Back
Powered by BlueTees Golf
"This is literally why we play, right here."
This line, delivered by an aspiring PGA Tour player in an insanely tense moment towards the end of the just-dropped Big Break Qualifier, hit me right in the feels. Avid golfers who enjoy competing, whether it's in formal tournaments or a weekly buddies grudge-match, know that exact feeling. The heart rate increases, the back tenses up, hairs on arms and neck stiffen. In those moments, even low-stakes golf becomes a window into the sensations the greatest golfers all feel in crunch time.
And when the stakes are potentially life-changing, the golf becomes must-watch.
After an 11-year hiatus, Golf Channel's beloved golf reality series returns on Tuesday, August 25 as Big Break x Good Good. And if its official first act is any indication, golf fans are in for a nail-biting new season.
Why the first-ever Big Break Qualifier is a must-watch bit of competitive golf
Held at Horseshoe Bay Resort in Texas, where the full season will take place, Big Break Qualifier is a nine-hole stroke-play pressure-cooker where three golfers with PGA Tour aspirations duke it out for the coveted final spot in the 12-man field.
After a lengthy interview process, GolfPass production team selected three young, talented golfers to do battle for a chance to move on to the full Big Break field:
Fletcher Babcock - The winner of the 2025 Rhode Island Open has tons of talent, with a home-grown golf swing and a fiery personality that comes out immediately in the match. Any golfer who tends to get down on themselves will instantly take to Babcock, whose bleep-heavy self-talk becomes one of the best through-lines of the match.
Nick Bienz - A 30-year-old mini-tour pro from Indiana, Bienz got a taste of both the PGA Tour and social-media fame in 2024, when he Monday-qualified into the Rocket Classic, advancing through a playoff after downing a couple of post-round beers. That wild story somewhat obscures the fact that Bienz is an earnest, serious competitor looking to get another shot at the highest level of competitive golf.
Murphy Scott - Going by @golfinsmurf on Instagram, Scott is a +4-handicap amateur player with dreams of going pro. He's a big hitter with a carefree attitude and plenty of talent to compete with his pro counterparts.
It's hard to say much about how Big Break Qualifier unfolds without spoilers. I will say this: what happens on the final hole is one of the most thrilling finishes to any sort of competitive golf - professional or otherwise - that I have seen all year. Whatever you do, do not think you can simply skip ahead in the action. The finale will only land if you watch the drama that happens beforehand. I promise, it's worth it.
Play
Comments (0)