Benoits Run Ends But He Carries On

The Rat Pack may have hit the fairway with the one-of-a-kind Benoit Beisser, but his Big Break: Mesquite song and dance came to an end in the eighth episode of the 12-week series. He was ushered off the series after losing a three-way Elimination Challenge to Kevin Taylor and Gerry James.

Beisser started Tuesdays episode fifth out of the six remaining contestants in the point standings and managed to record 12 points in the episode, which wasnt good enough to avoid the cut line that was set at the top three players.

Hiroshi Matsuo posted 19 points to remain the leader in the cumulative point standings after eight shows with 80, 14 better than Josh Warthen, who recorded the most points in the episode with 22.

Big Break: Mesquite has implemented a new scoring system to give the series a tournament feel. Each of the 12 shows will consist of challenges that allow the players to earn points that will be used to determine which players make or fail to make the cut. The cut line varies from episode to episode and is based on the players cumulative points for the series. The cut will be announced at the start of each show and will be applied directly after that episodes final Points Challenge. Players who make the cut advance directly to the next episode. Players who fail to make the cut will go to the Elimination Challenge. The competitor with the worst performance in a shows Elimination Challenge will be eliminated from Big Break: Mesquite.

After Beissers path to professional golf, even being eliminated is all good. His career was derailed by a number of unusual injuries inflicted while playing hockey, wakeboarding and defending himself and a friend against a drug-raged addict. The injuries didnt keep him from playing golf, though. While at Arizona State, he Monday qualified for the 2002 Tucson Open on the PGA TOUR despite the fact that he was nursing a hangover and was in the middle of college finals. He is proud of the fact that his mother caddied for him in the event, which made her one of the few moms to caddie for their sons in a PGA TOUR event.

Admittedly, there was a time that Beissers lifestyle hurt his golf. However, he now pays more attention to his health and has developed an obsession with yoga. As a result, he currently is in the midst of his first injury-free period in his competitive history. In addition to his physical wellness, Beisser has worked on the mental aspect of his game and even changed his sleep patterns to get accustomed to the early morning call times for the shooting of the show. Within 30 minutes of getting the call that he was going to be on the show, Wah was in the gym working out.

And that didnt mean pounding 12-ounce curls. Saying Big Break: Mesquite was a once in a lifetime opportunity he set out to make the most of it.

After the stunt he pulled to get on the show, he should have given it his all. In his audition tape he dressed in an outfit his sister Laura wore as a contestant in Big Break VI: Trump National and Big Break VII: Reunion. Topping off the look, he danced to the song Im Too Sexy.

It was funny and it fit in the audition video that we were putting together, said Beisser. We needed a joke to show how I would be if I got on the show. I was coerced into doing it, but it was fun.

When the Big Break: Mesquite merriment ended it was on a green fairway and not a Yellow Brick road. In pure Beisser style, and in tribute to Laura who did the same when her Big Break dreams ended, he kicked is heals Dorothy style in the shows trademark elimination walk.

Really, would you expect anything less?

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