Interview with Golf Channel's Big Break champion Mike Perez
For fans of the Golf Channel's Big Break, Mike Perez needs no introduction. This was my first season really watching the show, and my first thought during the premiere was, "Who do you have to know to get on this show?" There was former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani's son (Andrew), famous soap opera actress Susan Lucci's son (Andreas Huber), and PGA Tour star Pat Perez's brother (Mike). However, it didn't take very long to see that Mike certainly deserved to be there - he had some serious game. Week in and week out Mike hit the clutch shots under tremendous pressure when it counted. No stranger to professional golf, Mike turned pro at the age of 20 and has had numerous stints on the Nationwide Tour and has made it to the final stage of Q-school five times. I recently caught up with Mike on a range of topics, from where his game is right now to what it was like dealing with Andrew Giuliani.
How are you feeling about where your game is right about now?
Mike Perez: The game is feeling much better since the show. After watching the show I saw how bad my swing was. I was picking the club straight up and would cause it to go in every direction. About a month or two after we filmed I got a bruised tendon in my left thumb and was not able to play for about 4 1/2 months and I also missed Q school. So that was a bummer. But now everything is a lot better and the scores are dropping.
What are your goals for the 2010 season?
Mike Perez: My goals for 2010 is to some how play my way back on the Nationwide Tour. I am going to have to Monday Qualify in a lot of them and hope to get invited into a couple of them. My agents are working very hard to get me in anything that could help me get out there. If that goes as planned then I will go right into Q school and try and make my number better. I will also play a couple of Gateway tour events here in Scottsdale.
What have been your biggest obstacles/challenges to get over so far in your golf career?
Mike Perez: My biggest obstacle or obstacles would have to be the 6 inches between my ears. I sometimes get a little too hard on myself and get mad on the course. I do get mad and will throw a club every now and again, but the bad shot will be forgotten by the time I hit the next shot. I think it's ok to get a little mad, just forget it by the time the next shot does come. I'm not happy with how I looked on the finale of the show, but I had to get myself pumped up to try and at least get in a playoff against Tony. I did what I would do to win the Big Break. But next time the cameras are on, I don't think I will take it to that level. As far as challenges, I just need to work a little bit harder on everything that involves my game. I know I can play on the tour one day, if that means a couple more years on Nationwide to figure it out, that's fine, I just want to play golf and compete.
You've done some stints on the Nationwide Tour and between those and your experience at Q-school, obviously know high pressure golf. Do you think that gave you a little bit of an advantage over some of the other guys on the show?
Mike Perez: I do think that playing on Nationwide Tour and making it to final stage 5 times did help me to win, and the people I grew up with playing golf helped. Until you get to that tour or Q school finals, you don't understand how good these guys are . I'll never forget my rookie year when I was 20, I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. Boy was I wrong! I got my ass handed to me!! But you take the good with the bad and try and make it better. In my head I knew I was a better player than all of them on the show, but I didn't feel the need to say it as the other guys did on the show. Silence is golden.
Was Andrew Giuliani as difficult to deal with on the show as The Golf Channel made him look? Or was some of the "drama" between him and others (Gipper, Blake, etc.) a little manufactured in the editing process?
Mike Perez: Andrew Giuliani! Wow! What a pain in the ass! He really is a good kid, just needs to know when to keep his mouth shut. The funny thing is, is that he thought he was getting in all of our heads and thought he could try and beat us that way. I grew up with a brother that was in my ear my whole life, on and off the golf course. So he was just like a fly when it came to that. I didn't really have a problem with Andrew, but after I watched the show I did forget about some of the stuff and remarks that he did say. I thought it was pretty funny. I had never heard of Andrew until I met him at Disney that first day we all got there. I thought the Golf Channel did a good job and didn't sugar coat anything. That's how that guy is. He told me he wanted to better his reputation and I think it only made it worse. A lot of it I thought was an act, everybody says he has a strong mind, it's one thing to have a strong mind but be able to back it up with the game.
You obviously have a very close relationship with your brother Pat. What would it mean to you to get to play on Tour with him?
Mike Perez: For me to play on tour with my brother would be awesome! That is all we've wanted and have talked about for the last 25 years. I can only imagine how it would be. Hope that day will come this December .
For more on Mike Perez, visit his very cool website at: www.golfmikeperez.com and follow him on Twitter @MikeyPerez. Also, as part of Mike's Big Break win he received an exemption to play at this year's Children's Miracle Network Classic at Disney World, so look for him there in November 2010.
