Meet the Big Break Michigan Contestants
Casey & Rachel
- David & Sally
- Haymes & Bernie
- Hugo & Camila
- James & Andrea
- Michael & Sherri
- Otis & Rachel
- Rob & Amber
- Casey Lubahn
Birth Date: 4/25/81
Current Residence: Oxford, Ohio
Hometown: Cedar Springs, Mich.
College: Michigan State University
Family: Married
Occupation: Head Golf Coach at Miami University
Three words to describe teammate: Loving, Energetic, Fun
Rachel Lubahn
Birth Date: 4/10/84
Current Residence: Oxford, Ohio
Hometown: Fort Wayne, Ind.
College: Michigan State University
Family: Married
Three words to describe teammate: Loyal, Driven, Loving
Big Break X: Michigan is a home game of sorts for Casey and Rachel Lubahn. They each played golf at Michigan State University and, until recently, he was an assistant golf coach for the Spartans. "This is like home. This is what people do in Michigan, they go up north," Casey said of playing at Boyne Highlands Resort. "It provides a little of an advantage, too. We know the winds and the grasses, so we are more familiar with the conditions." Learn More
- Sally Dee
Birth Date: 12/17/70
Current Residence: Tampa, Fla.
Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y.
College: University of South Florida
Family: Single
Occupation: Sales Representative
Three words to describe teammate: Happy, Talkative, Talented
- David Mobley
Birth Date: 8/10/ 65
Current Residence: Huntersville, N.C.
Hometown: Brundidge, Ala.
College: Troy University
Family: Married/ Three children
Occupation: Golf Entertainer
Three words to describe teammate: Smoking hot babe
It’s bombs away when Dee and Mobley are on the tee box. The two met in her first year on the Long Drive circuit in 2003 when he saw that Dee had an "actual golf swing" and liked that they had that in common. A year later, each reached the zenith of their sport by winning their respective divisions in the Re/Max World Long Drive Championship. Learn More
- Bernadette Luse
Birth Date: 6/21/81
Current Residence: Naples, Fla.
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
College: University of Mississippi
Family: Single
Occupation: Director of Admissions at Cozmo the School
Three words to describe teammate: Fun, Out-Going, Talented
- Haymes Snedeker
Birth Date: 7/22/84
Current Residence: Fairhope, Ala.
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
College: University of Mississippi
Family: Married/ two children
Occupation: Lawyer/ Judge
Three words to describe teammate: Focused, Driven, Genuine
The woods of northern Michigan and are a long way from "the Grove" and Oxford, Miss., but that is where Bernadette Luse and Haymes Snedeker hope to take Big Break’s version of the University of Mississippi’s "Walk of Champions." The "walk" is a football tradition where Rebel pride reigns, and the Luse/Snedeker duo are as Ole Miss as Archie Manning and his boy, Eli. Learn More
- Hugo Leon
Birth Date: 11/12/84
Current Residence: Jupiter, Fla.
Hometown: Santiago, Chile
College: Southeastern Louisiana University
Family: Single
Occupation: Professional Golfer
Three words to describe teammate: Beautiful, Fun, Determined
- Camila Mori
Birth Date: 7/25/84
Current Residence: Miami, Fla.
Hometown: Santiago, Chile
College: University of South Carolina
Family: Single
Occupation: Professional Golfer
Three words to describe teammate: Determined, Cavalier, Sincere
It’s hard to watch Hugo Leon and Camila Mori on golf course and not feel good. One look at the playful couple and you instantly know that they are in serious love and playing golf together makes them happy. They chat in Spanish, get serious to hit a shot and then it’s back to smiling. It looks too easy, too cutie, but it’s not an act, it’s merely natural. Learn More
- James Vargas
Birth Date: 2/6/84
Current Residence: Miami, Fla.
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
College: University of Florida
Family: Single
Occupation: Professional Golfer
Three words to describe teammate: Determined, Supportive, Fun-loving
- Andrea VanderLende
Birth Date: 7/6/83
Current Residence: Longwood, Fla.
Hometown: Longwood, Fla.
College: University of Florida
Family: Single
Occupation: Professional Golfer
Three words to describe teammate: Fun, Competitive, Caring
They fight like cats and dogs. She is from Venus, he is from Mars,. However you describe it, Andrea VanderLende and James Vargas fit the popular description of a bickering couple. And in a series that will test team’s relationships, this duo could produce fireworks. But what else is new? The two dated as teens and since have developed a "brother/sister" relationship that, like siblings often are, is sometimes volatile and but always caring. Learn More
- Michael Michaelides
Birth Date: 1/18/78
Current Residence: East Elmhurst, N.Y.
Hometown: Whitestone, N.Y.
College: Long Island University
Family: Married
Occupation: Head Men’s and Womens’ Golf Coach at Long Island University/ Head Golf Professional/Lead Instructor for Simductive Golf at Mercer County Golf Academy (Trenton, N.J.)
Three words to describe teammate: Genuine, Fun, Competitive
- Sherri McDonald
Birth Date: 4/17/73
Current Residence: Lambertville, N.J.
Hometown: West Palm Beach, Fla.
College: Penn State University
Family: Single
Occupation: Head Womens’ Golf Coach at Monmouth University / Lead Instructor at Eagle Ridge Golf Club (Lakewood, N.J.)
Three words to describe teammate: Driven, Confident, Wild
Imagine the head football coaches at the University of Alabama and Auburn University teaming up in a reality show. It probably would make some pretty good television, if such a thing were to ever happen. The concept, though, is similar to Sherri McDonald and Michael Michaelides playing together in Big Break X: Michigan. The difference is that these two rivals actually like each other. Learn More
- Rachel Melendez
Birth Date: 4/27/81
Current Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Hometown: Peachtree City, Ga.
College: University of Georgia
Family: Married
Occupation: First Tee of East Lake
Three words to describe teammate: Competitive, Ambitious, Dedicated
- Otis Smith
Birth Date: 6/22/71
Current Residence: Stone Mountain, Ga.
Hometown: Decatur, Ga.
College: Columbia College
Family: Married/ Two Children
Occupation: Golf Professional
Three words to describe teammate: Supportive, Dependable, Committed
GOLF CHANNEL’s Big Break was created to give individuals a once in a lifetime opportunity to pursue a dream. Rachel Melendez and Otis Smith, though, give children of the East Lake community in Atlanta, Ga., their big break daily. Melendez is an instructor for the First Tee program based at the Charlie Yates Golf Course at East Lake while Smith is a PGA Professional at the course, and they relish the opportunity to change lives though golf.
Learn More
- Amber Prange
Birth Date: 11/16/84
Current Residence: Noblesville, Ind.
Hometown: Noblesville, Ind.
College: University of Washington
Family: Single
Occupation: Professional Golfer
Three words to describe teammate: Passionate, Driven, Humorous
- Robby Shaw
Birth Date: 7/22/84
Current Residence: Louisville, Ky.
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
College: Western Kentucky University
Family: Single
Occupation: Professional Golfer/ Fitness Trainer
Three words to describe teammate: Determined, Attractive, Outgoing
Amber Prange and Robby Shaw look more like models on the cover of a golf fashion magazine than the serious and talented golfers they are. They met six years ago when Prange dated a friend of Shaw’s but lost touch until earlier this year when they reconnected at the PGA Merchandise show in Orlando, Fla. After hearing about Big Break X: Michigan, auditioning for the series seemed like a natural thing to do. Learn More
Casey and Rachel Lubahn
But their advantage goes deeper than geography. They are the only married couple in the series, which could prove to be an advantage in a competition that relies on teamwork. "It’s very comforting to know that regardless of the kind of shot I hit, he is always going to be there to back me up," she said. "Even if it is a poor shot, or we get faced with an Elimination Challenge, I don’t have to wonder if I am going to make him mad. We will be able to go through it together and I have his support regardless of the outcome."
They met in 2003 at Michigan State where both played for the Spartan golf team. At first, 
Rachel thought Casey was a bit cocky, but after spending more time together they started seriously dating in 2004. Three years later, they were engaged and wed in August 2007. Whatever the series’ results, the couple will be on a new adventure. Casey, after taking the job in August, looks forward to his first year as the head golf coach at Miami University. However, Big Break X: Michigan could change those plans as both he and Rachel have the inclination to play professionally.
"I have a great job and love where I am," he said. "However, we want to make the most of the opportunity and understand that it is a once in a lifetime chance. We have talked about playing professionally, but the timing of it and the change in lifestyle never seemed to fit. This could be the extra push needed to make a career change."
Casey started his college playing career at Miami University where he was cut after his freshman season. The next year, he transferred to Michigan State where he was once again cut. However, after nearly winning the Michigan Amateur the following season, the Michigan State coach gave Lubahn a second try on the team, and eventually, he became the number-one player. A slow starter, he says his biggest problem has been not believing in himself.
Rachel was three years behind her husband at Michigan State, and like him, also had a bumpy ride before excelling. After having a rough junior year, her senior year started poorly but turned around when he proposed. She topped off the year by winning the 2007 Women's Big Ten Championship.
Happy in both their life and work, the Lubahn’s are content. But, funny things happen in the Big Break that changes people’s lives. And while not looking, that would be fine with them.
Sally Dee and David Mobley
"Playing in Big Break gives us an opportunity to show the other side of things," said Mobley, who has played in events on the Nationwide Tour and Hooters Tour. "We looked at it as a chance to bring world-class showmanship and talent to this show."
The two friends work well together because they have a mutual respect for each other. Dee says that Mobley has a huge personality and can play all the shots, while he is quick to rave about her athletic ability. A natural born athlete, Dee was an All-America high school basketball player who was recruited by more than 200 colleges in the sport but instead chose to play golf at the University of South Florida, where she was a three-time academic All-American. Sally joined the LPGA Tour in 1998 and reached the heights of 75th on the money list in 2000 before an elbow injury ended her career two-years later.
"What makes me proud is that I was able to play with some of the best players in the world." said Dee. "I have so much respect for those women and how hard they work. Some of my best friends are from the game of golf and I will be eternally grateful for that."
To fill the void of competitive golf, she turned to long drive events and quickly found success. Long drive, though, wasn’t her calling and she now enjoys the competitive environment of the business world working in Sales, but feels Big Break X: Michigan will be a great place to show the skills that led to the LPGA.
"I try to be a student of life and try to learn something everyday," Dee said of finding a new path in life after her LPGA career came to an end. "What really got me through the hard times was my faith, and if I didn’t have that, I don’t think I would be standing here today."
Growing up in a small town in Alabama, Mobley started playing golf at 6 years old with his older brother. Small in stature until he was 16, he learned how to hit the ball properly to make it go far to compensate for his lack of size. That length has made him a popular competitor in the Re/Max World Long Drive competitions and exhibitions.
"I love feeling my heartbeat," the competitive Mobley said of appearing before a crowd or GOLF CHANNEL cameras. "It tells me I’m still alive and have a passion for something."
Should Mobley secure financing and be able to "do it right,"he would make an attempt to play competitively. For now, though, at 42 and with two kids, he is focused on taking advantage of his Big Break and having fun in the process.
Bernadette Luse and Haymes Snedeker
"It was a no brainer to play with Bernie," said Snedeker, who was an All-Southeastern Conference golfer at Ole Miss and later an assistant coach when Luse was a player on the women’s team. "It was a natural fit. You go to the University of Mississippi and that is where you get your degree, but you never really graduate. You are always a part of Ole Miss because it’s more of a state of mind than it is a place. So we are able to pick up where we left off when I was coaching and we were practicing everyday on the back of the range. It’s like there was never a gap."
For Snedeker, the older brother of 2007 PGA TOUR rookie of the year Brandt Snedeker, golf is more than a game he loves, it’s a connection to family. He fondly recalls summers days spent with his father and brother on the golf course discussing life.
"With the three of us, it is an A River Runs Through It kind of a deal," said 
Snedeker. "They fly fish, we play golf. It is how we communicate. We can sit down at a dinner table, and more than likely we will be in a fight over something. But on a golf course, we have the best time and can talk about anything. I have never had as much fun as when I got to play competitive amateur tournaments with my brother."
As much as he loved golf, though, his future was elsewhere. After a successful playing career at Ole Miss, he went into coaching to bide his time while pursuing a law degree. Upon graduation, he and his college sweetheart, Amy, moved back to her hometown, Fairhope, Ala., where Snedeker began is career as a prosecuting attorney in his attempt to "save the world." He eventually entered private practice and in 2004 became a municipal judge at the age of 28.
He still finds time to compete and win in amateur events and looks to Big Break X: Michigan to fulfill several desires. In lawyer speak, and laughing at himself at the same time, Snedeker will tell you in a three-fold answer why he entered the series. In order, he says to fulfill a lifelong dream to play professional golf, to play with his brother at least one more time in a competitive event and to help Luse get an opportunity to return to the LPGA Tour.
Not highly recruited, Luse became the first Ole Miss women’s golfer to play on the LPGA Tour when she finished 10th in the qualifying tournament for the 2005 season. Her stay on the tour was short-lived as she finished 152nd on the money list and lost her exempt status. A non-exempt player on the LPGA in 2006, she played on the circuit before her sponsor money ran dry. Now an administrator at a cosmetology school, Luse is saving money for her next shot at stardom.
"The interest came back a few months ago. I was not real happy where I was in my life and it was perfect timing when I got the call from Haymes to play in Big Break X: Michigan," said Luse, who didn’t play golf for almost a year after leaving the game in 2006. "I was missing golf and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
And this Ole Miss pair will certainly give you a "Hotty Toddy" to that.
Hugo Leon and Camila Mori
In Big Break X: Michigan, though, the question is how young love will deal with the pressure of competition. The two Chilean natives, however, have no such doubts about either the competition or their relationship.
"What we have in common is much more than a game, we are just happy to be sharing this opportunity together," said Leon. "It’s just golf, and it’s just like another tournament that you prepare for. The most important thing for us is this is just part of our lives. We will try to keep calm and understand that this is going to be a great trip, regardless of the outcome."
The two have come a long way to find their "Big Break". Both born and 
raised in Santiago, Chile, they started playing golf at the age of 10. Two years later, they joined the national junior golf team and began competing all over the world. Each experienced success, as Leon was a five-time South American champion and the national player of the year while Mori was the number-one ranked junior in Chile and won the 2003 National Amateur Championship.
Throughout their junior careers they were always together and became best friends, and even planned to attend the same college in the United Sates. However, it didn’t work out that way as Mori landed at the University of South Carolina while Leon played at Southeastern Louisiana University. They stayed in touch, and after years of being friends they started dating late last year.
"We enjoy and are passionate about playing golf and being together," said Mori. "We know each other so well that we don’t need to speak to each other to know what the other is thinking or feeling. This is a good opportunity to share time on the golf course and share the experience."
The move to the states wasn’t the easiest transition for either Leon or Mori, with the language barrier being the biggest hurdle to overcome. But the two were able to help each other through this tough time by talking on the phone encouraging each other to do better.
"He was busy, but I really appreciate the times he drove 11 hours to see me for a couple of days," Mori said of their long distance relationship. "It was a tough experience, but we know in the future that it may be the same way. We are not together everyday, but we still love each other and that is the main thing. We don’t have to be physically close to know that we are here for each other."
Since graduating in 2007, Leon has lived in Jupiter, Fla., and currently competes on the Gateway Tour. Mori recently graduated and is planning to compete on the Duramed FUTURES Tour.
Pressure can harm a relationship. But with Leon and Mori’s history and commitment to each other, it seemingly will take more than a golf competition to ruin the bond these two enjoy.
James Vargas and Andrea VanderLende
"She is my best girlfriend," Vargas said in describing the relationship. "We get along well and support each other. There are times that we can argue but it never ends up bad. It is never mean spirited. I want the best for her and she wants the best for me."
Both experienced successful junior careers - Vargas played in a PGA TOUR event when he was 17 - and attended the University of Florida on a golf scholarship. In Gainesville, though, their careers took different paths. While she excelled with a runner-up finish at the 2003 NCAA Women's Golf Championship and was captain of the women’s golf team her senior year, his game digressed.
"It was disappointing," Vargas said of his collegiate career, where he was a teammate of PGA TOUR standout Camilo Villegas and Big Break Mesquite contestant and current Nationwide Tour player Matt Every. "I felt that I didn’t play to my potential and let the whole college atmosphere get to me. If I had to do it over again, I would know how to do it better and not make the same mistakes, because it set me back in my golf."
While his career has not gone as hoped, Vargas has found his old form while playing on the Hooters Tour. Earlier this year he won the circuit’s Guatemalan Open and says he is now on pace to join his Gator teammates at the next level.
For different reasons, VanderLende’s career is not where some would have expected. Upon graduating, she passed on playing golf full-time and took a job as an assistant golf professional at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C. The decision not to play professionally was derived both from burnout and her father’s death. He had owned a driving range and was her coach and inspiration in golf, and the loss sent her reeling.
With the passion to compete still engrained in her, VanderLande recently quit her job and is playing on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, where she already has a top-five finish this year.
"I’m in a good place right now and feel good about the decisions I’ve made," she said about her time away from competitive golf. "I wouldn’t change a thing. Moving away from home and living in a big city helped me mature."
Seemingly, both have the game and the perspective to weather the emotional storms that Big Break traditionally puts on competitors. And that could lead to a happy ending for these ex’s.
Michael Michaelides and Sherri McDonald
McDonald and Michaelides’ relationship can best be described as "one part allies, one part rivals, but always great friends." Self described as arrogant, pushy and determined, he and McDonald have a "push-pull relationship." When one of them does well they congratulate the other, but it also pushes the other to do better. They both have very s
trong personalities and feed off of each other’s enthusiasm and love for the game.
When Michaelides began coaching in 2003 at Long Island University, McDonald had already been coaching at Monmouth, a competing school in the Northeast Conference. She took to the task of taking him under her wing and giving him advice.
"She was the first person I thought of when I heard the series was going to be couples," said Michaelides. "We both are competitive people and are here to win, but at the end of the day we came into this saying that good or bad, we were going to have some fun. If we don’t win, the experience will get the juices going again."
McDonald played college golf at Penn State University, but due to reoccurring back and hip problems was told she wouldn’t be able to play golf past the age of 24. Determined to play on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, she began teaching and coaching while continuing to play professionally. In 2001, a company agreed to sponsor her but then went out of business after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. In January 2002, she was named the women’s head coach of the Monmouth University Hawks where she has been ever since.
"The Big Break was what I needed to jump start me again," said McDonald. "It has been about seven years since I have played competitively and it has been great to get in the flow again. If we could win Big Break it would continue that path at an accelerated rate, but it already has me heading back toward the competitive direction."
Michaelides picked up the sport later than most professional golfers. First introduced to the sport at 16, he played at Long Island University and became a two-time MVP on the team. After college, he juggled playing professionally and working as an assistant pro at different courses throughout the Northeast, even working as an assistant pro at Bethpage State Park Golf Course in 1999. Like McDonald, Michaelides’ professional career took a hit when he lost his sponsorship due to an economic downturn following the 2001 terrorist attacks. During the 2003 ? 2004 golf season, he took over both the men’s and women’s golf programs when the current coach became sick, and has won two conference championships in that time period.
When not coaching or teaching at the golf academy, he competes in National Long Drive events, as well as playing competitively on various tours.
Rachel Melendez and Otis Smith
"I want my kids to see that they can do it and that someone who looks like them can accomplish things in golf," said Melendez, who refers to the children she teaches at the First Tee as "my kids." "Every shot I hit and every action I take I am always thinking about my kids. I do that because I want to set a good example for them."
While Melendez and Smith each have a common dream to play on their respective professional tours and be a role model for minorities, the path they have taken to Big Break X: Michigan is quite opposite.
Melendez was an accomplished junior golfer in her native Puerto Rico and then in the U.S. before playing collegiately at Penn Sate University and the University of Georgia. At Georgia, she re-shifted her focus and made the decision to quit the golf team and concentrate on her studies. Her work paid off as she graduated with honors and found success in the corporate world. However, missing the game, she returned to golf as an instructor with the First Tee program. The return to the game reignited her competitive itch and she now is considering playing professional golf as a career option.
"I enjoy the teaching aspect, but with my game getting better and my confidence growing, that competitive drive is getting awakened," she said of the desire to get back into the game on a competitive level.
While Melendez played golf early in life and then took a break from the game, Smith is a late bloomer. Growing up not far from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, he played what he calls the big three - basketball, baseball and football - with golf only an afterthought. It was after college and a successful corporate career in human resources that he started pursuing golf as a career. At 31, it was an uphill climb, but hard work paid off and he eventually became one of only six black PGA Professionals in the state of Georgia. When not teaching, Smith has tried to monday qualify for the Nationwide Tour, but has yet to play on a professional tour.
"It would be a great thing for me and my family to win the Big Break, but it would also be great for the community," said Smith. "You don’t see many minorities in the game. There is Tiger (Woods), but not many others. It would be good for the kids at Charlie Yates to see that there are opportunities out there, you just have to go for it."
Amber Prange and Robby Shaw
"We enjoy each others company and playing golf with one another," said Prange. "We thought this would be a great opportunity and there is no one else that I would want to do this with."
However, the bond goes deeper as both have experienced setbacks that made them question if they wanted to play golf anymore, but thanks to each other they are both back on the course and loving the game once again.
Differing in nature and severity, their adversities were impactful nevertheless. Shaw’s perspective on golf and life changed when his college roommate and teammate, Jared Salvia, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and was given 72 hour
s to live. Despite the diagnosis, Shaw said that his friend’s inspiration was the driving force that propelled the Hilltoppers to their first Sun Belt Conference golf title in 2006. When Salvia succumbed to the disease earlier this year, he left a legacy that drives his former teammate.
"Losing my best friend gives me all the incentive, determination and drive that I need for the rest of my life," Shaw said. "I am going to live every single day to the fullest and live every day like it is the last because you never know. He was exactly who I am. Nothing seemed wrong with him before being diagnosed with stage four cancer. Seeing how scary that is, you have to live everyday like it is your last."
With golf once again a priority, he currently competes on the Hooters Tour while trying to Monday Qualify for Nationwide Tour events.
"This is what I am going to do the rest of my life. Touring would be a dream come true and I am going to make it happen," said Shaw.
Prange, the younger sister of Big Break V: Hawaii champion Ashley Prange, landed a golf scholarship at the University of Washington after enduring what she says was a difficult recruiting process. While enjoying Seattle, she lost the desire to play golf and eventually took a nine-month sabbatical from the game following graduation. Now playing the Duramed FUTURES Tour, she faces another career challenge.
"As a pro, it is tough finding sponsors only interested in my game," Prange said about potential sponsors who either promised support only to back out or gave offers with strings attached. "I even had one potential sponsor hit on me and I had to kiss a nice sum of money goodbye."
Yes, looks can be deceiving, but the straight truth with this duo is they have the game to be a force on Big Break X: Michigan.
