Big Break Florida (2014) Thread

[Golfingdad]

I guess I look at it differently than most. What I take away from the whole thing is not who can do well, or not do well, on the Symetra Tour. It's that I can't believe the level of play on the Symetra Tour (or any pro tour) can be low enough for any of them to play on it.

I'm totally unimpressed by all of them.

I am starting to think that we are being a little hard on them.  After all, haven't every one of these elimination challenges ended with a winner that's made pars and birdies?  It's not like they're hacking it around for double bogies or anything.

[CarlSpackler]

I am starting to think that we are being a little hard on them.  After all, haven't every one of these elimination challenges ended with a winner that's made pars and birdies?  It's not like they're hacking it around for double bogies or anything.

Agreed.

[boil3rmak3r]

I am starting to think that we are being a little hard on them.  After all, haven't every one of these elimination challenges ended with a winner that's made pars and birdies?  It's not like they're hacking it around for double bogies or anything.

The thing that gets me is how ridiculously easy the elimination holes look. I haven't followed the show in great detail, but most of the holes seem to be a 320 yd par 4, or a 450 yd par 5. What would be the equivalent distances for an amateur male golfer? Maybe a 360 yd par 4 and a 500 yd par 5? Plus, the holes don't look all that penal to me. Maybe I'm drinking the special Kook-Aid when I say this, but I would be disappointed if I didn't walk away with at least a par on those types of holes...

[CarlSpackler]

The thing that gets me is how ridiculously easy the elimination holes look. I haven't followed the show in great detail, but most of the holes seem to be a 320 yd par 4, or a 450 yd par 5. What would be the equivalent distances for an amateur male golfer? Maybe a 360 yd par 4 and a 500 yd par 5? Plus, the holes don't look all that penal to me.

Maybe I'm drinking the special Kook-Aid when I say this, but I would be disappointed if I didn't walk away with at least a par on those types of holes...

I would love to play that course to get a feel for it. The holes look to be relatively tight to me with doglegs, bunkers and trees. It's hard to tell on TV though.

[hilmar2k]

The thing that gets me is how ridiculously easy the elimination holes look. I haven't followed the show in great detail, but most of the holes seem to be a 320 yd par 4, or a 450 yd par 5. What would be the equivalent distances for an amateur male golfer? Maybe a 360 yd par 4 and a 500 yd par 5? Plus, the holes don't look all that penal to me.

Maybe I'm drinking the special Kook-Aid when I say this, but I would be disappointed if I didn't walk away with at least a par on those types of holes...

The par 3 didn't look very easy, especially with that wind. Bottom line is though that Mary has played 4 elimination holes, and has 2 pars and 2 birdies. Can't say anything bad about that, regardless of how hard or easy the holes are.

[Golfingdad]

The par 3 didn't look very easy, especially with that wind. Bottom line is though that Mary has played 4 elimination holes, and has 2 pars and 2 birdies. Can't say anything bad about that, regardless of how hard or easy the holes are.

Speaking of that par 3 ... I found it extremely annoying that they made it seem like Mary's shot was decent and just ended up in the left bunker, yet you would have thought that Sadena's shot ended up in Cuba by the way they reacted to it.  Then they go up there and find that they both missed the green by ALMOST TH EXACT SAME AMOUNT, just on opposite sides.

You know, I'm fine with all of the contrived "drama" at each cliffhanger commercial break and throughout the shows week to week, but that was pushing it a little too far.  It made the producers/Tom Abbott look really stupid in my eyes.

Speaking of Tom Abbott, he's getting on my nerves another way as well with his commentary.  When he acts like somebody is going to face a firing squad for missing a green or chunking a shot, even though 90% of the good shots put people in the same position.  He railed on somebody (Fiamma maybe) during the HORSE game for missing the green on the first shot, even though it made a hill of beans difference where she ended up unless she got within the leader, who was sitting at 18" or something like that.  Oy.

[hilmar2k]

Tom Abbott is an idiot. Every shot that looks like it might miss the fairway/green is described as the worst outcome imaginable. I think it was Mary's drive a couple of episodes ago that he described as possibly OB and ended up on the edge of the fairway.

[boil3rmak3r]

The par 3 didn't look very easy, especially with that wind. Bottom line is though that Mary has played 4 elimination holes, and has 2 pars and 2 birdies. Can't say anything bad about that, regardless of how hard or easy the holes are.

You're right. 2 pars and 2 birdies is pretty good. I would takes those results on the "easy" holes all year long.

[newtogolf]

Abbott is way to over dramatic for my taste.  I get that he's hosting a reality show and that his job is to create drama even when there isn't any but he goes way too over the top.  As @Golfingdad stated, Sadena's shot was that much further from the green than Mary's but he made it seem like it was.

I give credit to Mary for picking Sadena in the elimination challenge.  Her victory over Sadena and her alliances on the show might just get her to the finale.  I don't see Fi picking Mary go compete against given their friendship and I think Renee and Jackie would select Fi over Mary or each other.

[Golfingdad]

I give credit to Mary for picking Sadena in the elimination challenge.  Her victory over Sadena and her alliances on the show might just get her to the finale.  I don't see Fi picking Mary go compete against given their friendship and I think Renee and Jackie would select Fi over Mary or each other.

It may not be their choice ... somebody a few posts back stated that they think the next episode is going to be two separate matches with the winners advancing to the finale.

[Parker0065]

This season for me has been a lesson in "be careful what you ask for". Since the inception of BB I've always wanted to see a gathering of Symetra/Nationwide Tour players fighting it out for money and exemptions. In this case it was mostly all Symetra and Cactus Tour players and I was expecting the overall play to be better. Some of that is the BB format and how they just refuse to let them play 5 to 9 holes of real golf for each and every elimination. I would rather see them have one single immunity challenge and the bottom two players go straight to elimination and battle it out for 9 holes of pure golf. I just think the show is over tweaked and doesn't do a great job of identifying the best or most deserving player.

With that said here's my opinion on the remaining 4 girls:

Renee - As I look at what they've each done throughout the show I give a lot of kudos to Renee. Depending on the challenge during that first show or two most of the weaker players end up in elimination. So it might have been easy at first to think that Renee was one of the weaker players being in the first elimination, but starting back on that first night she really impressed me. Most people said or thought well it was an easy hole and she didn't have to play against anyone and all she had to do was make par.

To me she played that hole like a real professional would play it to get the job done and get out of there. It was more or less a scenario of par this hole to win(which we have seen many times over the years is not so easy to do at any level,,,,,see Phil M. 2006 US Open, par to win) So even though few people gave Renee much credit I was impressed how she hit her drive center cut, laid up to the proper side of the fairway, hit a solid pitch and a safe putt to get the job done. She has quietly gone about her business and worked her way into a shot at the finals. She's made me a fan and I hope she does well!

Fiamma - I think she does have game but she just hits it so short I'm not sure she could really compete on any Pro Tour. Sure there's short hitters on the tours but she would be hard pressed to out drive many women playing club golf. But she is by far the cutest one left :)

Jackie - She's in the drivers seat and at the moment the best of the bunch where it really counts on the Symetra Tour.

Mary - Well, I did call her Mary the Moose earlier and that was mean but man is she annoying to watch, listen to, and be around(per other contestants comments). She is definitely a Bull in a China Shop!! I don't think much of her playing ability either. Some people say she's playing well on tour this year? The three events I've found she played in 2014 she had 2 missed cuts and a 41st place as her highest finish and has yet to have a single round of par or better. If that's coming on or playing well, then you've got me all kinds of confused, lol! It's not like she's a rookie trying to find her way or get comfortable, she's been out there for a couple years. She's getting near that point where it's time to swallow a big gulp of reality and start looking for another career. If I was hard pressed to have to say something good about Mary it would be even though she is lacking in ability, she is a tough tough competitor. Unfortunately for her, being tough is not enough to make up for a lack of ability on the pro tours but it does seem to keep her in the game of BB.

I'm hoping for a Jackie-Renee final, If Jackie has to play Mary in the semi's it will be a tough out but I think she gets the job done with relative ease by the end.

[clutchshot]

First of all... YES, more full holes for elimination and one immunity challenge. I've seen weeks and weeks of who can hit best at 95 yards, I get it, let's see some golf already! Next: just because someone is winning on some random tour does not mean they are a better player, just playing better at the moment. I've watched Tiger get beat by players far less superior. Also: I have to agree the golf hasn't been that bad... This isn't the pro tour, it's armatures aspiring to be pros and playing under a spotlight.they aren't used to. In addition, I still saw 1 ft chip shots this week, not bad. Lastly: Ugh again on what happened this week!

[bobbob]

http://www.thecactustour.com/2014resultstpp/event11/Stroke.html

Today's Cactus tour event results so far... Tonya is currently leading by 6 shots (-7) while other Big Breakers like Nina Rodriguez (-1), Lindsay Aho (+3), and McKenzie Jackson (+5) currently sit in 2nd, T-5, and 7th positions. Kylee Duede is a full 26 shots off the lead through 2 rounds at +19.

Now before we all praise Tonya, keep in mind this is a low-level cactus tour event with second and third-tier Big Breakers. None of the ladies she is beating fared very well in Big Break. I'm pretty sure if we brought in a few Symetra tour players, Tonya would be toast. Please do not compare Tonya's 68 to Jackie's or Mary's mid-70s on the Symetra tour--Symetra tour courses are far more difficult than Cactus tour courses, which rarely play over 6000 yards. For example, Shannon Fish has shot numerous rounds in the 60's on the Cactus tour and averages like 70 shots on the Cactus tour but averages a 76.5 on the Symetra tour.

But still, if anything, this really shows how bad Kylee is. A 79-84 on the Cactus tour? I can't even imagine what she would shoot on the symetra tour (that is, if she would qualify, and she would not with her current pathetic game)...... You could say that Tonya is just playing "better", but someone who is beating someone else by 26 shots through 2 rounds is just simply a better golfer. Kylee's 83-78-82 last week wasn't very impressive either...

[bobbob]

kylee Duede's results on the Cactus tour this year on very simple courses that average like 5-10 shots easier than Symetra tour courses....

(from most recent to least recent)

#11 Legacy / Shriner Pro-Am : 79-84

#10 Ocotillo White/Gold: 83-78-82

#08 Wigwam Blue M/T (2 day): 82-79

#07 Sundance : 84-82-80

#06 Wildfire Palmer/Faldo/Palmer : 72-72-73

#04  Ahwatukee CC: 76-77-76

#02 Sun City CC : 84-80-75

Avg: 78.8

Other than that one 72-72-73 on what seemed to be a very easy course (she wasn't in top-10 and winning score was -14) , all her other results had been terrible....

Just keep in mind that a 79 on the cactus tour is like an 85+ on the Symetra tour....

And many other girls like Kristi, Lindsay, and Tonya have played in thee same tournaments and their averages are like at least 5 shots better....

In hindsight, I'm surprised she actually lasted so long...

[Valleygolfer]

Kylee's last name gets my Family Guy senses tingling...

[Golfingdad]

Kylee's last name gets my Family Guy senses tingling...

Lol, never watched Family Guy, so I'd say she gets my Beavis and Butthead senses tingling. Cannot help but giggle every time I hear it. ;)

[Valleygolfer]

Lol @Golfingdad

[bobbob]

lol