Behind the Scenes: Rude Awakenings

Editor's Note: If you want more of an inside look into season four, tune-in every Wednesday at 8:30PM/ET for our new Big Break IV All-Access show.
 
If I thought day one of the shoot was difficult, it was only because I had yet to experience day two.
 
At 5:15 AM, I sleepily made my way to the Team Europe rooms to gather them for breakfast. First on the list – Richard and Eddie. Richard answered the door, toothbrush in hand, looking as if he had just stepped from the shower. Eddie, who had just awoken, quickly joined him at the door to give me a piece of his mind about the early call. Let’s just say he was loud enough at one point to wake up the slumbering hotel guest next door, as she burst into the hallway to join in the yelling. While Eddie and I “made up” later in the day, this was my first taste of that Italian temper.
 
I finally got him calmed down enough to proceed on to Marty and Warren, but didn’t have much luck there either. Warren was just out of the shower and Marty was sleeping soundly. I couldn’t imagine how these guys were going to be ready in 5 minutes. Impossible! But their manners are impeccable at times and Warren assured me they would be there. The European streak continued with the next room as well. This time Guy was still asleep and Thomas was in the shower. I couldn’t help but feel these two weeks would be a cultural wake up call for me.
 
The most ironic part, however, was that when I went to gather the Americans, Paul and T.J. were first on my list. They were both dressed, had their golf bags ready and were wondering what took me so long to get there! Soon, the entire U.S. team had me in tears of joy as, one-by-one, they appeared in the hallway ready to go. My gut was telling me they were also eager to avenge themselves of their last performance.
 
We started that day at the most recognizable Big Break challenge ever – The Breaking Glass. Half of the European team had never seen a single episode of The Big Break before so this challenge was a huge surprise for them. Afterwards Marty would not stop asking me if there were going to be more challenges like the breaking glass because it was the most fun he’d ever had on the golf course. And it showed, the Europeans continued their domination of the competition and broke all of their glass before the Americans could break even two panes.
 
The immunity challenge at Miller Bunker carried with it more bad luck for the Americans. Bart took three shots to get to the green. David’s first two were OB. And the Americans found themselves heading to the first elimination challenge of the series.
 
Before we could get on with the challenge, however, I had my first trip to the driving range with one team. Up until now both teams would hit the range together. It felt odd being there with only six men, knowing one of them would be gone the next day. And the contestants felt it too. Chatter had suddenly disappeared. David, coming off of his two OB shots, seemed visibly shaken and upset with himself. But nerves and all we proceeded to No. 4 on the Buddon Course at Carnoustie where the journey would end for one of them.
 
This challenge served everyone, crew and contestants alike, a big eye-opening. Bart, a contestant that everyone thought had the potential to win it all in Vegas, was the first to leave empty handed in Scotland. Maybe it was because he had his shot at the big prize already. Maybe it was because he is truly one of the most contented people I have ever met – completely happy with his life, his family and his new career. Or maybe there’s some truth to the “Viewer’s Choice Curse” (labeled that due to the fact that on The Big Break II, Jay McNair had been voted onto the show through a Viewer’s Choice poll and was the first to go that season as well.)
 
Whatever the reason, every last person on that set was in shock at his early departure.
 
But The Big Break is like that. The competition is tough and certainly plays no favorites. You have to be “on” no matter what time of day it may be or how many hours of sleep you’ve had. If you aren’t, it can rudely wake you up to reality in the blink of an eye.
 
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