The Big Break V: Hawaii - The Contestants

The Contestants

• Jeanne Cho — born to South Korean parents in France, Cho began playing golf at age 12, and her parents eventually sent her to David Leadbetter's world-famous academy in Florida, where Jeanne decided to move to the United States permanently after two years. She played golf at the University of Florida, where she co-captained the women's team, and graduated cum laude with a 4.0 grade point average. Cho has also competed in the U.S. Women's Open, even missing her high school graduation to take part in it. She currently plays on the FUTURES Tour, and lives in Orlando with her fiance Brian.
• Becky Lucidi — the Michigan-born Lucidi boasted the biggest accomplishment of all the contestants, having won the U.S. Women's Amateur in 2002. Five months later, she won the Mexican Women's Amateur, and in 2003, won a national championship for the University of Southern California in her senior year of college (she had played for two years at the University of New Mexico before transferring). She, too, plays on the FUTURES Tour, where she finished 2nd in her very first event, and lives in Poway, California.
• Dana Lacey — the show's first contestant from Australia (Perth, Western Australia, to be exact), Lacey had a successful amateur career, winning the Australian Junior Championship at age 17. Lacey was the only one of the 11 contestants who didn't attend college, although she did attend the Australia Institute of Sport for four years. Lacey also plays on the FUTURES Tour, where, in 2005, she finished 2nd in the Michelob ULTRA FUTURES Players Championship, losing out to eventual tournament winner Jenny Gleason in a playoff. Dana lives in Wilmington, Delaware.
• Katie Ruhe — born in Montpelier, Ohio, Ruhe began playing at age 9 after winning her first trophy in a tournament, despite shooting a 72 for just nine holes. In high school, Ruhe played on the boys team, and was named an All-American by the American Junior Golf Association. She chose to play golf at the University of South Florida because her grandparents lived close by, but the beginning of her college career was ravaged by bouts with both bulimia and anorexia, at one point weighing 105 pounds with a 5'9" frame. She turned her health around, and improved her game drastically, being named to the Conference USA team in both her junior and senior years. Ruhe currently lives in Wesley Chapel, Florida, and plays on the FUTURES Tour.
• Kristina Tucker — born Kristina Engstrom in Stockholm, the Swedish Tucker began playing golf in her homeland at age 10. She won the Swedish Girls Championship back-to-back, and moved to the U.S. in 1999 to play at Duke University, where she won three collegiate tournaments, and even got to meet President George W. Bush at the White House after her she and her teammates won the national championship her junior year. After graduating, Tucker returned to Sweden to play on the Telia Tour, where she won one event. In Sweden, Tucker attended the same high school as PGA Tour player Jesper Parnevik and had a class with Tiger Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren. Kristina lives in Pageland, South Carolina with her husband, Paul, whom she met at Duke, and also plays on the FUTURES Tour. On July 1, 2006, Tucker made the cut at the U.S. Women's Open in Newport, Rhode Island, becoming the show's first-ever contestant to make a cut in an event on a tour offered as a prize after taping The Big Break. She ended up finishing in a 4-way tie for 20th at 12-over.
• Kim Lewellen — the second-oldest contestant at 35, it took bribery from her father with hot dogs and other treats to even get Kim to go to a golf course at first. By age 14, she had grown to like the game, and was on her way to a successful collegiate career at the University of North Carolina, where she earned Division I All-American honors. In 2005, Lewellen was named one of the 50 greatest women golfers in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference. In the mid 1990s, Kim played on the Ladies European Tour, but with no success. In 1997, Kim began playing on the FUTURES Tour, and won an event her first year. She stopped playing golf for some time so that she and her husband, John, an Episcopalian priest, could start a family. The couple now have two sons, Jack and Simon. Kim still plays on the FUTURES Tour, but also coaches the women's golf team at East Carolina University.
• Divina Delasin — Divina was the show's first-ever contestant to be a sibling of a professional on a major tour, as her sister, Dorothy Delasin, has won four times to date on the LPGA. Divina dropped out of high school to support her family and help Dorothy get through the LPGA Qualifying Tournament, at one point, holding down three jobs. Divina caddied for Dorothy at the beginning of the ladder's LPGA career, but once Dorothy won for the first time, Divina was able to go back to school and attend college at Foothill College, but mainly to pursue her own golf dreams. Divina currently works as an assistant professional and a coach for San Francisco's First Tee program, with hopes of opening her own golf school someday.
• Jo D. Duncan — born in St. Louis, Duncan was the oldest contestant at 39. Duncan at first played both golf and basketball, but at 15, took golf more seriously, as her small frame made basketball success unlikely. She played on the boys' team in high school, and was the only girl in her entire county playing high school golf. She got a partial scholarship to Missouri State University, then known as Southwest Missouri State, where she played with and against women for the very first time. After failing to get through the LPGA Qualifying Tournament in both 1996 and 1997, Duncan became a teaching professional. She also competes in long drive competitions, playing in the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship three times.
• Julie Wells — born in Eugene, Oregon, Wells was a last-minute replacement, as one contestant withdrew on the first day of filming. Julie began playing golf at age six, and saw much success in high school, being named both Oregon's Athlete of the Year and Golfer of the Year. A successful career at the University of Idaho saw Wells helping her team win the Big West Conference championship, and her garnering Player of the Year honors. Julie currently works at the Oregon Golf Club, and lives in Wilsonville, Oregon with her husband.
• Nikki DiSanto — DiSanto was the least experienced of the show's contestants, never having played in a pro tournament before the show was filmed. Like Duncan, she competes in long drive competitions. DiSanto played college golf at the College of Canyons in Valencia, California, where she was team captain both years. DiSanto is a part-time model and teaches golf to juniors in Los Angeles.
• Ashley Prange — the show's eventual winner, Prange comes from a golfing family, as her father and three of her uncles are teaching pros. She began playing at age 2, but didn't start competing until she was 12. Prange, like Lewellen, played collegiate golf at North Carolina, where she won three events, and was an NCAA First Team All-American her senior year. Prange plays on the FUTURES Tour, and on March 19, 2006, while the show was airing, picked up her first professional win in the Greater Tampa Duramed FUTURES Classic. She would win for a second time on July 2 in the Northwest Indiana FUTURES Golf Classic in Hammond, Indiana.