Big Break X: Michigan Winner, Cast Members
Big Break X: Michigan used a team format in which two golfers — one man, one woman — partnered throughout the series. The shows were taped at Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, Mich. The premiere episode aired on October 7, 2008. The series hosts were Stina Sternberg and Billy Ray Brown.
Winners of 'Big Break X: Michigan'
The championship match came down to the team of Bernadette (Bernie) Luse and Haymes Snedeker playing against the team of Camila Mori and Hugo Leon. The format for the championship match was this: the teams played the first six holes using better ball scoring (the low ball of the two partners counted for the team); the middle six holes playing alternate shot; and the final six holes using aggregate score (the two partners' scores were added together). And they were playing match play.Leon and Mori squared the match on the 13th hole. But Snedeker and Luse won the 14th to go 1-up, and the 15th to get to 2-up. They closed it out on the 17th hole.
What the champions won: Snedeker received an exemption to play in the 2009 PGA Tour Children's Miracle Network Classic; Luse received a spot in the field in the 2009 Bell Micro LPGA Classic. Each also won a BMW 328i Coupe car, $5,000 cash and $2,500 in Dick's Sporting Goods gift cards. Their entry fees into their respective tours' qualifying tournaments were also covered for the coming Q-Schools.
How Luse fared in her LPGA Tour exemption: The Bell Micro LPGA Classic was canceled in 2009, so Luse's exemption was pushed back to the 2010 tournament. By that time, however, Luse had given up pursuing a pro tournament career, and she relinquished her exemption so it could be given to someone else.
How Snedeker fared in his PGA Tour exemption: At the 2009 PGA Tour Children's Miracle Network Classic, Snedeker shot rounds of 74 and 76, missing the cut at 6-over 150. After those two rounds, Snedeker was 10 shots behind his brother, PGA Tour winner Brandt Snedeker.
Cast Members of 'Big Break X: Michigan'
There were 16 cast members, paired into eight teams. Teams are listed in the order in which they were eliminated from Big Break X: Michigan (residences listed are those given at the time the series aired):- James Vargas (Miami, Florida) and Andrea VanderLende (Longwood, Florida) — Eliminated in Episode 3. He was playing on the Hooters Tour, she on the Futures Tour at the time.
- Otis Smith (Stone Mountain, Georgia) and Rachel Melendez (Atlanta, Georgia) — Eliminated in Episode 4. Co-workers as golf professionals at Charlie Yates Golf Course in Atlanta.
- Michael Michaelides (East Elmhurst, New York) and Sherri McDonald (Lambertville, New Jersey) — Eliminated in Episode 6. Golf coaches at rival schools.
- Casey Lubahn (Lansing, Michigan) and Rachel Lubahn (Lansing, Michigan) — Eliminated in Episode 7. Teammates at Michigan State University, and in life as a married couple.
- David Mobley (Huntersville, North Carolina) and Sally Dee (Tampa, Florida) — Eliminated in Episode 8. Both were professional long drivers.
- Robby Shaw (Louisville, Kentucky) and Amber Prange (Noblesville, Indiana) — Eliminated in Episode 10. She was playing on the Futures Tour; her sister Ashley Prange was the winner of Big Break V: Hawaii.
- Hugo Leon (Jupiter, Florida) and Camila Mori (Miami, Florida) — Lost in championship match. Both were natives of Chile who played college golf in the U.S.
- Haymes Snedeker (Fairhope, Alabama) and Bernadette Luse (Naples Florida) — Won championship match. Luse had played on the LPGA Tour.
Where to Watch 'Big Break X: Michigan'
At the time of writing, Big Break X: Michigan was not available for viewing on the Golf Channel website except through the network's GolfPass streaming service. The series has not been released on DVD. Golf Channel sometimes rebroadcasts old Big Break series, so keep an eye out for that.Related articles:
