A Champion is Crowned

By BRIAN KORESSEL
Senior Producer, GolfChannel.com

Editor's Note: “The Big Break IV – USA vs. Europe”, is The Golf Channel’s fourth installment of its hit television series. As the title suggests however, this season’s format has been tweaked to include a team dynamic. But that in no way means the stakes aren’t high for each individual, as the contestants will be vying for entry into select European Tour tournaments in 2006.
 
After 12 episodes and 10 eliminations, the Big Break IV – USA vs. Europe had narrowed the group down to just two players – Paul Holtby of the USA and Guy Woodman from Team Europe.
 

The format to determine the winner was 18 holes of match play at the famed Carnoustie Golf Club. And although the format was simple, the stakes were high: entries into two European Tour events, a two-year lease on a Ford Explorer, a Bridgestone playing contract, and a $5,000 gift certificate to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
 
“This started out as USA versus Europe - I get nervous just thinking about it - but you’re actually playing for your country,” acknowledged Holtby on his feelings leading up to the match. “That’s an overwhelming responsibility and task.”
 
“Certainly nothing Paul does is going to rattle me,” countered Woodman. “All I’m focused on right now is winning.”
 
With that, both players hit their opening tee shots and the match was under way.

At the first, Woodman was short of the green and chipped up to within 4 feet while Holtby found the green but left his birdie putt just shy of the hole. With Holtby in with a conceded par, Woodman knocked down the 4-footer to keep the match all square.
 
Both players then made routine pars at the second before Holtby drew first blood at the par-4 third. Hitting from the fairway, Holtby’s wedge nestled up to a couple a feet from the flagstick to set up birdie.
 
“This was an opportunity to go 1-up and take the other guy out of his game plan, put some heat on him,” said Holtby on his short birdie chance. “That’s what you gotta do in match play.”
 
Holtby indeed cashed in on his birdie attempt to take the first lead of the day. After matching each other with pars on the following hole, the duo made a mess of things at the par-4 fifth. Woodman, with Holtby in with a bogey, lipped out his par effort and remained 1-down heading to the sixth.
 
At the par-5 sixth, Woodman seemed to be in control from the fairway until he shanked his second shot in to some nasty rough well short of the green. His recovery shot, however, turned out brilliant, settling some 7 feet from the pin. While Holtby could only manage a two-putt par, Woodman drew even in the match by rolling home his birdie effort.
 
With a chance to really swing the momentum in his favor and go 1-up, Woodman’s almost tap in par at the eighth again lipped out resulting in a halve of the hole.
 
“I was cheesed off at the time but you gotta put it behind you and look to the next hole,” said a disappointed Woodman.
 
Holtby capitalized on Woodman’s bad luck by knocking his tee shot at the par-3 eighth to 20 feet and then draining the putt for birdie and to go back to 1-up in the match.
 
Both players then had birdie attempts at the ninth, but each had their balls catch the lip of the hole and spin out. Holtby remained 1-up as they made the turn.
 
No movement was made over the next three holes as the two combatants traded bogeys at the 10th, pars at the 11th and then matched birdies at the par-5 12th.