The Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe
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| The Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe | ||
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| Season run | – | |
| Filming dates | June 2005 – | |
| No. of episodes | 10 | |
| Hosts | Vince Cellini; Stephanie Sparks | |
| Location(s) | Carnoustie Golf Links, Carnoustie, Scotland; Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland | |
| Tour exemptions | European Tour | |
| Tournament exemptions | 2006 Algarve Open de Portugal; 2006 Celtic Manor Wales Open | |
| Winner(s) | Paul Holtby | |
| Contestants' tour status | ||
| Official website | ||
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| Season chronology | ||
| The Big Break III: Ladies Only | The Big Break V: Hawaii | |
The Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe was filmed in the June of 2005, and premiered on September 13 of the same year. The twelve hopefuls (including Bart Lower) were taken to Scotland's Carnoustie, and the Old Course in St Andrews to compete for exemptions into two European Tour events (the Algarve Open de Portugal and the Celtic Manor Wales Open), an endorsement deal with Bridgestone Golf, a two-year lease on a Ford Explorer, and a $5,000 gift card from Dick's Sporting Goods. The Golf Channel made this a competition between players from the United States and Europe, much like the Ryder Cup. Vince Cellini and Stephanie Sparks returned as hosts.
The six hopefuls representing Team USA were Lower; Randall Hunt from Los Angeles, who currently lives in Arlington, Texas; Tommy Gainey, known as "Two Gloves," who hails from Bishopville, South Carolina; T.J. Valentine from Plymouth, Massachusetts; David Carnell, a Miami resident who is originally from Park Forest, Illinois; and Paul Holtby from Simi Valley, California. Team Europe's six hopefuls were former British Amateur winner Warren Bladon of Leamington Spa, England; Guy Woodman from Old Windsor, England; Edoardo Gardino, a Crans-Montana, Switzerland resident who is originally from Azti, Italy; Marty Wilde Jr. from Tewin, England; Richard Gillot from Paris; and Thomas Blankvoort from Wassenaar, Netherlands.
Lower was the first contestant eliminated, surprising, considering the fact that he finished third on The Big Break II. Gillot, who won a Challenge Tour event in 2000, was the next to go, followed by Carnell, then Gardino. The USA-Europe elimination trade-off continued with Gainey getting the boot. It finally stopped with Hunt being eliminated in a two-part episode (the Immunity Challenge took a full hour, while Elimination took another). With just two members left, Team USA was given two episodes off so that the European team could be whittled down to its last two. In the first episode of this, ex-Amateur Championship winner Bladon was out, with Wilde to follow the next week. The final two were determined in a double-elimination episode, in which Woodman defeated Blankvoort and Holtby beat Valentine in separate 9-hole matchplay challenges. Holtby went on to defeat Woodman in the matchplay final, 1 Up. Unlike the previous editions, all the eliminated contestants stayed, followed the match and even took group photos with the winner.
In the Algarve Open, Holtby shot 1-over for two rounds, missing the cut by one shot.
Each team had one member with a claim to fame. European team player Wilde is the son of British singer Marty Wilde and the brother of Kim Wilde, who sang the 1981 hit, "Kids in America." Team USA member Valentine is the son of former professional bowler Jeffrey Valentine. Valentine also operates a popular golf logo brand company called 8 Under Par [1].Another European team member, Gardino, has caddied in two Ryder Cups (1999 and 2002), carrying bags for players like Sergio García, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and José María Olazábal. Gardino also caddied for Angel Cabrera in the 2005 Presidents Cup and 2007 U.S. Open
During the show's run, a new behind-the-scenes show called The Big Break IV: All Access debuted and aired on "Top Shelf Wednesday," a weekly primetime block of programming hosted by Cellini. Big Break III alumnus Ochoa worked as a reporter for the All Access show.
Promotional ads leading up to the show's premiere were set to Bon Jovi's 1987 hit "Livin' On a Prayer."
The show's website can be found here: [2] It, too, is available on DVD: [3]
