Your Very Unofficial Big Break Myrtle Beach Postseason Awards

December 18, 2014

Big Break Myrtle Beach winner Jimmy Brandt talks about the experienceNow that the final putt has dropped on Big Break Myrtle Beach, we can look back on the 11-episode season that produced outstanding golf, questionable decisions, heartbreak and good TV.

Here are our very unofficial post-show awards!

The Player I Want on My Side in a Street Fight: This one is easy – give me Jimmy Brandt. I don’t know if he will be the best player to come out of the show, but he never, ever gave in. He competed in win-or-go home matches five times in 11 episodes and always advanced. The guy is a battler.

Shot That Changed the Narrative of the Show: Anthony spent much of the season antagonizing his cast mates. His antics made him a marked man, but the size of the target seemed to decrease when he chipped in from off the green to beat Dave Markle in an elimination challenge. After facing elimination twice in the first four episodes, he didn’t face the guillotine again until the penultimate episode, allowing his character to develop.

Most Likely to Make it on Tour: In the Male Division, my money is on Charlie Harrison. He is young, has a Wake Forest pedigree, and seemed to have the most game. If you are looking for the next Tommy Gainey or Matt Every to emerge from Big Break, Charlie is most likely to succeed.

To some degree the question has already been answered for the female cast members as Katy Harris had status on the LPGA Tour in 2014, making seven cuts in 11 starts with a career best finish of 32nd at the Marathon Classic. But if we are talking long term, I’ll go with Emily Tubert. A three-time All-American at Arkansas, she has the length to compete and with six collegiate wins and a U.S. Women’s Am Pub Links title to her credit, she clearly knows how to win.

I Wish I Had That Choice to Make Over Award: This one is easy. Charlie’s decision not to use Super Immunity when it would’ve given him a pass into the semifinals was a fatal mistake, and Jimmy made him pay. Confidence is great, but golf is a fickle game and Big Break is an unpredictable show. One wayward swing, or in Charlie’s case a poor chip and putt, can send you home. He should’ve swallowed his pride and used his exemption into the semifinals.

Hero Shot of the Season: There were a lot of candidates, but I’ll go with Jimmy’s putt to eliminate Anthony in the semifinals. He went into the hole trailing by a stroke, and had an approximately 12-foot birdie putt on the eighth hole at the Dye Course to win the match. He drained it. Clutch, clutch shot.

D’Oh, I can’t Believe I Just Did That Award: Unfortunately, Toph’s skulled shot out of the bunker on the 10th hole in the championship match wins the dubious honor. The match was all-square heading to the back nine, and Toph’s shot, which ended up in the water, handed Jimmy a one-up lead and started a run that saw Jimmy win three of fives holes to seize control. Runner-up: the drive Anthony pulled off the planet on the final hole of his elimination challenge in the semifinals, leading to his elimination. Next time you play the Dye Course, stand in the fifth fairway and look toward the eighth tee box to get a feel for just how far he hooked the ball.

We’ve All Been There Award: Speaking of hooks, it was painful to watch Christian Heavens completely lose his swing on episode seven. He hooked the ball out of play twice during an immunity challenge, and with an elimination challenge even going into the final hole, he hooked the ball in the water, effectively ending the match. We’ve all had it happen, but it’s uncomfortable to watch someone struggle with it on a public stage.

Best of luck to the entire cast as they resume their respective golf careers.

Tell us about your favorite moments from Big Break Myrtle Beach in the comments below! 

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