WEEK 1
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Week One
Click here to watch the video!
Well, thanks so much for watching the premiere episode of Highway 18. I hope you liked it! You know a lot of people want to know what the teams are like off the camera, so I’ll tell you a little bit.
First, Ashley Davis and Ashleigh Korzack. They are what you see. They are cute, blonde and flirty. But don’t let those short skirts distract you because they are very good athletes as you saw on the first episode. And actually Ashley Davis is probably the fastest runner out of all the contestants on the series.
The Southern boys Andy Crain and Parker King, love those guys. Their Southern drawl and fun-loving, laid-back attitude kept all of us laughing on set and they also will keep you laughing with all of their antics on the next show.
Raul and Jameica. You know, they are a little bit of the underdogs. They are quiet, and we don’t really know what they’re up to. But, they are both serious players, so they were pretty upset on the first show when they came in last. But lucky for them, they found out it was a two-strike elimination. You will start seeing more of their personalities coming out on the next show.
Rob and Charlotte Campbell, the brother and sister. What can I say, they are in it to win it. They are competitive and you will continue to see that not only in the premiere but continuing on throughout the show.
Peach and Jay Reynolds, the very close-knit father and son. You won’t think that on the show because Jay never calls his father Dad. He just calls him Peach because that’s the name that he’s had for as long as he can remember.
Now, when we first brought the contestants out to Highway 18 they had no idea what to expect. We told them to bring 15 outfits and their clubs. So, they had no idea they were going to be completely exhausted and sprinting while playing golf at all the locations we have them at. And actually, a little inside scoop. Raul was the sorest of everyone. He brought the biggest bag. I think he thinks that might have been a mistake. Stay tuned. I’ll tell you more next time.
Andy Crain & Parker King
Well, I guess we slipped by the first day's challenges, and yes to all the viewers, it is amazing to see a big man move like Andy Crain! Impressive Huh! We were both very nervous throughout the first day, but towards the end, it really just came down to the fact that we both drink way too many adult beverages! (For the younger viewers, that means out of shape). All in all, the show was fantastic. It captures the attention of the viewer from the very beginning and maintains a high level of intensity throughout the show. I only wish everyone could have seen the Big Guy and I play rock-paper-scissors in front of Arnold Palmer. Over the years that has always been our method of determining who did what. Instinctively, once again we used “ole trusty” to decide which one of us would answer the question that Mr. Palmer asked us in the Trophy Tower. After the best two out of three, I was the loser, so I figured '82 sounded pretty good. As you know we were both floored to see Mr. Palmer when the elevator doors opened. Heck, the Big Guy couldn't even speak! (once again amazing!) I myself was pretty much "all to pieces!!!" You could have asked us who won the 1986 Masters and we still would have given the wrong answer! For two country boys from nowhere ("or the woods"), it was simply an amazing experience meeting “The King.” We thank everyone for watching and hope ya'll tune in again next week!
Peach Reynolds & Jay Reynolds
Jay Reynolds kept a journal during his Highway 18 experience, and will provide his insights throughout the series. The first post details Jay and Peach’s arrival to the series.
Casa Monica Hotel, St Augustine, Fla.
We arrived a few hours behind schedule and quickly got caught up. As we came out of the terminal, a camera crew was waiting for us. They filmed us getting our bags off the belt and then walking down towards a big white van. They had to shoot us walking to the van twice. It's always weird trying to redo what you just did exactly the same for the camera, because when you’re doing something ordinary you are not really thinking about it. Then all of the sudden they tell you to go do it again so they can film from a different angle. Now you've got to try and recall what you just did and how you did it!
After we loaded up the van, we drove about 45 minutes from the Jacksonville airport without knowing where we were going or what we were doing. When we arrived, we were informed to change into the clothes we were planning or wearing tomorrow and return to the lobby. We never even had a chance to ask a question or take a deep breath for that matter. Now this IS reality TV!
This hotel is awesome! Our rooms are amazing! Peach and I each have our own room. I'm sure we'll see plenty of each other this week, so it will be nice to have some peace and quiet at night! We got back down to the lobby and whisked off to jump into... none other than... a romantic horse drawn carriage! We slowly meandered through downtown St Augustine (a beautiful place) until we were instructed to get out at a specific spot as a camera crew filmed us. We then filmed another walking sequence in which we had to repeat. Although this time I was more acclimated to doing it a second time, only to be distracted by a woman falling off her bicycle (take 2!). After this walking sequence, we got back in the carriage with the two man camera crew because we were the last shoot, and went to a city park area where another camera crew waited. Peach and I did one-on-one interviews separate from each other. These were short, little introductions with some simple questions like "What do you expect," "What's your strengths and weaknesses" “Teammate’s weakness," pretty general stuff. Although the questions were simple, the anxiety was high. We have finally begun the Highway 18 journey. And the cameras were rolling...
Then we got right into production meetings. Most of the meeting we had was about rules of the show and rules for when we are not shooting. As for rules of the show, there are three elements. The first is the Start. This is where we start the adventure. My understanding is that there will be a starting gun, so to speak, and we all run to our cars and take off. In the car, one person will drive and one person will ride in the back seat behind the driver while a camera man sits in the front passenger seat and a production assistant sits in the back behind the passenger side. In each car will be a tool box full of potentially helpful hints or clues. However, we were told that not all of these items in the tool box necessarily will be helpful. There could be some lemons strewn throughout the box that will lead us in the wrong direction. So, discretion must be used when applying the items in the tool box. Strategy!
The second element is The Road Challenge. This is more or less after we leave The Start, we navigate to wherever it is we might be going. This is where the game will be won and lost I think. You can cost yourself so much time if you make a wrong turn or get lost! You can make up for a bad drive with a good putt, but you can never get back the time lost from a navigation error.
Finally, the Clubhouse Challenge portion of each episode. We were told they will vary quite a bit and will be more traditional golf-based challenges. This is where our preparation will pay off. Who knows if anything we practiced will come in handy, but just thinking outside the box these last few weeks will help get us in the frame of mind to deal with whatever is thrown our way.
Oh, and the entire day will be timed!
USGA rules will govern play, which is nice. That means nothing goofy or out of the ordinary in the rules department.
Driving safety is another thing that was heavily stressed at the meeting. For obvious reasons, we can't be speeding around Florida putting ourselves and the camera crews in danger. So the speed limit is, in fact, going to be our speed limit. We will not be permitted to drive over the speed limit without risking penalty.
So we begin this journey tomorrow morning and I'm ready. I'm anxious to get kicking on all cylinders! I will be tired, no question about it, but hopefully the competitive adrenaline will keep me going all day. And if we have a long drive I'll sleep in the back seat...make Peach drive!
Here we go....
Rob Campbell & Charlotte Campbell
I have to say I was a little nervous before the first episode aired on Tuesday, but I was soon relieved after seeing the first 60 seconds. Our day beginning at the castle in St. Augustine, followed by our Hall of Fame visit, and then playing TPC Sawgrass was like a dream come true! Oh yeah, and meeting Mr. Palmer was all right too!! (If you couldn't pick up on my sarcasm from the first show, you better pick it up now).
But seriously, looking back on what we did was unreal.
It was really cool to see everything come together on the actual show. I don't know the first thing about editing, but I did know that the editors had their hands full and did a fabulous job. All of the teams are so unique and to see their interviews was really fun for Rob and I. Of course we know what we did as a team, but we have no idea what anyone else did. Therefore, this show is just as exciting for us to watch as everyone else.
It was an ego booster for Rob and I to do so well on day one in the Clubhouse Challenge. Hopefully that can continue to happen as the season progresses. Who knows where we'll be going next, but I think it's safe to say there will be some crazy twists and turns along the road...
WEEK 2
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Week Two
Hey everyone, welcome back to week two of your behind the scenes video blog for Highway 18. I thought I would begin with a little inside scoop on the Start Challenge. All five teams were escorted to the Challenge more than a mile into the swamplands at Payne’s Prairie State Preserve. The cargo van we put the contestants in had all of the windows blacked out, so they had no idea where we were taking them. Peach, however, faintly noticed the sunlight through the blacked out windows, and that it was always to his right. So, when Peach and Jay sprinted towards their Buick Enclaves, you noticed they had three paths to choose from. What you did not hear is that they also chose that path because of the position of the sun. Yes, Peach recalled where the sun was when they arrived, and they chose the path where the sun was in the same position, showing them correct direction back to the Enclaves.
Are you getting as much of a kick out of from Andy Crain and Parker King as we all did during production? These North Carolina boys kept everyone laughing on crew, especially during the Start Challenge, when they were running to their vehicle out of the Swamp. Now, according to the rules, neither teammate can venture more than 20 feet away from each other anytime during series. I think we must have heard Andy say, “Parker, slow down” at least five times when they were running to their vehicles. Believe me, the comments, jokes and banter between these two will only get better.
You saw Rob and Charlotte Campbell struggle in the Challenge at Florida Field. However, they made up a lot of time in the clubhouse challenge and finished in a very respectable third place. Finishing last in the road challenge though was really difficult for Rob to stomach because he is a Florida Gator graduate. You also saw their competitive fire when they moved ahead of the two teams when arriving to the clubhouse challenge and their excitement when they met me at the finish line knowing they finished in third place.
OK, Ashley and Ashleigh, these girls wear their emotions on their sleeve, and it certainly was a roller-coaster of emotions for these two girls on Tuesday. As you saw, the Ashleys are determined to win at any cost, and are using outside influences to their advantage, which even included convincing the Cable truck to intentionally drive slow so the girls could get ahead. Ashleigh Korzack struggled under pressure during the Clubhouse Challenge. She admitted that she “panicked” and that she and Ashley Davis learned a valuable lesson from that. Play fast but play steady.
On next week’s Highway 18, we will be pre-empted due to our comprehensive news show Live From the PGA Championship, so our next episode will actually air Tuesday, August 12. But come back next week and I will have an all-new video blog for you. See you then.
Andy Crain & Parker King
Well everyone, it looks like we finished fourth again, but as long as there's a ball in the jar we will continue to move on! I guess I should first apologize to Chris DiMarco for misspelling his name. Please do not let my superior spelling skills reflect poorly upon the great people that inhabit the wonderful State of North Carolina! Sorry N.C.! This past week was pretty neat for the Big Guy and me. We are both big time College Football Fans and having the opportunity to hit balls in the Swamp was an awesome experience. I only wish I could have completed the challenge in a little more timely manner. It’s tough not to rush when you are surrounded by competitors that could complete the challenge at any time, and every second lost is so crucial to your success! Heck, and the way the Big Guy runs, we definitely need a huge head start, especially when you have the two Canadian Cheetahs hot on your trail! Did ya'll see the way they blew by us! It was like Emmitt Smith breaking free in the secondary!
The Clubhouse Challenge at Golden Ocala was much of the same, rush, rush, and rush! Crain has done a wonderful job of handling these situations, but what would you expect from a man that has played in three pressure packed PGA TOUR events, one being the Wachovia in Charlotte! I, on the other hand I need to slow down and relax. It’s kind of like when you hold that wonderful golden colored beverage and it looks so good that you just want to chug it right on the spot. But if you just relax, slow down, and enjoy its wonderful flavor it may just be the best you've ever had. Until next time ladies and gents!
Ashley Davis & Ashleigh Korzack
Hi all!
I cannot believe that we have already gone through two episodes! It doesn’t feel that long ago that we were getting off the airplane in Jacksonville. It is amazing to finally see how the show comes together and see what I was TRULY like and how the producers put together such great footage. I really love how they did it!
A few things that I wasn’t aware of until watching the first two episodes:
1. Ashleigh and I do look THAT MUCH alike.
2. How dramatic I am.
3. How competitive I am.
I realized that I am not only a crazy driver, but also running like someone who was about to kill someone. Also, another great aspect about watching the show are the comments from others in the vehicles. HILARIOUS! I love hearing how the other competitors truly felt and all the sneaky maneuvers we all tried to pull (well maybe just Ash and I).
I hope you all don’t think I am trying to play too dirty but I honestly feel that Ash and I are to a disadvantage because we are the two girls, neither one of us are professionals and every other team has both a professional or guy in their group. Although, as my Dad would say though, NO EXCUSES. Not saying that girls can’t stand up to the boys, but we definitely need to get ahead in other competitions other than golf. Too bad our trivia skills stink too.
Let me take us back to the first episode. What a surprise to come out of the elevator to my hero, Arnold Palmer. I absolutely love Arnold, and I cannot tell you how surprised and completely taken a back (as you witnessed) I was. The World Golf Hall of Fame was everything I imagined and more, and TPC Sawgrass was golfer heaven. I wish I got to play more than just one hole.
On a side note, while I was hanging out at TPC Sawgrass, I walked into the men’s locker room (by accident) and ran into Vijay Singh. Not naked, but it was well worth the accidental (wink wink) mistake. I wish it was Sergio, but we didn’t finish last, so all in all it was a great day!
These are all the reasons that I don’t want to get eliminated. It is not just about the money and prizes, it is all the wonderful experiences that the GOLF CHANNEL provided us that made me want to keep running and cut people off. I loved it all! Most importantly, I loved all the friends I was making along the way. You may see a lot of drama and snarly comments, but there is nobody on the show that I didn’t love. I still want to beat all their butts, but the “those girls bother me comment” from Charlotte was hilarious! I love her more than anyone now (besides Ashleigh). She is the greatest!
The Southern boys are by far the funniest people I have ever met.
Raul is truly an amazing guy. He and I had a great relationship going throughout the show. He even gave me guy advice! Jameica may be the coolest girl I have ever met. She never talked too much crap, but you know deep down inside she is burning with competitiveness.
Jay and Peach usually kept to themselves, but now Jay and I keep in touch more than anyone. We just recently played golf together and I know that we will be friends for life. Peach, well, I am not too sure what I would have done without him. He was my DAD on the series, keeping me in line and feeding me constantly. Now you know where all my energy comes from!
I don’t think I mentioned Rob. He may get a little excited and competitive but he has the biggest heart.
Okay, okay enough with all the mushy stuff.
Rob Campbell & Charlotte Campbell
It is so much fun to watch on television one of the best times of our lives and to share it with all of our friends and family. Looking back on episode two, this is where the competition really got started. Each of the teams now understand how the game is played and what it takes to be successful. It was great to see Parker come up with the strategy to put his and Andy's golf clubs in his lap to speed up the transition out of the car and on to the course. In fact, they passed us because of this at Golden Ocala.
Parker's strategy leads me to give some insight into the nature of the show. The greatest importance when arriving to the Clubhouse Challenges for us wasn't necessarily being way ahead of any one team, but to be ahead of as many teams as possible by even the slightest of margins. With any lead at all over the other teams, even just a few seconds, we would be able to control our destiny and choose the hole that we are going to play, which can make a huge difference. This definitely plays out in future episodes and makes for some serious foot races! It is going to be great to see those!
Of further note, I would like to explain the stress that this series put on all of us. Even though the episodes are weekly, the teams competed day after day and gave 100% all of the time. It really was like being in a five-team sudden death playoff to make the U.S. Open for 18 hours a day for multiple days in a row! But, I'm really glad to have had the opportunity to experience that – very cool in retrospect while tiring at the time.
Looking back, the root of the competition was a careful balancing act of trying to do everything as fast as possible, but making sure to take your time because rushing and golf just don't go together. I know that we realized this during episode two, and from watching, I think that the other teams did too. There are many twists to come and it's going to be great to see how it all plays out.
Rob
Peach Reynolds & Jay Reynolds
Jay Reynolds kept a journal during his Highway 18 experience, and will provide his insights throughout the series.
The Swamp.
Being just the second episode I think all the teams were still trying to figure out the best way to play “Highway 18”. Peach and I spent a lot of time at night trying to strategize for the following day, even though we knew NOTHING about what we were going to do. Pretty much all we knew going into every episode was that we were going to be in Florida. Beyond that, our imagination had to guide us.
For example, the morning of the Swamp, all the teams were loaded up in a passenger van, like we did virtually every episode, except for this time the windows had been totally whited out with trash bags! We could not see anything! I don’t know how many times you’ve ever been in a car or on an amusement park ride where you can’t see anything, but we all started to get a little woozy by the end of it. All 10 of us were just trying not to gag by the time we reached the first of the swamps. However, when we happily and readily got out of the van, we were greeted with quite a interesting scenario: a gator-filled swamp, no golf mats and no golf clubs. Just an always smiling Keri Murphy and the “Highway 18” signs.
Ready, set…uh?
The Start of each day is extremely important for two reasons. 1. It’s nice to get out ahead of everyone else because that means you might be able to afford a slight navigational error and still be ok, and 2. That puts that much more distance between you and the dreaded last-place Strike.
This whole day seemed to just go our way. We not only answered the first trivia question correctly (along with Raul and Jameica) but also chose the right running path back to our Enclave.
At this point I knew Peach was going to pull his weight. I was more than a little worried after his splashed 9-iron at the Hall of Fame and badly pulled iron shot at TPC Sawgrass. Maybe he was in over his head. But this week, he showed me I was wrong.
As we were driving to the swamp in the whited-out-windowed van, it was obvious that they were taking us somewhere in which they didn’t want us to know where it was. Otherwise they would have let us see the beautiful Gainesville countryside. Being the crafty veteran that Peach is, he began charting where the sun was in relation to what direction we were driving. Maybe age and intelligence do go hand in hand after all! When we got in our car with no clue about our exact whereabouts, Peach generally knew that we needed to go north and west because he had figured out the sun was in our face the first part of the drive and then to our left for the second longer leg. So we had little trouble getting ourselves back near our next destination, The Swamp at UF.
This really was one of the coolest parts of the entire “Highway 18” experience for me because I’ve always been a sports nut. I’ve been to plenty of football games and I grew up playing football at Memorial Stadium in Austin. Being a golfer, I have always wanted to hit golf balls inside a big stadium! I got my chance, thanks to the creative minds of the “Highway 18” producers.
Apparently I enjoyed it a little too much because it took me WAY too long to complete that challenge! More kudos to Peach. He knocked it in the F his first try like it was nothing at all. It think in all it probably took me 5 or 6 tries. I guess I got to enjoy it a little more!
Then off to beautiful Golden Ocala. I have sworn to myself that I will make it back out there to play the rest of the holes out there. Pristine clubhouse, amazing golf course and practice area, and just the peace and quiet associated with being a bit off the beaten path.
Once we had an idea about our hole selections, we skewered the golf course map to try and figure out which hole was going to be closest to the clubhouse. That was a par 3. We made a huge strategic error in picking the par-4 10th hole at TPC Sawgrass. Way too much time driving back and forth if you screw up!
As it turned out, we chose to play the replica of No. 12 at Augusta National, one of my favorite golf holes on the planet. I love how it has withstood the test of time. No matter how advanced the equipment becomes, or how far the golf ball flies, the wind will always swirl and judging the distance to the narrow postage-stamp green will never be an easy task. This is a hole that has never been significantly lengthened as so many of Augusta National’s holes have. I can’t wait to get the chance to play the real thing.
So, Peach steps up to the plate first and just rifles a little punch 5-iron right on the middle of the green! A sight for sore eyes in my book. I, on the other hand, picked a little 6-iron for my first attempt. I am about a club and a half longer than Peach so if he was hitting 5-iron I should just hit a little 6. Well, I didn’t realize he had hit a little 5, so I should have been hitting a full 7-iron. My 6-iron flew well over the green and luckily rolled back into the bunker, from where I made a quick bogey and found my way back to the tee for Augusta No. 12 vs. Jay Reynolds: Round 2.
I knew we were doing fine on time. I wasn’t worried at this point about being anywhere near getting a strike because we had built a fairly sizable lead to start, so I slowed myself down and just tried to hit a normal shot, full pre-shot routine and everything.
I hit a nice shot and had a easy two-putt par and we raced to the finish line to claim one of the Titleist’s waiting under the watchful eye of Ms. Murphy. So a great show for us! But most importantly, a good bounce back for Peach. He was a bit bummed about his Show 1 performance and it was huge for his confidence to get a few good shots under his belt…it was game on!
Until next show.
Think Birdies,
Jay
WEEK 3
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Week Three
Hey, everyone, and welcome to my blog for episode three of Highway 18.
Okay, as you saw on this week’s episode, we decided to change things up a bit by adding three “twists” during the Clubhouse Challenge at LPGA International. The contestants definitely did not see them coming and, so, I thought I would give you a little inside scoop on the emotional reactions from the teams that you didn’t get to see on-camera.
Up until this episode, the teams had learned that this is a race and time is very important. Rob and Charlotte learned this the hard way this week when they made the mistake of not getting on the interstate on their way to Daytona Int’l Speedway and ended up getting there 20 minutes behind Andy and Parker, who were the first to arrive. Rob and Charlotte didn’t get to make up much time at Daytona and when they finally got to LPGA International, they were very frustrated and pretty down, while the other teams were all feeling pretty good because they knew they weren’t going to finish last. Well, that was before I let them know about the first twist of the day which was that, for the first time in the series, every team was off-the-clock. That made Rob and Charlotte very happy but some of the other teams weren’t too thrilled about it and their moods went from relaxed to serious and intense very quickly. You saw some of the team’s reactions during the show but some of the reactions off-camera were pretty strong, especially from the Ashleys, who wear their emotions on their sleeves.
The second twist came when I announced that because Raul and Jameica arrived at the Clubhouse Challenge first, then they would receive immunity from the next episode and will not have to compete in any challenges. This was huge for them because they were the first team to receive a strike on the show and, so, you’ll get to see how they use this to their advantage on the next show. Both of them couldn’t stop smiling until long after we turned off the cameras and you could definitely see and feel the jealousy among the other teams at the finish line.
But, the last twist was the biggest and that was when Rob and Charlotte found out that they would not receive a strike on this show, even though they finished in last place after the Clubhouse Challenge. Now, on the show when I handed the ball to Rob and Charlotte, you probably saw Ashley Davis look away in frustration but, what you didn’t see, was that she stormed off immediately after the cameras stopped rolling. Then, at the hotel later that night, the Ashleys and Rob and Charlotte were definitely not talking to each other. More than maybe any of the others at this point, these two teams are developing a pretty strong rivalry so, be sure to keep watching to see how that plays out.
There was one other bit of drama between teammates that you only got a hint of during the show and that was between Andy and Parker. Both of them are huge NASCAR fans and were really excited to be at Daytona Speedway but, Andy immediately regretted the split-second decision to let Parker take laps around the track while he went to the infield to chip balls at the Richard Petty Racing Experience car. Andy had the entire crew laughing because several times he stopped chipping and just stared as Parker raced by at 165 miles per hour. It was really funny and Andy is still jealous about it.
So, that’s a little more of what went on behind-the-scenes on the show.
Peach Reynolds & Jay Reynolds
Jay Reynolds kept a journal during his Highway 18 experience, and will provide his insights throughout the series.
Dear Friends and Fans of Highway 18,
Episode 3 was one to write home about! I got to hit balls on a horse track, fire punch 6-irons at an actual race car at the Daytona International Speedway, and then (for the first time on the show) play golf NOT on the clock!
The start: We showed up at the horse track early…very early in fact. Early enough that Peach and I were tired! One thing we did not anticipate was how long the days were going to be. We reported to the lobby of our hotel every morning at 6, which meant up no later than 5:30. I don’t know about you, but that’s a bit early for me. Needless to say by the end of the day we were sufficiently worn out.
There was just something very serene about the setting of the horse track. It was so quiet, just the wind through the trees and the smell of the dew lifting from the vast pastures. There’s probably not too many people in the country living better than those horses out on that farm!
The shot was a tough one. About 125 yards, blind shot, no warm up other than just swinging at leaves, and it was actually chilly out! The other thing that made the shot a bit tougher was that the range mats we were hitting off of were just sitting on the dirt of the track, which did not make for a very even hitting surface. As you were swinging, you could feel the mat shifting under your feet ever so slightly. I think it took me about three tries to get in the targets, Peach twice. Then came probably the most physically taxing part of the show to this point – running 200 yards in loose dirt while carrying golf clubs and being chased by another team. I think the shoes I was wearing that morning still have sand in them from that day.
It was a bit of a drive to the Daytona Speedway, and a wild one at that! This was our first taste of the real actual car racing aspect of the show. The first two episodes, we were at the front of the pack, and didn’t have much stress on the driving aspect of the show. However, in this show, we learned the hard way that we would need to step up our strategy in the car. We got passed by both The Campbells and The Ashleys in a crazy exchange involving a school bus and railroad tracks. It was pretty cool watching that whole thing unfold in live time on the show Tuesday, to see what the other teams were seeing.
When we arrived at the Daytona Speedway, I was astonished by the sheer size of the place. It’s enormous! I just can’t imagine on race day seeing 265,000 people packed in to that place going crazy with the raw noise of the cars roaring around the track at break-neck speeds! I found a new respect for NASCAR racing that’s for sure. And yes, I was bummed to not get the chance to ride in the race car, but we decided that it was best to leave the golfing to me. So, we stuck to our game plan. I hit three decent shots, only to have one of them take a nice high hop and then hit the ground and roll without touching any part of the car! I was shocked and a little pissed. Peach could have easily hit 2/3 and I could have rode in the car!
Then, off to LPGA International, again we (I, since “I’m the Navigator! You’re the driver!”) navigated well and actually passed two teams on the way. And I don’t know how many of you noticed, but this was my first implementation of Parker’s “get-the-clubs-in-your-lap-so-you-don’t-have-to-open-the-trunk” move. We blew past the Ashley’s with this technique as they struggled to get their bags out of the car. As it turned out, that saved us a penalty shot in the ensuing challenge. Thanks for the tip Parker!
I made a pretty stress-free birdie on the par-5. Good tee shot, decent 3-wood just left of the green, good chip and a nice 3-foot putt. Routine birdie on an easy par 5, would have made Ben Crenshaw proud!
One side note, it was very strange to be playing normal golf again! Even though it had only really been two days, we were very much expecting some sort of racing format every day. So, when the clock got stopped, I had to go back through and try to remember what I usually do in those scenarios! It will be back to the races soon enough I can assure you.
I got to watch Raul make a great 12-foot par putt to only lose one shot to me, so I was just hoping that Peach could pick one more up on Jameica and we’d have a chance to win the show.
It wasn’t meant to be, Peach played the much tougher hole and ended up hitting good shots but just not getting a 5-foot par putt in the hole. You win some and you lose some, and then you tie some but still lose. Life goes on, and we moved on un-scathed into Episode 4…Tune in next week as we tackle a tough bunker shot and then continue our tour of golf shots on other sports fields (or courts!).
Thanks for reading my rambles,
Jay
Rob Campbell & Charlotte Campbell
I was glad that Highway 18 was back in action this week! Starting in Ocala, the horse track sure looked easier on television than it actually was. All we could see from our hitting spots were four flags around the corner of the track. We were given a yardage, but when you can't see exactly where to go, you begin to doubt yourself. I couldn't believe when I saw my shot on the line. That was a break.
I also was pleased to see that they did not show us running too much to our car at the horse track. It was probably about 700 yards and my camera man actually out ran me. Pathetic, huh? Carrying my own bag and running in sand isn't one of my strengths, I guess. And, apparently navigating isn't one of my strengths either. Let me explain what happened. When Rob and I were trying to out-maneuver the Ashleys in the car, we actually missed our turn. I had a feeling that this had happened, but we didn't want to turn around. We got so lost it was unbelievable.
However, going to Daytona International Speedway was an incredible experience. It's not every day you get to go from one track to another, and Rob and I just tried to have fun with it all. The ride in the NASCAR was absolutely terrifying for me and I would never do it again. I thought for sure my driver was going to lose control and hit the wall. I was trying to lean towards my driver, hoping somehow that would prevent us from crashing. I guess it worked!
Rob and I managed to dodge a bullet on this episode. I was proud that we both made par in the stroke play portion. I had to give Rob a hard time for missing that putt, but at least he had a putt at birdie, unlike me! Even though we lost in the "tie-breaker", we were still glad that we played good golf. At the end of the day, that was our goal. Play good golf and the rest would take care of itself.
Until next time.... thanks for watching!
Ashley Davis & Ashleigh Korzack
Hey everyone!
Wow. So we've all had quite the ride so far on Highway 18. I can't believe we are already done with 3 shows! Ashley and I have yet to watch a show together, she is in Beijing now and I made the trip from home in Toronto, to school in Mississippi. We are both having fun watching with our friends and family.
With all the drama from second episode we were ready to face a new day. We had a lot of determination to eventually show the golf world that we can play golf. However, it didn't start off the way we wanted. I guess everyone was still really nervous, and we knew that we were facing potential elimination everyday from here on out.
It was probably because of this fact that we knew we had to push ourselves harder than we had been. Sometimes, wanting it so bad ends up making people play worse. We were still ready to face all of the challenges. It was really cool to be in such different places and have no idea where or what we were going to be doing next.
Ashley and I got off to another slow start. But, we knew that the day was nowhere near over and that on this show crazy things can always happen! Getting to go to Daytona was unreal. I have a whole new respect and fear of race cars. Getting into those cars and literally flying around the track was so exhilarating and terrifying, it felt like we were going to hit the wall or flip on every turn. When I first got into the car, the driver told me he used to be a pizza delivery man and that he hopes I can hang on because he loves speed. I think we were going like 170 mph! I was pretty happy that Ashley hit all 3 of her shots at the car so I only had to do one lap. She is pretty good under pressure. I think she lives for it!
After all of that excitement, and once we got to LPGA International it was kind of shocking to find out that we were all off the clock and that this was the first "twist" of Highway 18. It was nice to be able to actually catch our breath, but it also kind of upset us finding out that we didn't have quite the lead we thought we did. But, that's reality TV for you. This clubhouse challenge was good because we could walk! It was nice to give our poor legs a rest for the afternoon.
At this point in the game, we knew we had to play golf and get over our nerves, or try to at least. But, at the end of the day, we were o.k. with the results, because at least we were sticking around for another day. I know I was getting super frustrated with the way I had been playing and how nervous I was over every golf shot. I want you all to know that it is much crazier and harder than it looks so hang in there!
Ashleigh K
Andy Crain & Parker King
Well, third place sure does feel a whole lot better than fourth. As for Crain, after two days of heavy running, he was able to lose ten pounds, which enabled him to swing around his belly and hit a hum-dinger at the horse farm that got us off to a fast start. Seriously though, that was a crucial shot for us. In the past, Crain has been notorious for hitting those early morning pressure shots. I, myself, was just glad I could recline back for about 90 miles and catch a midmorning nap! And then there's Daytona. Just the sound of a stock car engine will make a fella from Carolina let out a big ole rebel yell! Trust me folks, I did just that! Crain was not happy with our decision to let me ride around the track while he slapped three shots at the car in the middle of the infield. It seems he is a closet NASCAR fan. Who knew? I've known him for 20 years and have never heard him mention anything about racing. Except for maybe, "Did you watch Talladega Nights?" and, "Wasn't that cougar in the car scary?" Oh well, he'll get over it! I thought we both played pretty well at the Clubhouse Challenge at LPGA International. To tell you the truth, we were just happy they didn't require us to sprint down the fairway!
Raul Cendoya & Jameica Duncombe
After two days of having to deal with facing elimination, Jameica and I welcome the day off. The teams are starting to get more competitive and it will only get more heated as the series continues. Jameica and I both agree that we would much rather have our strike taken away rather than getting a pass on the next show. I love the challenges, and as a competitor I want to compete. However, we are both looking forward to relaxing!
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Recap Episodes
Hi everyone and welcome to this week’s blog. Just so you can get caught up before the new episode this week, GOLF CHANNEL is going to re-air the premiere episode this Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, followed immediately by our second episode at 9 and then, the all-new episode will air at its regular time at 10 p.m. Eastern. So, you’ve got a Highway 18 marathon coming up!
Okay, there’s a lot of work that goes into putting together a show like Highway 18 and, this week, I thought I would tell some details on what went on behind-the-scenes of our show.
There were close to 75 full-time staff members on the crew of Highway 18 who were all on-location with us the entire time. Plus, we also had to hire more staff members at each challenge location, and that increased the overall total to more than 200 people who worked on the show.
Now, each one hour show took anywhere between 12 – 16 hours to shoot each day and the days normally started around 6 a.m. for the contestants. But not for me. I had to get up at 4:30 to make sure I was hair and make-up ready by 6. Then, some days we didn’t finish until after 8 o’clock at night, which made for some really long days. Sometimes we got lucky and our hotel for the night was close to the clubhouse challenge. But then there were a few nights when, even after working 14 to 16 hours, we still had to drive a couple of hours to get to our hotel for the next day. Between the contestants and the crew, we stayed in almost 500 hotel rooms during the production.
Also, while each episode of Highway 18 lasts about 50 minutes, the producers at the GOLF CHANNEL have to edit that down from more than 100 hours of footage per episode. We shot a total of over 1,000 hours for the entire series.
One other thing is that members of the crew also had to get to the next challenge and stay ahead of the teams, and there were a few times when even they got lost trying to read the directions to the next location. That made for some pretty funny moments. All-in-all, the cast and crew drove over 21,000 total miles during the series. We went through almost 100 cans of sunscreen and the contestants hit almost 1,000 golf balls.
So, that’s just a little bit of what went on behind-the-scenes for the first season of Highway 18. We hope all of our hard work paid off and that you’re enjoying the show because, even with the long hours, we had a great time making it.
Ok, this week on Highway 18, all five teams remain alive as they face an extraordinary dogleg tee shot around the first run of an Ocala, Florida horse track. And then their driving challenges continue as they rush to get to Daytona International Speedway for a chipping and driving experience like nothing you’ve ever imagined. Then finally, they press on in pursuit of the Clubhouse Challenge at LPGA International. And so be sure not to miss the new episode of Highway 18, only on the GOLF CHANNEL.
WEEK 4
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Week Four
Click here to watch the video!
Hey everyone and welcome back to my behind-the-scenes blog for Highway 18.
Now, as you’ve seen on the first few episodes, Highway 18 is definitely a race, and when the teams first arrived in St. Augustine, they had no idea what they were in for. So, now, four episodes into the series, all the running and racing are really starting to take both a mental and physical toll. During the start challenge at Daytona Beach, Ashleigh Korzack strained her left quadriceps muscle when she was sprinting behind Ashley Davis on the way to their Buick Enclave. When she got to the car, she mentioned that she didn’t stretch before the show started. Well that really affected her running ability during the rest of the day and then, when they were sprinting to the finish line at the end of the show, she strained her right quadriceps, too, and once the cameras turned off, she let EVERYONE know just how much pain she was in and she was still in a lot of pain that night at the hotel as well.
One other team member suffered an injury this week and that was Charlotte Campbell. Now, you didn’t see it on camera but when Rob and Charlotte got to the RDV Sportsplex for the putting challenge, she slammed the car door on her leg. She had a big bruise on her leg for the rest of the day but she fought through it and no one even noticed that she was in pain. Just like Ashleigh, Charlotte never said anything about it until the cameras shut down at the finish line and then she let everyone know how much pain she was in. So as you can see, there’s a lot of running that happens on Highway 18, so it will be pretty interesting to see if either of these injuries will have any effect on these two teams as we continue.
Speaking of Charlotte, she and her brother Rob had a five minute time penalty at the start of the show and left well behind the rest of the teams, but made a miraculous comeback on the 54 mile drive from Daytona Beach to the RDV Sportsplex and went from last place to first. I wonder how that happened. Maybe it was because Rob and Charlotte are Orlando residents. They didn’t follow the On-Star driving directions like the rest of the teams and took a shortcut on the interstate and that allowed them to make up all that time and catch up to Peach and Jay. But, that hometown advantage won’t last long. As it turns out, Raul and Jameica told me that they are hoping the series keeps moving south because that may end up giving them a hometown advantage at a time when it could really make a big difference. We’ll just have to wait and see.
The next all-new episode of Highway 18 premieres next Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET, and one of the challenges takes place in GOLF CHANNEL’s studios, as the teams try their luck hosting Golf Central. Yep, you heard me right. It isn’t as easy as it looks and you will not want to miss this one.
I’m Keri Murphy, thanks for watching Highway 18 and checking out my behind-the-scenes blog. Until next time.
Rob Campbell & Charlotte Campbell
Well it was another day of catch up for us on Highway 18 this week. We did feel fortunate to come out at the end of the day unscathed. We also learned learn about the latest twist in the road - finishing first sometimes comes with a double bonus. Because of their victory in show three, Raul and Jameica not only got to take the day off, but also got to choose the holes for the teams during the clubhouse challenge. As if the on-the-clock running, hitting pressure shots on lack of sleep, and making sure not to get lost wasn't hard enough!
As we all saw when Raul and Jameica received immunity, finishing in first place at the end of each episode has now become a priority for all of us. In the past our priority was simply avoid last place and a strike. Not anymore. Also, of equal importance is to make sure to form alliances with other teams, being they can really help you out by giving you an easier hole, which we saw. From here on out this plays a big role, and with it will come some serious rivalries! It has been really fun thus far and episode four has been my favorite up to this point! Kudos to the producers/editors and all involved for making the shows so well crafted!
Thanks and make sure to tune in next week!!
Ashley Davis & Ashleigh Korzack
Well, we survived another week. It wasn't pretty, again, but nonetheless we got it done! Starting out at the beach was fun. Ash Davis kept us all entertained before the day started with a little bet that involved a local lifeguard. Let's just say he is definitely a fan of Highway 18 now! Ash and I were pretty happy with our bunker shots and leaving the beach in second place. But, it wouldn't be a normal day without having some major screw up. We sure accomplished that by making a terrible turn and heading the wrong way on the Interstate. I was obviously really distraught about it and Ash and I probably had one of our worst moments during that car ride. I knew in our car, things would be pretty tense. We were freaked out and nervous about any move we made being the move that gets us our final strike. We weren't always that way, I promise! We had lots of laughs and good talks, but that is not good TV so all you get to see is drama. I do love getting to see how the other teams interact with each other and how different every car ride is, Jay, Peach, Rob and Charlotte are all very focused and intense about the competition and then the boys are off in their own world. Sometimes it seems like they think they are just driving around back in North Carolina. Back to the competition, the RDV Sportsplex was fun and pretty easy but only because Parker made my putt for me. It took me a second to realize what happened, but when I did I said "thanks buddy!"
So off we went to ChampionsGate where we were excited to find out that Raul and Jameica had picked, in Ash's words, "the easiest hole in America!" for us to play. I took the first tee shot – once I hobbled my way over there – and again got nervous about where it went. It really wasn't as bad as I thought. I just didn't want it to end up in a bunker. The greens were pretty slow because they had a lot of rain, and I only got my putt a third of the way there, leaving Ash with a long par putt, so back we went to the tee. Ashley took the tee shot this time. She didn't make her best contact, having one of those "I've got no legs," moments, but we knew that we had made crazier pars in our lives, so we composed ourselves as best we could and worked like crazy for that par. Although it was another close call, we felt that our nerves were getting a little better. Making that par under that type of pressure was a huge boost for our confidence, and we were starting to understand how to play and be there for each other as a team!
Until next week,
Ashleigh :)
Andy Crain & Parker King
Hey everyone. Well, another week rolls by and another team gets a strike. Of course this time it was Crain and I that found ourselves rambling through the empty box looking for a prayer at the end of the day! To be honest, the day just started off bad. As we left the beach in the early morning, we seem to have established a firm hold on third place. But, we knew Rob and Charlotte were from the Orlando area. So, we figured worst case scenario, we might lose a position to the field. But we could make up time by following Rob and Charlotte as well as playing good golf during the challenge.
Little did I know that the closet NASCAR fan was still fuming over the whole "riding in a racecar" thing in last week’s episode! Tat opened up a whole new can of unresolved issues. It was definitely not the best time to be reminiscing about the good ole college days or who could beat who in one on one! Oe thing led to another and we entered the Road Challenge at the Orlando Magic Training Facility in dead last place. Of course we were thinking that maybe this challenge had something to do with basketball and that gave us a little shot of confidence going into this particular competition. And in fact it did! What you didn't see was that they had all of us contestants dribble a basketball to the baseline at the other end of the court and back before you could actually begin the putting challenge. This was the reason we were all looking for oxygen tanks when we stepped up to the putting challenge. We actually got ahead of the Ashley's at that point. I felt bad because I almost knocked over Ashleigh K. when I was dribbling past her. Sorry Girl! This is the real reason why I hit the ball in their box. I was really just trying to be nice. You know the old saying, "People helping people."
Seriously though, the floor had a bit of a tilt and I hit the ball a little too easy. Crain as always, came through in the pressure situation. His quick score gave us an outside shot at finishing the day without a strike. When we arrived to ChampionsGate, Raul and Jameica selected a long par-3 in which we had to score par or better in an alternate shot format. We were excited to have the opportunity to play a par-3, but at the same time we realized there was only a slight chance that we would get through the day without receiving a strike. However, Crain and I gave it our all. Once again, I let the boy down and I couldn't come through under the gun. But that's ok. After all, tomorrow is another day!
Raul Cendoya & Jameica Duncombe
Jay took offense to us picking to hardest hole for them in the Clubhouse Challenge. He needs to chill out and should take it as complement that we thought that much of them as competitors to give them the hardest hole. The pressure mounts once you get a strike. Look at the girls. They are completely stressing out over the fact that they have a strike. We were all here to compete.
The truth is that it killed me when Andy and Parker received a strike.
Jay, I really doubt that you would have done anything different.
Peach Reynolds & Jay Reynolds
Jay Reynolds kept a journal during his Highway 18 experience, and will provide his insights throughout the series.
Dear Friends,
Of all the shows so far, this was probably our best performance yet. Peach and I won the bunker contest on Daytona Beach, pretty much breezed through the putting challenge at the Orlando Magic practice court, and then made a sweet birdie at ChampionsGate on arguably the toughest of the 4 holes. It was just one of those days where I felt totally in control. Our only hiccup was not quite seeing the RDV Complex sign (my fault!) and getting briefly passed in the process.
Rob and Charlotte started with a 5 minute time penalty. I wasn’t sure, but I knew 5 minutes was not very much time in the grand scheme of the episode. I have to give them a lot of credit because they never showed any panic and they made up all of the time before we even reached the RDV Sports Complex! Peach and I had a feelin
g they were going to be the strongest team, and they were starting to show it. After dodging the bullet in the last show, they were not about to let this one slide again.The basketball court challenge was pretty bizarre! I can honestly say that I’ve never putted a golf ball on a basketball court and probably never will again. We were pretty winded from the sprint in the door and to the court, so grabbing the putter and trying to line up a 75 foot putt wasn’t the easiest thing to do. It took me three tries to get the ball in the target, which I didn’t think was too bad. Peach then stepped up and just hearted his first try. What a rock star! He hit the 60 yard shot into the F in The Swamp his first try and now this. My partner is picking me up! I will go ahead and apologize for the extreme “early-call” on his putt across the court. He hit the spot I gave him and it just never looked like it was going to miss. I couldn’t help myself. We were in the lead and off to ChampionsGate.
The major twist was showing up at ChampionsGate and having Raul and Jameica waiting for us to dish out our hole choices. I feel like they gave us the toughest hole of the lot. Not that any of them were easy, but we had water on both sides that you couldn’t really see and we were the farthest from the clubhouse. I was more worried about the driving time than anything else. But there was one twist. All groups had to drive from number 1 to their hole and then continue all the way around the entire 9 holes until you got back to the clubhouse. So essentially the driving time was going to be equal no matter what hole you played. This aspect relaxed me quite a bit because I knew we had a big enough lead to handle a mistake or two.
Looking at the hole, it was hard to tell if hitting a 3-wood would have been a good idea because of the watery graves on either side of the fairway. However, I was feeling good with my HiBore and I felt like it would be better for Peach to have a shorter club into the green. Alternate shot is a tough format because it puts a lot of pressure on both players. You don’t want to hit a bad shot and leave your partner behind the 8-ball. And, of course, we are on the clock, racing our hearts out!
I made my best swing of the show to this point I felt like, I just striped it right at the target I had picked out on the horizon. Long and straight, just like I visualized it!
When we got down to the ball it had kicked right and just barely into the edge of the rough. It was a difficult lie because the toe of the club was going to catch the rough, but not the heel, so the clubface can be held open and the ball will go right if you don’t really stay firm through the ball. Peach played the shot a little more back in his stance and hit nice holding 8-iron right up about 30 feet left of the hole, in perfect position. I felt good about our chances of making a par at this point. But birides are always welcome in my book!
I was just trying to lag it down there and leave Peach a kick-in for our par, and I struck it perfectly. It trickled up to the hole and plopped right in the dead center of the cup. Thimbled It! I tell you what, seeing that putt fall in felt pretty darn good. And I must say it was nice to stick it to Raul and Jameica for giving us the toughest hole. The water is getting hotter every show and all the teams will only get feistier I promise. However I must clear one thing up: when Peach and I crossed the finish line and Raul and Jameica were standing there waiting for everyone, Jameica said we were showing some “tude” or something like that. Well, it may have looked that way to them, but the fact of the matter is that I was so winded from the run that I could barely stand up! We had quite a little jog to that finish line and all the adrenaline of the day finally ran out when we crossed that finish line know
ing we were safe from receiving a strike So Jameica, the “tude” was more like the lack of air in my lungs. But don’t get me wrong we were happy to make the birdie for you!Another crazy show awaits next week I assure you, full of goofy golf and disastrous driving (that’s you Ash)!
Until then...
Jay and The Giant Peach
WEEK 5
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Week Five
Click here to watch the video!
Hi, everyone, and welcome back to my behind-the-scenes blog for Highway 18.
Okay, as you saw there was a lot of drama on this week’s episode during both the Road Challenge and the Clubhouse Challenge. But, before I get to that, let’s talk about the start challenge at GOLF CHANNEL studios. Now everyone thinks being an on-camera talent is easy, but we wanted to show the teams it is not as easy as it looks. So we had them work as anchors for a Golf Central highlights package. Once they got to the newsroom, they were all given “Shot Sheets” that they had to follow, and everyone had to use these sheets as guidelines to ad-lib highlights from a monitor that we set up in front of them. They had no scripts or tele-prompters and because of that, there were some pretty hilarious moments that, unfortunately, only made it onto the cutting room floor. But I think all the teams found out they are not going to have an on-camera career anytime soon.
Now, once the teams got through the start challenge, it was on to the Nick Faldo Institute, where I must say, the Ashleys really impressed us with their chipping ability. But on the other hand, Peach really struggled on that chipping challenge and you got to see that Jay was getting pretty upset about it. What you didn’t see was that it actually took Peach over 50 attempts before he finally made the shot, which put them way behind the other teams heading into the Clubhouse Challenge at Innisbrook. So far behind, actually, that because the Ashleys had finished their hole so fast they were already on their way to the finish line when Peach and Jay were just heading out onto the course. Now, as soon as Peach and Jay saw that the girls had finished, they knew they we going to have to play their best to avoid getting their first strike. Unfortunately, as you saw, that wasn’t quite the case and once Jay realized he was going to have to play the par-5 for a third time, he really let his emotions fly. So much so that our producers had to work a little overtime just to censor his reactions for TV. Don’t you love reality.
So, now that four out of our five teams have one strike and know that they could face elimination at any time, and because of that, the intensity is really going to heat up on next week’s show. Plus, be sure to watch because it wouldn’t be a good show if I didn’t throw in a few more twists that the teams did not see coming. And of course because of that, you are only going to see more drama next week.
Okay, that’s it for this week’s behind the scenes but come back next week where I will have a lot more to share. In the meantime, keep watching Highway 18 and let us know what you think. See you then.
Ashley Davis & Ashleigh Korzack
Hi All -
I am finally back from China!
The Olympics were unbelievable or 'ridiculous' as I would normally say. I saw it all!
As incredible of an experience as that was, I could not seem to get Highway 18 out of my mind. I was so jealous that I was missing all the action of episodes 3, 4, and 5. Good thing the PGA Championship got in the way of one of the weeks or I would have been really upset.
Luckily, I got caught up last week with the marathon and could not stop laughing, cringing and biting my nails. Those last few episodes really kept you on the edge of your seat. Especially when I topped that one at ChampionsGate. Yikes.
Well, I won't dwell too much on the past because I definitely want to focus on this week’s successfully obnoxious win for Ash and I. My apologies for acting so ridiculous, but I cannot tell you how great it felt to finally come out on top. We haven’t had our chance to shine and finally we did it! I didn't have to win on just pure running ability anymore. Also, my mother finally relaxed for the last twenty minutes of the episode. I am not too sure how many more weeks of the on-the-edge-of-your-seat pressure she could have handled.
The Golf Channel studio experience was something to put in the record books. I cannot tell you how exciting and surreal that was for me because I have a Kelly Tilghman obsession. Just to be in the studio where all 'the greats' have been was astounding. Also, I had a chance to sleep in the green room during our promo shoot because I wasn't feeling too well, and all I could think of was, “How many amazing butts have sat on this couch?” Tiger, Arnie, Jack, and Annika! I can bet that I am the only one that had a chance to sleep on it. History in the making.
Moving on to the Faldo Institute. What a beautiful facility. Ash and I only got to enjoy it for a total of 30 seconds. No complaints there though. As you could tell by my reaction, I was pretty excited that Ash made that chip right on top of me. Wow. Highway 18 history in the making!
That was a huge move on our part because that moved us up in the entire competition. The traffic then worked in our favor and we caught up to the rest of the teams. Sorry Andy but that made for great TV!
Then...once again I used my legs to my advantage by sprinting past Raul and Jameica to get the first pick. From there Ash and I finally took a deep breath and showed all the viewers that we are finally here to play.
Rob Campbell & Charlotte Campbell
I have to say, this may have been one of my favorite days on Highway 18. To play analyst at the Golf Channel studios, follow it up with a chipping contest at the Faldo Institute and then play Copperhead was a great experience! Playing #16 was unbelievable, and I want to go back and play the other 17 holes! Unfortunately, I saw #16 three times, but due to Jay and Peach, we were able to escape again. Although winning certain challenges does have its perks, Team Campbell's goal was to not finish last at the end of the day. Get that ball no matter what!
It was interesting because there were two different routes to take from the Golf Channel to the Faldo Institute, and although Rob and I are from Orlando, it's not like we drive to these places everyday. However, I have found that taking the Interstate – even with traffic – is usually faster than taking side roads, which is why we took that over International Drive. It's extremely touristy in that area with unfamiliar drivers, so we figured we'd take the straight shot right to the Faldo Institute. The other teams were a little upset that we were in Orlando and had an advantage, but Andy and Parker used that as a strategy which anyone else could have done as well.
I guess we should thank Peach and Jay for being so good on episode four, as they birdied the hardest hole at ChampionsGate. This led the Ashley's to again give them the toughest hole at Copperhead. Rob and I flew under the radar, and although we did have a tough hole, it wasn't as bad as having a par-5 really far away from the clubhouse. Rob struggled but that was a clutch par he had the third time around, singing and all! Do what you gotta do!
Anyway, thanks for watching, the show is only going to get more exciting as time goes by. I know all of you are waiting on an elimination, so were all of us! Guess you'll have to watch and find out!
Andy Crain & Parker King
Welcome to crunch time everybody! Four teams now have one strike, which has evened the playing field for the remaining shows. Entering this day of competition, Crain and I had one objective, just stay alive. It was very apparent that all the teams were a little nervous during the first challenge of the day on the Golf Central desk. It is no understatement to say that Crain and I were in an all-out panic, while we prepared behind the scenes for this once-in-a -lifetime competition. Neither of us had ever done anything remotely close to this before in our life. Once the cameras were rolling, we found that our instincts would have to be the instrument that carried us through this stressful situation. Unfortunately for Crain, his instincts never showed up. He sounded like he was doing a bad impression of Chris Berman with all the stumbling and bumbling. And the "this sucks" statement was classic! But he gave it his all and that is what counts the most! I was a nervous wreck. I was so worried about figuring out how to coordinate the notes we had prepared with the actual highlights. I finally just gave up on the notes and free wheeled the whole spill. This actually turned out pretty well! It was my favorite challenge that we did during the whole show!
As we left the studio, we found ourselves in a three-way tie for third with Raul and Jameica and Rob and Charlotte. We decided to do a little drafting behind the Orlando locals and let them take us to our next destination! Of course everyone can tell by now that strategy is not what team Carolina is about. But to our credit, this time it worked out great. We rolled into the Faldo Golf Institute in second place, which was vital to our success, because by now the cat has been let out of the bag in reference to my great chipping skills. Mainly, I get really, really nervous over those shots during competition which causes my wrist to wave at the crowd as they pass through impact, but I am working on that! As always, Crain came through big for the team by holing one of his first attempts. Then it was the moment of truth. After a few chilly-dippers I happened to thin one off the stick in which it dropped straight down in the cup. And we were off to races one more time!
The ride to Innisbrook was like most of the others. A little thinking time for Crain and a little nappy-time for me. Some how during the drive, we lost three positions and took no wrong turns. Well, we leave that one for another day! The ladies from Canada found themselves in first place upon arrival to Innisbrook and as a reward they were allowed to pick the holes that each team would be playing during the competition. Dare I say, we fell in love with Canada that day! For us, they chose hole number 18, which bless their hearts, was located no more than two hundred yards from the finish line. Crain was especially overjoyed at this selection due to his sheer hatred of strenuous physical activity, such as running! Amazingly we both played the same hole well. After decent drives and solid seconds, we found ourselves with legitimate birdie opportunities. That's when Crain's grit and determination took charge. He drained a down-hill twenty foot bomb that turned my job into nothing more than a two or three slap and tap! Thanks Big Guy! And of course at the end one more team found themselves with a strike.
Peach Reynolds & Jay Reynolds
First off, I swear I love my dad! I know I’m hard on him and truthfully treat him more like a friend than a father sometimes, but I love him. This show was a good example of how mistakes can kill you in this game, but TWO mistakes can really kill you.
One little tidbit…The end of episode 4 actually took place immediately before we started episode 5 because of a severe thunderstorm the previous afternoon. So we got up right out of bed, made a great birdie and then we did a few quick interviews and basically headed straight for Golf Channel’s studios. Needless to say, we were feeling GREAT about everything at this point!
We somehow worked our way out of the studio in first place and literally from there it was just a long, painful train wreck! Truthfully though, beyond the frustration of this actually happening to us, was watching this show with so many friends and family There was another TV on in a different room with Hillary Clinton’s Speech at the DNC during the show and I was silently hoping maybe we’d just all agree that her speech was more important so Peach and I could just wade through this one on our own.
I was a broadcast journalism major in college so I really wasn’t all that uncomfortable sitting in the Golf Central chairs; however it was tough with very little preparation, as well as not getting to actually do a run through with the actual footage we were supposed to be commenting on. Also we were not supposed to be looking at the camera during the highlight. It made it look like we just had our nose in the paper the whole time when perhaps we should have been looking at the camera but we were told that after our open we were technically off camera and could just read from our handwritten script. All of the teams did a better job than what was shown tonight!
Since I’m on my soapbox…one more thing. Tom Abbott released three teams at the same time because he declared a three way tie for third place. That’s fine and dandy except we had won this portion of the show and if the teams had been released in the planned one-minute intervals, we would have had a four-minute lead on last place, now we were only two minutes from last. Not a big deal, unless you’re racing for your Highway 18 life! And as you found out this week those two minutes mattered.
So off to the Faldo Golf Institute for our first golf challenge. It was a bit strange because we were the first to leave the studio and the 4th to arrive at the Faldo Golf Institute, and we never made a wrong turn but we just didn’t know that the Interstate 4 would have taken us right there. Rob and Charlotte obviously knew that (Charlotte had been there before), and Andy and Parker and Raul and Jameica were smart enough to follow them. I knew we were in trouble because other than Ash and Ash behind us we never saw another Enclave. This was disheartening because you immediately start second guessing a turn you made or if you’re even on the right road at all.
When we finally arrived a simple 30-foot chip awaited us. Both players had to hole the shot before you could go on to the next destination. I will admit that the grass was a bit sticky and could make distance control a bit tough, but this should not have been too bad. Ashley and Ashleigh breezed through this one! It was incredible to watch because they came to that challenge in last place and staring a strike in the face and stepped it up Big Time! Even though it was frustrating watching them pass us, it was pretty special to see what they did there. I knew it was going to be a dogfight from here on out.
I’m not going to write too much about Peach’s effort here because I’ve already said all I can say! It was tough being pretty much helpless, I should have maybe been a bit more supportive by saying “Good try!” “keep trying!” or blow some hot air up his nose, but I have a lot of respect for his golf ability and this shot should not have been this hard. That being said, the cameras were rolling and the pressure was on. That is never easy to deal with when you’ve got a golf club in your hand. And knowing you’re in last place didn’t help.
Then the long hike to Innisbrook. Everyone got a bit slowed by traffic heading to the Tampa area, and it had been a long day to this point with the finishing of the previous show that morning! I also think fatigue was playing a factor because our sleep schedules had been tossed around pretty good! Up at 5 or 5:30 every day and usually not in bed until 10 or 11 by the time we drove to the location of our next start challenge and ate dinner.
When we showed up at the board and saw that we had been given a par-5 hole I wasn’t the least bit worried. I thought we’d be able to make two pars and get to the house and hopefully get our hands on a ball. Rob and Charlotte definitely had the toughest hole of the lot tonight. If we had done our jobs and made two pars we wouldn’t have gotten a strike. It all came down to the golf. Even thinking about all the other mistakes we made throughout the day, if we make two stinking pars on a relatively easy par-5 we are safe.
After we opened the box and saw no ball, we were not surprised. It just never felt like we had anything going for us all day! We couldn’t have putted it in the ocean from the dock today and it showed. I knew the road ahead just got a lot tougher. We knew full and well that one more crucial mistake and we were done. It was a rough night sleep after that.
Until next week, I’m still thinking birdies.
Jay
WEEK 6
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Week Six
Click here to watch the video!
Hi, everyone, and welcome back to my behind-the-scenes blog for Highway 18.
Okay, first let me give you some inside scoop that you’ll only hear about here on my video blog. On this week’s show, you might have noticed that during the drive from Treasure Island to Bellair Country Club, that you saw Andy & Parker in last place yelling that they went from first to worst . But then, suddenly, the Ashleys were in last place when they arrived at Bellair Country Club. So, did Andy & Parker pass the Ashley and Ashleigh somewhere that you didn’t get to see? Well, not exactly.
Ashleigh & Ashley actually arrived in second place BUT one of the rules of the show is that the teams have to obey all laws on the road and they are reminded of this before each and every challenge. If they exceed the speed limit or commit any other violation, then a production coordinator who rides along in their Enclaves with each team has to notify the producers, who can then penalize the teams, which is just what they did in this case and the time penalty given to the Ashley’s moved them to last place. Apparently, Ashley Davis drives as fast as she runs.
Then, to make matters worse, the Ashley’s also had a lot of trouble with the hickory clubs in the challenge at Bellair CC, and so did Rob & Charlotte. What we didn’t have time to show you was just how many attempts it took both teams to complete the challenge. It took the Ashleys 15 tries and the Campbells 18 attempts and they were all very frustrated because that meant that both teams left almost 20 minutes behind the third place team on the way to the Clubhouse Challenge at Sara Bay Country Club.
Now, at Sara Bay, you saw Raul & Jameica defeat Andy & Parker pretty quickly with Raul’s 15-foot par putt on the first hole of match play, or that’s how it looked anyway. To tell you the truth, that wasn’t the first hole of competition. Because both teams matched pars on the first two holes, what you saw was actually the third hole. So, when Jameica fell to the ground after Raul made his putt, it was because she was so happy that they finally won the match and knew they were advancing to the finals against Jay & Peach. Then, as you saw, Peach’s rules violations cost them immunity for next week, which means that Raul & Jameica are going to join me again in the passing lane on next week’s show. Yeah the teams we’re really excited about it.
That’s it for this week’s blog. Be sure to tune in to the next episode of “Highway 18” this Tuesday to find out if we’ll send the first team home and I’ll be back again next week with some dish on what’s happening behind-the-scenes. See you then.
Rob Campbell & Charlotte Campbell
We're more than halfway through the amazing journey of Highway 18. Charlotte and I are glad that all the teams remain from a personal perspective. We've spent over a week with everyone and have become friends. But, I can definitely feel the pressure increasing as all teams get closer to elimination. Next show will be extremely intense for the four teams competing. We will have a significant penalty, and the other three each have a strike. Raul and Jameica again have the luxury of being in the passing lane. Riding in the passing lane comes with three benefits. The first two are obvious: your team is safe and you get to decide the holes for the other teams. The third, and most important benefit, is that you get to rest for a day. As stated in previous blogs, Highway 18 was 18 hours a day of intense competition. Despite the shows airing weekly, the teams were out there day after day! This really begins taking a toll. A day of rest, I think, may have been the biggest benefit of the passing lane. I'm looking forward to the rest of the show and want to thank all of you who are tuning in. I can't wait to see Highway 18 season two!
Rob
Peach Reynolds & Jay Reynolds
Dear Friends and Fans of Highway 18,
Before I get into any details about this show, I must set the record straight: in no way was Peach attempting to cheat or gain an unfair advantage by unknowingly touching the line of his putt.
Raul’s comment, “I’d rather you beat me than cheat me” I’m sure was taken out of context, but the way it looked was that he was insinuating that Peach intentionally broke the Rules of Golf to gain an unfair advantage in our little match. The Rules of Golf are broken all the time, in all levels of competition. The rules are set in place to help keep the standards of the game unchanged so that we all have a guidebook when it comes to potentially ambiguous situations. Sometimes rules are broken intentionally, whether it’s a foot-bump when no one is looking, or signing for a lower score than you know you shot. The rule that Peach inadvertently breached is truly a detail rule that gets broken all the time by people who don’t play competitive golf on a regular basis. The fact is you are allowed to touch the line of your putt, just as long as you’re removing a loose impediment, fixing a ball mark (as you saw me do) or setting your putter in front of your ball as part of your pre-shot routine.
I have broken rules, as well as called rules breaches on my fellow competitors several times during my professional career. Never in my life have I seen this handled in such a un-sportsman-like manner. You would have thought we were playing basketball and the only way to get a call to go your way was to whine to the referee. It was painstaking to watch this episode and see how it was handled. The integrity of the game of golf rests in the hands of the individual player. Raul could have easily pointed out to Peach that he may have touched the line of his putt, Peach would have had to opportunity to try and recall whether or not he did and thus call a penalty on himself, or call a rules official over to review tape if in fact he wasn’t aware of breaking the rule. This is how rules infractions are handled in professional golf.
I also admit that it was in the heat of the moment. I’m sure Raul was simply acting on gut reactions, and for that I understand and 100% forgive him. I also admit that I have not been a model citizen at this point through the show so I am in no way trying to hold my own actions in higher regard to anything any of the other teams have said or done. It has been a growing experience for me to see how I look on television and try to look back and see my actions and words that I might like to have back.
As for the rest of the show...
I don’t know how many of you have ever tried to pitch a ball with an old hickory-shafted sand wedge, but it isn’t easy. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Gene Sarazen for inventing the modern sand wedge!
What wasn’t shown was that we were actually set up to hit a much tougher shot with the old wedges. It was down-wind, short sided over a sand trap, with a very tight level Bermuda grass lie. No team in several tries was able to complete the challenge! So they moved us over to a much more manageable shot, which we were lucky enough to pull off on our first try!
I hit a little drawing bump and run chip than ran up through the sticky Bermuda grass and stopped about 4 feet short of the hole. I knew I had hit a great shot given the circumstance, especially knowing if we could make this putt, it would put a potentially sizable gap between us and last place. There’s no way to know if I could have hit that shot that close again. And I didn’t have to because Peach drilled the putt right in the middle of the cup!
I will say it was a bit unsettling to learn that not one team would be receiving a strike. At this point we knew Rob and Charlotte had arrived in last place to Sara Bay and they would be in prime position to perhaps get that first strike. This would have to wait until another day. However, the possibility of earning immunity was pretty awesome, given we are one slip-up away from going home.
The fact we got to pick our opponent as well as to choose the hole we started on was petty in my eyes. It didn’t really matter who we played, we were still going to have to beat two teams if we wanted to earn the immunity. So basically the entire first part of the show was meaningless as long as you arrived in the top 4. Everyone started all square.
I can’t complain about any golf aspects of this show on my end. I hit a perfect drive and a nice pitching wedge from 128 yards to about 5 feet and made the birdie to dispense Ash and Ash. Which was huge because had we lost to them I would never in my life hear the end of it!
And as you saw, I hit a great ¾ five-iron to about 25 feet and Peach hit a great putt to within gimme range. And then the drama...
Until next week...
Jay Reynolds PS. Pardon the rant.
WEEK 7
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Week Seven
Click here to watch the video!
Hey everyone, and welcome back to my latest behind-the-scenes blog for Highway 18.
Well, as you saw on this week’s episode, our first team was eliminated when Andy Crain and Parker King finished in last place and we were all really sad to see them go, but I’ll get into that in just a few minutes. First, let me give you a little inside information on what went on during the Clubhouse Challenge.
You saw the Ashleys arrive in last place at Placid Lakes Country Club after struggling in the road challenge at The Bluffs Driving Range. Those girls were actually so depressed about their poor play that for the first time, they didn’t even run to their Enclaves when it was over. They had completely given up hope and just walked to the car. But, what you didn’t see was that even though the Ashley’s arrived last at the Clubhouse Challenge, our Producers went back and reviewed the tape from the Road Challenge and determined that the girls had actually completed the challenge sooner than anyone thought. So, because of that, when the teams arrived for the Clubhouse Challenge, their times were adjusted and, in an instant, the lead that Andy & Parker had on The Ashley’s was trimmed down.
Of course, the Ashleys, as you saw, made a remarkable comeback, with some amazing shots by Ashley Davis, especially her approach shot - which actually hit the pin - and they crossed the finish line in second place, which really got them back to their old selves. And like Ashley Davis said, “Never give up.” But, when Rob and Charlotte finished their hole, they had to wait in the penalty circle for 10 minutes – which felt like forever to them. Then, when the penalty was over, the Campbells raced across the finish line to get the last ball, just ahead of Andy & Parker who finished last. Well, that’s how it looked, at least. How it really played out is that Andy and Parker had to play their hole seven times before making a birdie, and they were still playing for quite a while after Rob & Charlotte left the penalty circle. We were all watching from the finish line and it was so painful to see them return to the tee box each time. Our Producers even went up to them after their sixth attempt and told them that they could stop, but those boys refused to give up and kept playing until they got that birdie. When they finally crossed the finish line, I don’t think there was a dry eye among any of the contestants, including myself. However, this might not be the last time you’ll see our North Carolina boys on the show, so stay tuned.
Okay, that’s it for this week but be sure to tune in this Tuesday at 10pm Eastern when we’ll visit two of Donald Trump’s properties in South Florida – the ultra-exclusive Mar-A-Lago Club where we’ll play a little croquet golf, and then on to Trump International Golf Club, where one more team might reach the end of the road. And, of course, I’ll be back next week to tell you more about what went on behind-the-scenes. I’ll see you then.
Peach Reynolds & Jay Reynolds
Dear friends,
I have to say it would have been nice to be sitting in the passing lane for once! But it wasn’t meant to be, so we had to continue to fight to live another day. Thanks to Peach stuffing a 3-iron and then rolling in the putt, we are still alive!
So let me take you through the show: The start challenge with Brian Pavlet was insane! I’ve seen a few long-drive competitors in action before, but it always amazes me to see someone with that much brute strength hit a golf ball. One other thing I must add, it was about 7:00 AM, maybe 50 degrees and wet when we were out there. Keri was in a jacket and I wish I had been! Needless to say, those conditions are not conducive for long drives (or 5-irons). In drier and warmer conditions I bet we could have easily seen Pavlet get ‘em out there well over 360.
Obviously Peach and I just lucked out on guessing only 1 yard off his 5-iron! Again, 213 yards doesn’t sound like a superman 5-iron shot, but with it being that cold and wet that is some serious power. I normally hit a 5 iron somewhere in the range of 190 yards, and it would have been a stretch for me to get one past 180 yards that morning!
So, it’s off to the races. Several of my friends gave me grief for navigating poorly on Tuesday’s episode. I have to defend myself! We were told that the driving range was in Zolfo Springs, FL. I took us by far the fastest route to Zolfo Springs (which was not the way that On-star directed us). As it turned out, The Bluffs was actually about 10 miles south of Zolfo Springs. It cost us a little bit of time, but we were still not more than a minute or two behind Rob and Charlotte. If the range had been in Zolfo Springs we would have been way ahead. It’s hard to figure out exactly the best route when you’re getting conflicting directions from On-star and you don’t really have any clue where you’re actually going! So yes, I admit I cost our team some time. I took a gamble, went against On-star, and lost.
We did a good job at The Bluffs for the Road Challenge. Peach actually hit the first and the last target on his first try! Pretty awesome! I can’t remember how many shots it took me on each one, but I don’t think it was more than a couple of shots for each one. I was pleased with our performance.
One thing that really made this challenge difficult was that we couldn’t see our actual target. On top of that, it was windy! The wind was blowing into us off the left. For a right-handed golfer this is the toughest wind to battle. I was impressed watching the other teams last night because everyone got through it pretty darn quick. I think Ashley Davis had a little trouble, but that was exacerbated by the fact that she had no idea if she was long or short with any of the shots she missed! It can be confusing, especially in the wind, when you’re not sure if you need more club or less club! Second-guessing yourself can kill you on Highway 18.
When we got to the Clubhouse Challenge at Placid Lakes, I really thought the Ashley’s were heading home. They were pretty far behind everyone and we all knew they would have to step it up to stay alive, and I’d say they did more than that!
One thing the producers told us before the show started was that they wanted golf to be the ultimate determining factor in how your team did. This couldn’t have been more accurate. Each show so far basically came down to the golf. If you completed the Clubhouse Challenge quickly, there was very good chance of a ball being there when you crossed the finish line.
In the first episode, Raul skulled a wedge that lead to bogey and their first strike. Episode 2, Ashleigh Korzack struggled on the replica hole at Golden Ocala. Episode 3, Carolina Blue bogeyed a par 3 that kept them from eliminating the Ashley’s; and if I could have made par at the 14th at Innisbrook, Rob and Charlotte would have a strike as well. Truthfully, knowing this made Peach and I not worry as much about any other aspect of the show and just focus on the golf.
As you saw, Raul and Jamieca obviously gave us the toughest challenge at Placid Lakes, and it felt pretty darn good to be able to shove it back at them a little bit! And for those of you who didn’t think our hole was by far the toughest to birdie, we had to take two stokes from over 190 yards directly into the wind, while the other teams were hitting their approach shots with wedges. Peach made birdie with a 3-iron!
It was a pretty good feeling crossing that finish line knowing our rules snafu didn’t cost us our chance at winning Highway 18.
The water is getting hot! Next week will be another crazy adventure you won’t want to miss.
Don’t forget to tip your cart girl,
Jay
Rob Campbell & Charlotte Campbell
We survived the first ever penalty circle in Highway 18 history! Rob and I actually had a somewhat fun time in there. We boxed, sumo wrestled, I sunbathed (but that didn't make the show), and Rob thought of every possible ten minute scenario. Ha ha.
Week 7 was one of my favorite days. We started with Brian Pavlet, and he showed off his long drive skills. It was quite impressive! Rob really knew his stuff and that gave us an advantage for this guessing challenge. I had no idea how far a guy could hit a putter or even a 5 iron, so I was glad to have Rob on my team for this segment. Brian actually said that Rob and I should have won the 5 iron guess but since his shot played into the wind, it took off a few yards. Oh well, we were just glad to be the second team off for once!
We drove to The Bluffs and I was a little nervous because Peach and Jay took an alternate route. Luckily we got to the driving range first. Rob did awesome on the target challenge because it wasn't easy. It was at least a club into the wind, so if you missed your shot at all the wind would take it off line. We were the first team to complete the challenge and we were the first to arrive at Placid Lakes. We were feeling pretty comfortable even with our ten minute time penalty, but we still didn't know what Jameica and Raul would do, or what our challenge would even be.
Once again it was great to have Rob on the team because he hits it extremely long off the tee. I didn't even tee off our second time around because there was no way I could reach his drive. So, he hit the drive and we used my second shot and putt. I can't believe that putt dropped! It was meant to be I guess. It's better to be lucky than good right?
Needless to say it was a fun show for us because everything did go our way. We didn't have any wrong turns, or struggle with any of the golf. It was all smooth sailing. But to be honest, I thought for sure Andy and Parker would run right past us and grab that last ball out of the box. Unfortunately it wasn't their day and Rob and I survived another time penalty.
Until next time.... Thanks for watching!!
Andy Crain & Parker King
Well, first off I would just like to say how wonderful it was to have the opportunity to participate in this competition. Crain and I have traveled to so many places together over the years and have many wonderful stories, but none will be more remembered than Highway 18. We were very fortunate to have made eight new amazing friends that will always be very special to us!
Now, moving on to the "day of days." At the beginning of the day, it was obvious that everyone was feeling the ever increasing pressure of the competition. Crain and I both understood what would be in store for us throughout the day: Talented opposition and three tough challenges. As you know, I squint all the time because I can't see, therefore, Crain was on his own in the morning challenge at The Bobby Jones Golf Complex. After a couple bad estimations, once again we found ourselves trailing the field on the road. Lucky for us the Bluffs Golf Course, which was the site of the Road Challenge, put out a sign at the entrance that said, “Yankees one way and Rednecks the other.” That made the decision easy! Nevertheless, we made up a lot time with some great iron shots during this tough challenge. Somehow, though, we fell behind going into the Clubhouse challenge at Placid Lakes. And for those of you who are not Tar Heel Basketball fans, yes we were whistling the Carolina fight song. There is not a more motivating feeling in the world than hearing that majestic tune as the boys in Carolina blue and white enter the floor in the Smith Center at Chapel Hill! I just felt like we needed a little pep in our Carolina step! Why not? It always seems to work against Duke!
When we arrived at Placid Lakes, we found ourselves behind. I still have no idea how, but hey, that's just the breaks. Maybe it was Crain's driving skills or my timely sleeping habits. We knew Raul and Jameica would try to help us out by keeping us near the clubhouse. However, they did not know the hole was the fourth toughest hole in the state of Florida. I'm not sure if that's true, but that was the rumor making its way around the set. But, all excuses aside, we hit a wonderful second shot from about eighty yards out, and had about a four foot putt to stay in the game! Unfortunately for us, we rushed the ole kick-inner which left us without any hope of advancing to the next show. Everybody was in a rather somber mood when we reached the finish line, so there was no doubt as to the outcome. I will tell you this. It was definitely an emotional moment. I know throughout the show we have developed a reputation for being very laid back, but we did put a lot of effort into the competition and we gave it our all everyday! So, we have no regrets. We do want to thank everybody for their loyal support and hope that everyone will continue to watch and pull for their respective teams! We wish all the remaining teams the best of luck as they head to the final destination!
WEEK 8
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Week Eight
Click here to watch the video!
Rob Campbell & Charlotte Campbell
Week 8 was intense! We started with the airboats and, of course, Peach and Jay had no problem and hit it in on the first try. They are so great at the "Start Challenges,” and I really think this frees you up for the day. However, I was shocked to see them get so lost for the rest of the day. Going to Donald Trump's home was unbelievable. We were able to spend a little bit of time browsing and it was spectacular. The bathrooms were perfectly crafted with gold and marble, not your typical sight! We then did the croquet challenge which was tough for everyone. I guess there is a strategy, which would be to not hit the posts. Unfortunately, I had trouble with that! Oh well, we managed okay and then got to go to Trump International. I’ve been there three times to watch the LPGA play, so I felt comfortable driving there and I knew what to expect. The greens were lightning fast and there was plenty of water. Every team seemed to find trouble.
I was rattled when Rob had a lost ball. I thought for sure he would find it and we would be fine, but when we had to go back to the tee and I had to sit and watch, it was awful. I knew we were wasting time that we didn't have, and I could not believe that we beat Raul and Jameica.
I was so emotional at the finish line because it is getting so close to the end. I thought for sure we were getting our first strike. When we didn't, I just couldn't contain my emotions anymore. I feel like I'm a pretty strong individual, but everyone has their moments.
Stay tuned!
WEEK 9
Keri Murphy Video Blog
Keri Murphy Video Blog Transcript, Week Nine
Click here to watch the video!
Hi, everyone, and welcome to my very last behind-the-scenes blog for Highway 18.
Well, as you saw on the season finale, Rob & Charlotte Campbell were crowned the very first Highway 18 champions in an emotional ending that also saw Ashley Davis taken to the hospital and unable to finish the series. I’ll get to Rob & Charlotte’s celebration in a minute but, first, I wanted to tell you about everything that happened during the Clubhouse Challenge at Key West Golf Club.
First of all, it was extremely hot on the day that we shot the final episode, with temperatures in the mid-90’s, and that definitely contributed to the emotions that day. Both teams struggled on their second playoff hole and you saw that it took Charlotte eight times to finally make a birdie, which was really exhausting. But, Ashley Davis made a lot more attempts than Charlotte and, even though the last graphic they used on the episode showed Ashley playing the par-3 for the 11th time, she actually played the hole 18 times before she had to stop. And just to give you an idea as to how fast she was playing, it took her less than an hour to play the hole that many times. If there was ever any doubt, this certainly showed just how determined and competitive Ashley Davis is.
Ashley did spend about five hours in the hospital where doctors gave her an IV to rehydrate her before she was released and Ashleigh Korzack, not surprisingly, spent the entire time right next to her teammate.
Now, all of us who were waiting at the finish line had no idea who was going to come around the corner and everyone was making predictions on who it would be. When Rob & Charlotte crossed the finish line, there was no shortage of tears from Charlotte knowing what they had gone through during the Clubhouse Challenge and that they had just become the first champions of Highway 18. I’m sure that receiving the grand prize of more than $100,000 in cash and prizes didn’t help matters, either.
Also, none of us who were at the finish line had any idea about Ashley’s condition until after we had finished shooting the series when the producers told us what had happened and, once they did, the mood changed drastically. All of the contestants on the show had spent nearly every waking hour together during the two weeks that we shot the series and had formed a really tight bond. When Ashley Korzack showed up at the hotel later that evening, literally everyone in the cast and crew gave her a hug of support. Even though they were a little embarrassed, both she and Ashleigh Korzack were proud that they had made it all the way to the final episode. Ashley made a quick and full recovery and the sit-down interviews you saw actually took place the next day.
As a final behind-the-scenes note, during the finale this past Tuesday, Rob & Charlotte hosted a viewing party in their hometown of Orlando and, even though they knew what happened to Ashley that day, they hadn’t actually seen what she had gone through until the show aired and Charlotte teared up during the end of the show watching it.
So, that’s it for the first season of Highway 18 but, make sure to tune in next Tuesday at 10pm Eastern Time for the season premiere of Big Break Ten: Michigan, and you can also visit me online each weekday for the daily trivia contest that I host at www.GolfNow.com. Thank you all so much for watching Highway 18 and for checking out my blog here on GolfChannel.com. See you soon!
