Big Break Invitational - Reynolds Plantation

Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation
Reynolds Plantation, Great Waters Course
Tuesday, Sept. 30 – Friday, Oct. 3

TV: Golf Channel: 3-6 p.m. ET

Lake Oconee, Ga. – A field of 40 former Big Break competitors will go head-to-head in full tournament conditions for the first time at the inaugural Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation, a four-day invitational tournament airing live on Golf Channel Tuesday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. ET.

Taking place at the Great Waters Course at Reynolds Plantation in Lake Oconee, Ga., the field of 40 (20 men and 20 women) represent 20 seasons of Big Break, including several of the series’ most memorable competitors who are playing on the world’s top professional tours. The four-round tournament will feature a Modified Stableford format for the first two rounds, followed by match play (third round), and concluding with stroke play (final round) to determine the Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation champion.

15 Past Champions Entered in Field

15 past Big Break champions are competing this week in the 40-player field, including: David Byrne (Big Break Indian Wells), Taylor Collins (Big Break Mexico), Tommy Gainey (Big Break VII: Reunion), Derek Gillespie (Big Break Prince Edward Island), Kip Henley (Big Break II), Mark Murphy (Big Break Ireland), Carling Nolan (Big Break Sandals Resorts), Blair O’Neal (Big Break Dominican Republic), Justin Peters (Big Break I), Jerry Rice (Big Break NFL Puerto Rico), Isaac Sanchez (Big Break NFL Puerto Rico), Mark Silvers (Big Break Greenbrier), Jackie Stoelting (Big Break Florida), Emily Talley (Big Break NFL Puerto Rico), Kim Welch (Big Break Ka’anapali)

Honeymoon for Trudeau and Blackwelder

Big Break Ireland contestants Mallory Blackwelder and Julien Trudeau – who first met each other on the reality competition series in 2011 – got married on Friday, Sept. 27 and are spending their honeymoon this week competing against each other at the Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation. Blackwelder will play on the LPGA Tour in 2015 after finishing 10th on the Symetra Tour Money List this year, while Trudeau is caddying full time for PGA TOUR professional Graham DeLaet. Worth Blackwelder, Mallory’s father and longtime LPGA caddie, will caddie for his daughter this week, while Trudeau’s brother, Alex, will be on the bag for Julien.

Rivalry Renewed for PGA Tour Caddies Henley and Donatello

PGA TOUR caddies Kip Henley and Don Donatello have a long rivalry when it comes to Big Break. The two competed in a dramatic 20-hole finale on the second season of Big Break (Big Break II), with Henley coming out on top. While the two have a close bond as caddies on the PGA TOUR, they also have a strong rivalry as a result of the series, and will put down the caddie bibs and tee it up in the Big Break Invitational. The duo will compete alongside each other when they tee off at 12:35 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Big Break NFL Champions Rice and Sanchez to go Head-to-Head

NFL Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice checked an item off of his bucket list in 2013 when he competed in Big Break NFL Puerto Rico, Golf Channel’s 20th season of its reality competition series, and teaming up with Isaac Sanchez and Emily Talley to be crowned champions of the series. Rice will check another item off of his bucket list this week when he goes head-to-head with Sanchez and 38 other former Big Break competitors this week at the Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation. Rice and Sanchez are paired together and will tee off at 12:55 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Gainey Returns to Big Break

One of the most successful Big Break contestants in series history, Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey will compete in the Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation, paired with Tony Finau, who won on the Web.com Tour in 2014 and earned full PGA TOUR status for 2015. Gainey and Finau will be the final group teeing off in Tuesday’s opening round at 2:15 p.m. ET

$300,000 Purse, with $100,000 to the Winner

The four-round tournament will feature a Modified Stableford format for the first two rounds, followed by match play (third round), and concluding with stroke play (final round) to determine the Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation champion. The 12 players (six men and six women) who advance to Friday’s final round will be in the money. The low eight players from Friday’s final round also will earn an automatic invitation to the 2015 Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation.


Tournament Schedule

Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday, October 1
Modified Stableford format (payers earning points for birdie and higher and negative points for bogey and lower). The 12 men and 12 women earning the most points after two rounds will make the cut.

Thursday, October 2
Match play: Six men vs. six men / six women vs six women. The 12 match-play winners advance to Friday’s final round.

Friday, October 3
Stroke play: 12 match play winners from Thursday to compete in 18-holes of stroke play. Players will compete for a $300,000 purse, with $100,000 going to the champion.


Tee Times
Tuesday’s opening round of play will feature twosomes. First tee time is at 11:05 a.m. ET and the final tee time is at 2:15 p.m. ET. Tee times for Tuesday are attached.

-NBC Sports Group-