Ft. Lauderdale’s Collins Defeats Matthew Galloway 2-up in Dramatic 18-Hole Match at IBEROSTAR Playa Paraiso Golf Club
Collins Wins Largest Grand Prize in BIG BREAK’s 19-Season History
Earns Exemption to the Lorena Ochoa Invitational presented by Banamex and Jalisco and more than $100,000 in Cash and Prizes
Teammates Chad Schulze, Jay Woodson and Liebelei Lawrence Each Win $5,000 Cash as Part of Winning Team
Big Break Mexico Season Finale:
ORLANDO, Fla., July 30, 2013
– Taylor Collins (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) defeated Matthew Galloway (Tampa, Fla.) 2-up in a pressure-packed season finale of
BIG BREAK MEXICO, Golf Channel’s 19th season of its reality competition franchise.
As champion of BIG BREAK MEXICO, Collins receives the largest grand prize in
Big Break series history, highlighted by an invitation to compete
in the 2013 Lorena Ochoa Invitational presented by Banamex and Jalisco
(Nov. 14-17) and $50,000 in cash. In addition, Collins receives an
Adams Golf endorsement contract, which includes
$10,000 in cash; $5,000 in cash from Dick’s Sporting Goods; $10,000 in
Avis Car Rental credit, $15,000 in travel credit from Travelocity;
$15,000 courtesy of Macanudo and an all-expense paid return trip for two
to the all-inclusive, adults-only IBEROSTAR Grand
Hotel Paraiso in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Collins’ teammates –
Chad Schulze, Jay Woodson and Liebelei Lawrence – also earned $5,000
each courtesy of Macanudo as the winning team on BIG BREAK MEXICO.
“I’m a girl and I
won the BIG BREAK,” said Collins after the exhausting match. “I beat
some boys. Amazing. It is an incredible feeling and such an
accomplishment.”
Contested at
IBEROSTAR Playa Paraiso Golf and Spa Resort’s P.B. Dye-designed, 18-hole
championship course – IBEROSTAR Playa Paraiso Golf Club, the intense
match did not include a lead larger than 2 holes throughout
the match. On the 17th hole, Galloway missed a crucial five-foot putt for par that would have evened up the match heading into the 18th. Collins closed out the match with a five-foot putt for par on the 18th hole to go 2-up.
“I was close to
doing something good today, and it just wasn’t good enough,” said
Galloway after the match. “It was great, I learned a ton. You became a
better player because of it. I didn’t get my
Big Break today, but it is going to come.”
The Big Break
show concept pits highly skilled golfers against each other in a
variety of challenges that test their physical skills and mental
toughness. Past
Big Break champions have won tournament exemptions to compete on
some of the world’s top professional circuits, including the PGA TOUR,
Champions Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour, Web.com Tour and Canadian
Tour.
Tommy
“Two Gloves” Gainey, BIG BREAK VII: REUNION champion and PGA TOUR
professional, captured his first PGA TOUR victory in 2012 at The
McGladrey Classic and is playing full-time on the PGA TOUR.
2011 Solheim Cup team member Ryann O’Toole (BIG BREAK SANDALS RESORTS
competitor) and 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup Team member Kristy McPherson (BIG
BREAK VI: TRUMP NATIONAL competitor) are currently playing
full-time on the LPGA Tour. Several other past
BIG BREAK competitors are currently competing on the world’s top tours,
including Matt Every (PGA TOUR), James Nitties and Mark Silvers
(Web.com Tour) and Kim Welch, Nicole Smith, Gerina Piller and Kelly
Jacques (LPGA Tour).
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About Golf Channel
Golf
Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based
in Orlando, Fla. The Golf Channel cable network, co-founded by Arnold
Palmer and part of the NBC Sports Group, is available
in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and
wireless companies. Exclusive partnerships with the world’s top tours
allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other
networks combined, added to a programming schedule
distinguished by golf’s best news, instruction and original
programming. Golf Channel’s digital platform of businesses is led by
www.GolfChannel.com, a leading golf destination on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the
world of golf, as well as services that help the recreational player with how to play, what to play and where to play golf.
About Mexico Tourism Board
The Mexico Tourism
Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state
governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico’s
tourism attractions and destinations internationally.
Created in 1999, the MTB functions as an executive agency of Mexico’s
Tourism Secretariat, with autonomous management and the broad
participation of the private sector. The MTB has offices throughout
North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
About IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts
IBEROSTAR
Hotels & Resorts is a family-owned Spanish hospitality company with
more than 50 years of experience in the travel industry. IBEROSTAR
provides unique vacation experiences, rooted in
superior customer service and quality, in the world’s most popular
vacation destinations. With more than 100 hotels in 16 countries,
IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts is committed to offering excellence in
quality and service and providing personal attention to each
guest.
For more information, please visit
iberostar.com.