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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, August 24, 2006

GOLF REPORT
Hawai'i's Dwyer on reality show

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Dwyer

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"Big Break VI" won't debut on TV for another month (Sept. 26), but Punahou graduate Bridget Dwyer knows who won. She just can't tell you because who would watch The Golf Channel reality series if they knew the result?

Dwyer, playing full-time on the Duramed Futures Tour this year, was picked for "Big Break VI: Trump National" after months of auditions by the network. Two weeks of filming was completed last month.

The show features nine women, ages 23 to 25, and nine men, ages 50 to 56, in a test of golf will and skill — "We hit any kind of shot you can think of on a golf course," according to Dwyer. One female and male player is eliminated each show.

It is the first Big Break to be shot in California and feature both genders. Eight of the nine women play the Futures Tour, the exception being Miss Minnesota 2005 Karyn Stordahl-Utecht, who played for University of Minnesota.

Dwyer said the sniping between contestants featured in earlier Big Breaks was not so prevalent this time.

"Having the guys changed that whole aspect," she said. "If they hadn't been there it would not have been as much fun. The older guys made it awesome because it's like I've got nine new uncles. They were all courteous and respectful because they all had daughters already."

Dwyer also benefited from the men's immense wisdom and encouragement. Jeff Mitchell won the PGA Tour's Phoenix Open in 1980 — a few months before Dwyer was born.

Golf course owner Donald Trump will also make appearances. Along with Dwyer, there is another Hawai'i link. The women's winner gets exemptions to two LPGA events, including the SBS Open in February at Turtle Bay's Palmer Course. The men's winner gets two Champions Tour exemptions, including the Turtle Bay Championship in January.

It was an opportunity Dwyer, part of UCLA's 2004 NCAA championship team, could not pass up — even though her casting call came while she was driving to her U.S. Open qualifier. Since the filming was during the Open, she called the course and canceled her tee time.

"The Open will be there every year," Dwyer said. "I felt like the show was a big opportunity and would be a lot of fun. It's something you don't get picked to do everyday."

Dwyer did have fun. She found the Trump National course as intimidating as advertised — "It's all hilly and it feels like everything is slipping into the ocean" — and the experience immensely rewarding.

"I had an awesome time. It was really, really fun and so cool in a lot of ways," she said. "When else will you have 15 cameras in your face unless you're winning the U.S. Open? Everyone can take away something from that regardless of how it went down. It was a good experience because of the pressure of the situations."

Dwyer, who got her degree in economics and Japanese, is 61st on the Futures money list after playing 15 events. Her goal in the final two tournaments is to get inside the Top 20 deep enough to earn an exemption into the LPGA's final phase of 2006 qualifying. The top five Futures finishers get LPGA cards.

The season closes with the $75,000 Gettysburg Championship this weekend in Pennsylvania, and the $85,000 Iloveny Championship, Sept. 8 to 10 in Albany, N.Y.

Maui's Shayna Miyajima is the only other Hawai'i player currently on the Futures Tour.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.