Byrne Captures Big Break Title, Earns PGA Tour Exemption

Big Break Indian Wells Website (With Bonus Videos & Photo Galleries)

DetroitTitans.com Byrne Big Break Page (Featuring audio interviews with Golfgal-blog.com

Byrne's Bio Page On The Golf Channel Website Byrne's Interview With Golf Channel After Winning

In The Confessional With The Champion Video Interview

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Former Titan David Byrne's dream was just to be on his favorite show, but imagine how he feels now as the 2010 Detroit graduate earned a chance to play on the PGA Tour by winning the Golf Channel's reality television show Big Break Indian Wells.

“It is just a dream come true, not just to be on your favorite show, but winning it too,” said Byrne. “The best part was not only winning, but the friendships that developed. I have kept in contact with all of the guys and to be able to win against guys that you respect and respect you was such a great feeling.”

The victory landed Byrne an automatic exemption to the 2012 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Along with the opportunity to play in the 2012 Zurich Classic of New Orleans – which will be held on April 26-29 at TPC Louisiana – Byrne won over $70,000 in cash, a paid trip for two back to the Indian Wells Golf Resort, an Adams golf endorsement deal and a 10,000 Shopping spree to Dicks Sporting goods.

“At the beginning, you look at the money and that is what you want,” said Byrne. “As time went on and I am watching golf tournaments on television, you realize that you are actually going to be playing with those guys and that the most important thing is the chance to play in the PGA Tour event.”

Byrne – who survived four elimination challenges during the first nine episodes – defeated a fellow Canadian in Kent Eger. In the season finale that demonstrated “It's All About The Money”, the show started with the pair playing five match-play holes to win the house money that was left, about $16,000.

After that, the twosome played six match-play holes risking a certain amount of their own money. Each hole had a certain value to it and at the end of that competition, the player with the most money would have an advantage in the playoff – the advantage of not having to win the hole, just halve it.

Byrne trailed going into the final hole, a Par 4, but would end up making his birdie putt to take the lead. In the playoff, Byrne did not hit a great drive and his chip was not the greatest going long past the hole, but remaining on the green. Eger's third shot was a chip that landed short of the hole and his birdie just went long setting up Byrne's potential winning par. He would sink the four-foot putt to get the par to halve the hole and win the 10-episode series.

The win was the latest triumph for Byrne. Raised by a single mother – Jody- who worked multiple jobs to support him, Byrne also had to take on employment while in high school to help out the household finances.

“No one knew how I did, not even my mom and I couldn't tell her,” stated Byrne. “There is a huge liability on the line if I told anyone so no one knew. It was hard at first not being able to tell her, but it got easier as the show went on and she understood why I couldn't tell her.

“In a lot of ways, I was not the one that won, she was. I don't know how she did what she did growing up, but she did it and this was for her,” added Byrne

He would take up golf and thrive as a junior amateur, making a name for himself when he earned a berth in the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Some of his other amateur accomplishments would include tying for eighth at the 2006 Ontario Junior Tournament of Champions, 10th at the Ontario Junior and 18th at the Future Links Ontario Championship. He was a three-time Ontario Match Play Champion and was also the top-ranked amateur in Ontario in 2007.

At Detroit, the accolades and success followed as he helped the red, white and blue win two Horizon League titles (2007, 2010), while winning medalist honors as well as a freshman.

A team captain, he was a three-time HL All-Tournament performer and just the second golfer in school history to be selected All-League in all four of his years. Along with his HL Newcomer of the Year, he ended his collegiate career as the League's Player of the Year as a senior.

Besides his accomplishments on the links, Byrne was a model student-athlete twice earning All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America. A history major who graduated with a 3.56 GPA, he was twice honored on the Horizon League's Spring All-Academic team and was also a six-time member of the conference's fall and spring Academic Honor Roll, and a four-year member of Detroit's Athletic Director's Honor Roll. In 2010, he received the athletic department's highest honor in the President's Award – given to UDM's most-outstanding senior student-athlete.

He was an active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), serving as the president during his season year. While on SAAC, he was always at the forefront in the organization's service projects.

Fans who missed last night's episode – titled “Cha-Ching” - can catch the reruns a few times this week, starting on Tuesday at 5 and 8:00 p.m. For more times when last night's episode as well as others throughout the series will air, click here for the Big Break Indian Wells website.

The Big Break was a 10-episode series that was shot at Indian Wells Golf Resort in Indian Wells, Calif. The 15th season started with 11 contestants competing for a chance to earn all the prizes, with the biggest the chance to play an event on the PGA Tour.

(Release courtest of DetroitTitans.com)