have more and more doubts about his play creep into his brain.  That isn't a positive thing for any golfer... Golf is already hard enough.  And then trying to take that much of an unconventional 'swing' for chipping work on the big stage. Hahahha Seriously, the guy is doomed.

And I'd be willing to bet a big reason why he hasn't made it on tour yet...

[Datsyuk]

  Beachcomber said:

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Yes, I saw him 'scoot' the ball.  I'm not saying he can't pull the shot off... But I can tell you Golf is a mental game.  If he tries that shot on tour - in front of millions of fans watching.  He is going to be lit up and laughed at.  And I really believe he will have more and more doubts about his play creep into his brain.  That isn't a positive thing for any golfer... Golf is already hard enough.  And then trying to take that much of an unconventional 'swing' for chipping work on the big stage. Hahahha Seriously, the guy is doomed.

And I'd be willing to bet a big reason why he hasn't made it on tour yet...

If the teaser for next week is accurate he's on the verge of scooping or double hitting the ball every time.

[wadesworld]

  Beachcomber said:

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Yes, I saw him 'scoot' the ball.  I'm not saying he can't pull the shot off... But I can tell you Golf is a mental game.  If he tries that shot on tour - in front of millions of fans watching.  He is going to be lit up and laughed at.  And I really believe he will have more and more doubts about his play creep into his brain.  That isn't a positive thing for any golfer... Golf is already hard enough.  And then trying to take that much of an unconventional 'swing' for chipping work on the big stage. Hahahha Seriously, the guy is doomed.

And I'd be willing to bet a big reason why he hasn't made it on tour yet...

Yeah, and some country guy with a crazy swing and a name like "Tommy two-gloves" will never make it on the PGA tour either.