Local golfer competes for big bucks

November 5, 2014 · 0 Comments

Local golfer David Markle is well known for his abilities on the fairway and his fundraising efforts for the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Now you can also call him a televisions star.
Markle is currently on Big Break Myrtle Beach – a reality competition series produced by the Golf Channel in partnership with Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday and South Caroline Tourism and filmed at the Barefoot Resort and Golf in Myrtle Beach South, Carolina.
The series features a cast of 12 – six men and six women – who are at different stages in their professional golf careers.
Several are playing full time on the Symetra Tour and various mini throughout North America while others turned professional solely to qualify for Big Break Myrtle Beach.
All competitors and vying for a chance to walk the fairways on the PGA Tour or PLGA tour.
The show pits the golfers against each other in a variety of challenges that test physical skill and mental toughness. One contestant will be eliminated each week with the last players standing getting their Big Break and the opportunity to compete on the pro tour in 2015.
There is a lot at stake in this competition.
The winner of Big Break Myrtle Beach will receive more than $100,000 in cash and prizes including an exemption to the 2015 Valspar Championship or the 2015 Portland Classic on the LPGA Tour and $75,000 in cash.
Filmed on location in June, the series unfolds on three of Barefoot Resort’s award-winning golf courses.
The Golf Channel’s Big Break competition has been going for 21 seasons and has proven to be the launching pad for many aspiring professional golfers looking to take that next step in their careers.
Locally, Markle is also known for his efforts in hosting the Dufferin Diabetes Day of Champions Golf Tournament held at the Shelburne Golf and Country Club.
The tournament was a fundraiser to help kids with diabetes attend summer camp and featured several well known NHL players.
Big Break Myrtle Beach premiered on Tuesday, October 7, and airs weekly on the Golf Channel on Tuesday evenings at 9 p.m.

By Brian Lockhart