Talking With Blair O'Neal

Big Break: Dominican Republic finishes up tonight on Golf Channel, when the final competitors tee it up in the finale.  Blair O'Neal has had a stellar competition so far, where she is the only player going into the finale to have zero strikes and leads in MVP points as well.  Now she only needs to close the deal and take the spoils of victory.

UPDATE December 1: Blair did win and is your Big Break: Dominican Republic MVP.  Congrats from all of us at Waggle Room, Blair!  Well done!!!

This is Blair's second appearance on the Big Break franchise.  She also played very well on Big Break Prince Edward Island, where she also reached the final matchup before being eliminated by winner Derek Gillespie, who won by three shots.

That loss may have been one of the few times that Blair O'Neal didn't succeed when she put her mind to it: her curriculum vitae  is filled with accomplishments and successes. Indeed, when one reads her history it is easy to conclude that when Blair decides to do something, it is only a matter of time before she achieves her goal: She set a goal at 12 years old to one day play for for the Arizona State golf team, and by the time she was an upper class-person in prep school she was being actively recruited by the head coach of the Sun Devils' golf team. 

At university, she played in every event held during her four years there, and she had some success as well, as she was the team's captain as a senior and she also won two of three long drive competitions that she entered.  Meanwhile, academically, she earned her degree on time and with good marks, making her an ideal student-athlete.

Blair turned pro in 2004 and has has competed in the West Coast Ladies Golf Tour, the Futures Tour and has reached the LPGA Q-School Finals.

Her success is not limited to golf, either. O'Neal is also a very successful fashion model, a world that is so competitive that professional golf may seem tame by comparison.  Blair is represented by the prestigious Ford Agency, and has worked in runway modeling, print advertisements, catalogs, magazine covers, websites and commercials -- among others.  She's also appeared in Maxim magazine and was named as one of the "Hottest 50 Athletes of All-Time" by Sports Illustrated in 2008.

In other words, Blair O'Neal is the kind of young lady a young man dreams about: she's got world class looks, world class athletic skills and she's also pretty smart besides. 

And now, she has a second chance at Big Break's top prize.  Tune in to Golf Channel tonight at 9pm and see how it turns out for her.

I had a chance to have a brief conversation with Blair recently, about her career, her plans and her hopes for the future.  Read on to see what she said...

Waggle Room: You've been to the finals of Big Break twice now -- and you may well win Big Break Dominican Republic.  What do you think that says of you as a competitor and an athlete?


Blair O'Neal: Going into both Big Break competitions my goal was just to play my game and win.  I think as a competitor my main goal is to feel in control of my game and my thought process.  This Big Break was a little different than PEI because now we are playing as a team and not individually.  But finishing Runner- up in BB: PEI and making it to the finals of BB: DR….  I think it says I am a tough competitor and I will grind it out if I have to.  I love competing and I love being thrown in pressure situations.  That is what Big Break is all about!



Waggle Room: How has Big Break changed you?  You'd already seen a lot of success as a model and spokesperson, but surely your being on both shows for so long has opened some doors for you.

 

Blair O'Neal:  Big Break has been an absolute amazing opportunity for me.  It has given me much exposure in the golf world but it’s also given me a place to showcase my game in pressure situations.  People like watching athletes compete under pressure.  Ultimately, competing on Big Break jump started my career again as a professional golfer.  It has opened doors for me that I never even imagined.
 
Waggle Room: You may be the modern version of Jeanne Carmen, the model, actress and golfer from the 1940s who was seemingly a success in everything she did.  Jeanne was also striking and well-known pinup model, and was perhaps the best woman trick shot artist on the golf course during her era.  She also was a fairly successful actress as well, appearing in several films during her career.  Obviously, you're successful at modeling and at golf as well.  Thought about maybe doing some acting one day?
 
Blair O'Neal:  I have done some acting and have taken acting classes in the past.  I’ve shot a few commercials and been extras in a couple of movies.  It is something that interests me and maybe down the road I would pursue.  I do know it takes a lot of work and training… that being said I would only want to do it if I knew I had the time to put into it and be great at it.


Waggle Room: Gotta ask: you're long off the tee, have a great short game, and you can jar a putt when you need to.  That makes you a pretty fierce competitor.  That said, it stands to reason that you win a lot more than you lose back on your home course when you get a chance to tee it up there.  How do the fellows handle getting whooped by a beautiful woman?  Do they make you give them strokes?

Blair O'Neal: Ha ha!  Yeah I will give strokes if needed.  What really gets them is hitting it past them on the drives. 

Waggle Room: Finally, Blair, thanks for a few minutes during such a busy time for you.  One last question: where do you see yourself in ten years and what do you think you'll be doing then?

Blair O'Neal: In ten years from now I would like to say that I have made an impact on the women’s professional golf.  I will definitely be involved in the game whether I am playing on tour, commentating golf, etc.  It’s a great game and has given me so much… I hope to give back to the game as well.