Colorado University Athletics
Talley Makes Debut On Big Break Mexico Monday
May 12, 2013 | Women's Golf
ItGÇÖs been a year in the making for Talley and her reality career to get off the ground, as it was shortly after she graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder that she began the process.
GÇ£Everybody always said IGÇÖd be good for the show, that IGÇÖm a happy golfer and show a lot of enthusiasm,GÇ¥ Talley said. GÇ£I always thought it would be fun, so as soon as my college career was over I signed up for the Big Break audition.GÇ¥
It would be a long process full of waiting, but in the end it was well worth the wait. About a month later (July 2012), Talley heard that she made the first round of cuts and would be brought in for an interview, and thatGÇÖs when she showed the show just how good she would be.
GÇ£It worked out that I went to Arizona for two days,GÇ¥ Talley said. GÇ£I had a large iced coffee so I was bouncing off the walls for the audition.
GÇ£One of my friends was also auditioning,GÇ¥ Talley continued. GÇ£I started 15 minutes before her and was done after her. She asked me what in the world I had to talk about for so long. When somebody asks me a question IGÇÖll just run with it for days until IGÇÖve squeezed every last drop out of it.GÇ¥
If there was a moment Talley looks back on and thinks may have been the moment she made them notice her, it was a question about what kind of foursome she would play with.
GÇ£I said IGÇÖd play with a group of guys,GÇ¥ Talley said. GÇ£TheyGÇÖre more fun, they bet and I like taking their money. After I said that I saw one of the producerGÇÖs eyes get really big, and I think he liked that answer so I thought I was in good shape after that.GÇ¥
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| Emily Talley and the Big Break |
Meanwhile her professional career was beginning to take off. While she was Monday qualifying for the Canadian Open after winning the Norwegian National Amateur and California State Amateur championships, things were silent on the Big Break front. She was also doing very well at LPGA Qualification School, successfully qualifying out of the first two stages and coming just three strokes away from earning her card after the final stage.
It wasnGÇÖt until November that she heard anything. She was at the Arizona State Open when she got a call she had made it to the third round of interviews. Then after missing her LPGA card by three strokes at the third stage of qualifying school, the next day on the way home she got the call that would change her life.
GÇ£You donGÇÖt hear anything forever,GÇ¥ Talley said. GÇ£I had a feeling they were waiting for Stage 3 to be over, because if you do well there, you have your card, you donGÇÖt need your Big Break.GÇ¥
Talley was at the airport with her parents coming home when she got the call. A bit of unfortunate timing probably left the producers thinking if this was the same Emily Talley they interviewed. She was at the check-out counter trying to sound excited but not make a big scene.
GÇ£I got the call and I told them I thought they were waiting for the third stage to be over,GÇ¥ Talley said. GÇ£What a great consolation prize.GÇ¥
It was then another six weeks before she would leave for the filming of the show. She obviously couldnGÇÖt get into specifics of the show, but she was able to paint a picture of what it was like during a crazy three-and-a-half weeks of shooting.
Set that Riveria Maya at an Iberostar resort about 45 minutes south of Cancun, she explained, GÇ£It was great weather, great food, great drinks. Everybody on the show is so nice, all the crew is nice.GÇ¥
Not that it was all roses.
GÇ£It was a stressful situation,GÇ¥ Talley explained. GÇ£But it was some of the best fun IGÇÖve ever had. We had to get up at 4:30 a.m. every morning, we were micGÇÖd up by 5 a.m. and by the time we were at the course, had the competitions, it was 5 p.m. before we were back. WeGÇÖd all have dinner together and then you're shooting interviews until midnight, and then you do it all over again. But when itGÇÖs something like a once in a lifetime opportunity, your body just figures out how to cope with it.GÇ¥
It was also a long time for Talley to be disconnected from the world.
GÇ£We had no facebook, no social media,GÇ¥ Talley said. GÇ£We had about 10 minutes max per day checking our e-mail or making a quick call, and it was all monitored.GÇ¥
Since the announcement of the show's contestants and the airing of the preview show a week ago, Talley has already seen an elevated level of exposure.
GÇ£I posted that I was going to be on the show on Facebook and it was the most response I have ever had,GÇ¥ Talley said. GÇ£I donGÇÖt think I could say IGÇÖm getting married and get that much response. But itGÇÖs fun, you see how many people love the show, how many people are rooting for you.
GÇ£A lot of people you donGÇÖt know connect with you on a TV show, you have a lot of people rooting for you,GÇ¥ Talley said. GÇ£Maybe I made them laugh or maybe they felt my frustration.GÇ¥
Throughout the airing of the show, Talley will be busy on the Symetra Tour, but we will have regular updates with Talley throughout.
