Behind the Scenes - Only the Calm Survive

Editor's Note: If you want more of an inside look into season four, tune-in every Wednesday for our new Big Break IV All-Access show.

When we left off last time, I was heading to the driving range with Paul and T.J. That's exactly where we'll pick up this column. Guy and Thomas were off finishing their Ford Prize Challenge from the night before (it was called due to darkness). I, however, was with Paul and T.J. as they were warming up for the match that would crown the U.S. Champion.

After watching them warm up, I had a gut feeling as to who would walk away with the win that day. You couldn't help it. Anyone with my front row seat would've called it the same way. Paul is a machine. The methodical way he warms up, the calmness he plays with when he's on the course. It's simply unmatched. T.J. on the other hand, had a bit of nervous energy that morning and it showed in the match almost immediately.

He missed a few early putts and struggled throughout the match. In fact, Paul won a point on each hole until T.J. conceded on No. 5 when his drive wound up in the deep rough and he couldn't get it out.

It was an emotional goodbye. T.J. is the guy that you can joke around with. The one that will make you smile even when you don't want to. Plain and simple - he's a likeable guy - and we had become fast friends. It was difficult to see him go.

After the match, he and I had a few moments together at lunch. We talked about how proud he was of himself for making it this far. About how he was glad to have the opportunity and that he would be walking away from the entire experience with his head held high. That was T.J. - a positive thinker to the end.

But, my goodbyes to T.J. would end quickly because we had an afternoon match with the Europeans. Guy and Thomas would go up against each other for the European title.

I wasn't so sure about the outcome of this one. After watching both players for the past two weeks, it seemed that they were evenly matched. Both of their games were very solid and both played very consistent, steady golf.

The match was all-square after the first hole. But on the second, Guy went 1 up after Thomas ran into some problems on the green. And that was only the beginning of Thomas' uncharacteristic downhill slide. He was down 3 after four holes. And finally conceded the match to Guy on No. 7.

Again, for me it was a rather difficult outcome to deal with. Thomas was one of those guys you aren't too sure about when you first meet him. He certainly knew how to push my buttons right from the get-go. However, something had happened over the course of the shoot - I had come to really like him. His dry sense of humor had somehow grown on me and, believe it or not, I looked forward to the daily ribbings we would give each other. (Thomas, I know you read these. And, no, no one forced me to say that!)

That night the interviews went quickly. Afterwards, I ate dinner in the Ben Hogan suite with Guy, Paul and another producer. Dinner was good, but as usual, dessert was better. I don't know what it was about the sweets in Scotland, but dessert was something the entire crew looked forward to at both lunch and dinner. Tonight's was the best yet. Warm chocolate cake with melted hot fudge in the center. And the four of us probably enjoyed it a bit too much.

But we deserved it. I know at least Guy & Paul did. They had made it to the final two. Tomorrow they would play for the opportunity to become The Big Break IV champion. To live their dream of playing on the European Tour.

Surprisingly neither one of them was nervous. Neither one had any apprehension. To them, it was pure and simple...may the best man win.
 
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