| 20 Questions With Canada's Derek Gillespie |
Page 4 of 4  The Cast Of The Big Break PEI, Which Includes Canada's Derek Gillespie And At Least Two Or Three Females He Probably Took A Shot At - In A Manner Of Speaking DG: You know, it’s difficult because they don’t tell you anything. It’s considered a game show, so we don’t know what the hell’s going on. You are just told to be up at this hour and be here and be there. It was kind of nice the first couple of days -- I think it was practice rounds and promo stuff. But, then you get up on the 3rd day and you are shuttled off individually to the course. Actually I thought it was a promo deal too, but the thing was really starting. So, you start reading these boards (I can’t tell you any more about that). And you are faced with the toughest thing – TV. You warm up for ½ - 1 hr, and then by the time you actually have to hit a shot, it could be an hour or two later because they have to set up all the cameras. You know…everyone watches the show and they say, “Oh, okay, so it’s a 110 yard shot, and... this is so easy…” Yah, during a round of golf...but when you haven’t hit a ball in 2 hours and it’s cold and windy and there are 30 cameras on you, it’s not so easy, you know. <chuckle>. It’s actually pretty difficult. I’ve played in 7 or 8 PGA Tour events nationwide, but on the Big Break, I heard my heart beating. You’re sooo nervous. Sure, you know you’ve played golf on TV before, but you can’t even see those cameras unless it’s Sunday and they’re right behind you. No… these cameras are everywhere – in your face, above you, below you…it was strange, but a pretty cool experience too, for sure. GM-IG: Can we expect to see any of the kind of drama we saw on Big Break Michigan or Ka’anapali? DG: Well, being coed, you might see sone soap opera’ish kinds of things. Who knows? ou’ll have to watch and see. But there was so much going on, you just don’t know what they are going to put on TV.  Prince Edward Island Is Home To Some Fabulous Golf Courses Including Crowbush Cove (Above) DG: It was a pretty difficult situation to be in. None of us knew we’d be playing for $100,000. That’s a lot of money. I was proud of myself for keeping my emotions intact, knowing what we were playing for, knowing that I can actually do this for a living. I love it and I think my game has benefitted quite a bit from the whole situation. I had a blast and met a lot of great people. It was definitely a great experience, for sure. GM-IG: Any closing remarks to your Canadian fans and viewers? DG: I’ve never been to PEI, but it’s pretty stunning. And I enjoyed the food, definitely! The lobster and seafood chowder were incredible, and the hospitality was fantastic. I never knew that PEI was that big of a golf destination, but it is pretty incredible over there – I was quite impressed with it and had a great time. I recommend that Canadians and all viewers give it a shot. GM-IG: Well, Derek, we’ll be watching you every week, cheering you on! ed.note: If any readers want to get the inside scoop on each week’s episodes from Derek and the other contestants, tune into www.golfgal.ca every Wed, to hear their post-episode audio interviews. About the writer: Gayle Moss is a freelance writer and prolific blogger about “all things golf”. After blogging daily for Golf For Women Magazine’s website (until they ceased operations in the summer of 2008), 2 years writing her own blog, Golfgal-blog, and many years ghost-writing for her corporate clients on technology and business, Gayle learned that the thing she loves to do, next to playing golf, is writing about it. Gayle is an avid follower of the PGA, LPGA, Champions and European Tours. She’s an active participant in golf forums and is probably best known for her post-episode interviews of Big Break and Highway 18 contestants. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , 604-671-4516 CLICK HERE TO PICK YOUR TOP FINISHERS IN THIS YEAR'S US OPEN AND GET THE CHANCE TO WIN A SET OF VR IRONS FROM NIKE  Sign Up For iG's E-Newsletter HERE Are You Inside Golf? |
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