Filmed at historic K Club in Kildare, Ireland, “Big Break Ireland” premieres Sept. 20
ORLANDO, Fla. (July 19, 2011) – Coming off the heels of one of the most-watched Big Break seasons in Big Break Indian Wells, Golf Channel’s popular reality series will return for its 16th season this fall at historic K Club in Ireland, home of the 2006 Ryder Cup.
Big Break Ireland, produced in cooperation with Tourism Ireland and scheduled to premiere Sept. 20, will feature a cast of six men and six women competing against each other in an attempt to make real their lifelong dreams of playing alongside the world’s top golfers. The ultimate male or female winner will be awarded two tournament exemptions from the four exemptions up for grabs, which represent events on the LPGA Tour, European Tour and Ladies European Tour. The winner also will receive a host of other prizes.
One of the tournament exemptions will be the European Tour’s 2012 Irish Open. The 2011 Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland, contested next week at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, will have four hours of live coverage on Golf Channel, Thursday-Sunday, July 28-31.
Filmed on location in May at The K Club in Kildare, Ireland, the 10-episode series will unfold on the resort’s two championship golf courses – the Palmer Smurfit Course and the Palmer Ryder Cup Course. Both designed by Arnold Palmer, the Palmer Ryder Cup Course is consistently ranked as one of the top-3 parkland courses in Ireland. The Palmer Smurfit Course, in contrast, is an inland links course, with dramatic landscapes and dune-type mounding throughout. In addition to hosting the 2006 Ryder Cup, The K Club also has hosted 13 European Opens on the European Tour.
“Big Break is one of the longest-running series on television and one of our most important original series franchises,” said Tom Stathakes, Golf Channel senior vice president of programming, production and operations. “Each season we strive to give the competitors tough tests on the golf course while at the same time showcasing a picturesque location. With Big Break Ireland, we accomplished both.”
Joe Byrne, Tourism Ireland’s executive vice president United States, said, “Tourism Ireland is delighted to bring the Golf Channel’s Big Break show to Ireland. We believe it is extremely important for golf viewers to experience for themselves the unique nature of a golf vacation to Ireland, and we hope that the Big Break will whet appetites and encourage many golfers from the U.S. to include Ireland in their travel plans for 2011 and beyond. We have some of the finest courses in the world, and we offer a vacation experience second to none.”
Michael Davern, CEO and general manager of The K Club said, “It was wonderful to have been chosen as the host venue for this show which will be seen by millions of viewers. Both of our championship courses offer players completely contrasting golfing experiences, which challenge and excite players the world over. Some of the world’s top golfers have played here and we have been lucky enough to have staged 13 European Opens and of course, the 2006 Ryder Cup. We are consistently striving to not only meet our discerning customers’ demands but to exceed them and we are delighted the show will offer us an opportunity to showcase our brand and services to an even larger audience. Not only will viewers get a chance to see the players in action but also some of our other facilities which they enjoyed as they relaxed off the course.”
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. During Big Break Ireland, one contestant will be eliminated each week, with the last player standing awarded his or her Big Break, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in two 2012 professional tournaments.
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, Nationwide Tour and Canadian Tour. Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey, Big Break VII: Reunion champion and PGA TOUR professional, caught the world’s attention in early 2011 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open after leading the first three rounds of the tournament, finishing T8. Most recently, Ryann O’Toole, competitor on Big Break Sandals Resorts in 2010 and a current rookie on the LPGA Tour, earned her first top-10 finish at a major championship, finishing T9 at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Several other past Big Break competitors are currently competing on the world’s top tours, including Matt Every (PGA TOUR), James Nitties (Nationwide Tour), Kim Welch (Ladies European Tour) and Sara Brown, Gerina Mendoza, O’Toole and 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup Team member Kristy McPherson all competing on the LPGA Tour.
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 The K Club
The K Club is a multifaceted resort set on 550 acres and on the banks of the River Liffey in Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Just 30 minutes from Dublin Airport and Dublin City Centre the resort includes a 69 bedroom hotel which is this year’s AA Hotel of the Year; two Arnold Palmer designed championship golf courses, The Palmer Ryder Cup Course and The Smurfit Palmer Course, K Spa and several restaurants and bars. The resort has staged 13 European Opens and the Ryder Cup 2006.
Winner of several accolades for both its hotel and golf offerings, The K Club is renowned as one of the world’s premier golfing destinations. Other facilities and activities offered on site include conferencing, fishing, horse riding, archery, wine cellar and art and history tours. There is a dedicated Health and Fitness Club and a Kids Club which runs daily.
The magical setting of the resort, the magnificent grounds and stringent attention to detail and service has made the property a firm favourite with golfers, families, business travelers, spa goers and wedding couples. The K Club offers excellent value added packages for the corporate, leisure and incentive markets. For more information on packages, services or for best available rates offered log on to www.kclub.ie.
About Tourism Ireland
Tourism Ireland is responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas as a holiday destination.
Tourism Ireland was established under the framework of the Belfast Agreement of Good Friday 1998. We are jointly funded by the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on a two to one ratio, and operate under the auspices of the North/South Ministerial Council through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport in the South.
Contact:
Jeremy Friedman
Golf Channel Public Relations
407-355-4058
jfriedman@golfchannel.com
Dan Higgins
Golf Channel Public Relations
407-355-4018
dhiggins@golfchannel.com
