Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2015 - 12

(the golfing life
)
Breaking
Brandon
Former White Bear
Lake golfer Brandon
Hartzell gets his big
break at The Bear Trap.
By Joseph Oberle
A
nyone saying that snow-covered
Minnesota can't develop
professional golfers hasn't been
watching Golf Channel's reality show
The Big Break. A member of White Bear
Lake High School's 2004 state champion
golf team, Brandon Hartzell became the
fourth (and third in the past year) Big
Break-er with Minnesota ties.
Hartzell, 27-the son of former Golden
Gopher hockey player Kevin Hartzell
and brother to former Hobey Baker
hockey award finalist, Eric-comes from
an athletic family. He currently lives in
Johns Island, S.C., where he caddies at
Kiawah Island and is an assistant pro at
The Golf Club at Briar's Creek, working
around his mini-tour schedules and PGA
Tour aspirations.
Hartzell has four pro tournament wins,
and he cashed in at PGA National Resort
& Spa, winning three Big Break challenges
in five shows and earning $4,500 in money
and prizes. Hartzell didn't win the top
prize (a PGA Tour stop exemption), but
he relished his 15 minutes of fame-and
is hoping for more.
Q How were you chosen for the show?
A [The producers] made a point for
this particular series to get the best players/stories
they could find. So they went
out to top mini-tour events last year and
were recruiting players. I am not afraid to
show my personality. I am not shy. I am
not ugly. I've got a decent story, having an
athletic brother like I do, and I thought a
story like that might play in my favor.
12
MINNESOTAGOLFER Spring 2015
Q What are your thoughts on the
experience?
A [Tournament golf] pressure is not
comparable because you're doing something
out of your element. It's not a normal
golf scenario. You know what's on the
line and you get one swing. It was nervewracking
for everybody, but that's part of
it. It was nice to get on the show and gain
that experience. The show really couldn't
have gone any better for the time I was on
it-except for when I got booted.
Q Were you purposely bold with your
game and chatter right out of the gate?
A That was part of my strategy. A lot of
those guys didn't know who I was, whereas
at least six or seven of the top players
knew each other from competing. I felt
the need to put on some kind of show so
that they thought I wasn't the guy to pick
for elimination.
Q What did you think when watching
the telecast?
A I am kind of candid in my comments,
so I will say things and forget that I was
miked up. A lot is said in different context
and the crew can use things [wherever
they want]. They can ask you a question
and you can answer it one way, and they
could make it seem like something else
in the show. But it is what it is. I imagine
they had a few chuckles with some of the
things I said.
Q What did you like most about the
show?
A The best part was being surrounded
by really good golfers and good guys. It
was fun to be in that environment where
everybody was trying to get better. We all
came together and grew in the experience.
We knew even if we didn't win, it was positive
for everybody. Especially when you
have a guy like " Corporal Clutch " [Iraq
war veteran and amputee Chad Pfeifer].
He brings everyone together because
instantly there is a guy who everyone is
cheering for. It ended up being a good environment
and a cast that I was happy to
be part of.
www.mngolf.org
" You know what's on the line and you
get one swing. It was nerve-wracking
for everybody. "
Brandon
Hartzell
PHOTO BY MARK ASHMAN/GOLF CHANNEL
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2015

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