Happy Holidays from GolfTEC

Have  a wonderful holiday season from all of us at GolfTEC!

If you still need a gift for the golfer on your list, click here. There are also GolfTEC Holiday Improvement Packages for you if you get to pick out your own gift.

Big Break Dominican Republic: Questions to Brenda

Questions to a Big Break Competitor

In this season of the Golf Channel’s Big Break, Second Chance, GolfTEC Coach Brenda Barb (formerly Brenda McLarnon) competed against contestants who, like Brenda, were on the show for the second season. With a Tour exemption and $100,000 on the line, things got exciting. This month in Momentum, Brenda weighed in on her reality television experience and what it’s like to play golf on TV.

GolfTEC: We remember in an interview, you told producers you’d only be on the Big Break Second Chance if they held it somewhere warmer than Prince Edward Island! Was there anything else you were hoping they would change for your second season on the show?

Brenda Barb: For the second show I was really hoping that not only would it be warm, but also that it would still be girls and guys like my previous shows. I think that with all girls the animosity would be insane, especially since it’s a competition!

GT: Some of the golf trials on the show are pretty wild and it seems there is always a lot of mental pressure. How did you prepare your game – both mentally and physically –  for the show?

BB: Going into this show you can prepare by putting yourself under mental pressure, but there is nothing that compares to the pressure of Big Break. What the public does not see are the people behind the scenes. There are 100 people on staff with the Golf Channel and there are 15 cameras that film you at all times when hitting a golf shot. I feel that going into this show I was definitely not as prepared as I was going into the previous show. The previous show I was coming off tour and playing very competitively and this show I was focused more on my new job with GolfTEC and helping other people get better. Also, I was planning my wedding!

GT: We were sorry to see a few weeks ago you were benched for the season. In an interview with the Golf Channel you were pretty hard on your putting. What do you think was the strongest part of your game on the show and what do you think was possibly the weakest?

BB: Going into this show my putting was for sure the weakest part of my game. Clearly, I 3-putted and got myself kicked off the show! For me my putting is probably the first thing to go when you do not play competitively.

GT: This season there was a new strike rule where a strike against a player could be taken away with a hole out. What did you think of the rule and do you think it put greater pressure on the players?

BB: The strike eraser was probably the best and worst thing that could happen to show. In the best way it gave the benched players the feeling that there was a glimmer of hope somewhere that maybe we could get back on the show.  The worst part that you had a tendency to force things, like force yourself to try and make chips from off the green. The added pressure made us try harder to make shots and we all know in golf the harder you try the worse the shots tend to be.

GT: How did being a GolfTEC Coach and having instruction experience help you on the Big Break (either season)?

BB: Being a GolfTEC Coach probably helped me and hurt me a little going into the show. It hurt me because I was more focused on helping my students play better rather than focusing on my game. The instruction experience has helped my golf game and having the access to the GolfTEC technology was great practice before I left for the show.

GT: It looked the Dominican Republic resort and golf courses were spectacularly beautiful. What were some of your favorite parts about the location?

BB: The Dominican Republic was so beautiful and the beaches and golf courses were breathtaking to say the least. My favorite part for sure was the house that we stayed in. We had an amazing setup with pool, hot tub, great lounge areas and also our own personal chef! Living the dream!

GT: What clubs did you take with you? In other words, what’s in your bag?

BB: In My Bag: Adams Speedline Driver, Cleveland Launcher 3w, Adams 2 and 4 hybrid, Mizuno MP 52 5 through PW, Titleist Vokey Wedges 52, 56 and 60, Rifer putter (Antigua Series).

GT: The ladies are absolutely holding their own. What advice would you offer them to beat the guys this season?

BB: The ladies are rocking it and not letting the guys get to them. In the terms of them holding their own, they just need to keep doing what they are doing and not get carried away with their sassy attitudes!

GT: Anything we missed or you would like to add?

BB: Behind the scenes a lot of stuff happens and you don’t see that I am roommates with Elena and she is a LOT of work… hence the past few weeks it sounding like I do not care for her. She is a sweet girl but a lot of hard work! Keep cheering for the Glossy Posse!

Editors Note: Big Break Dominican Republic ended with Blair, from the Glossy Posse, taking home top honors and earning the LPGA exemption. Anthony, or A-Rod, won for the men’s team and a surprise call from Justin Timberlake put him in the PGA Justin Timberlake event next year.