OCTOBER 2009 K-Max Gives Dragons a Big Break

Look out Nate Washington, K-Max is the newest Tiffin University alum to reach celebrity sport status of sorts.

Tonight marks the debut of The Big Break Disney, a reality survivor-style series on the Golf Channel. Alumni Kevan Maxwell will compete in season 12’s cut-throat action for an opportunity to earn a spot in a PGA Tour event, an endorsement contract from Adams Golf, $10,000 in cash, and a few more rewards which brings the prize value to well over $50,000.

“K-Max” joins 11 other golfers including the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the son of actress Susan Lucci, and a 2000 Olympic gold and silver medalist from the United States swim team. The series also features Brothers Gipper and Tony Finau, a pair of long ball hitters who both claim to have driven the green on a 500 plus yard par five hole.

The TU alum has a one-in-12 shot at some pretty big stakes. You gotta love the odds.
In his promo video, Maxwell is portrayed as a professional caddie by day and pizza delivery boy by night with an unyielding passion for the game. When he was sitting in my Senior Seminar course, he announced his post-graduation plan to move to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and work at Wild Wing Plantation Golf Course. He still lives in South Carolina and is obviously still chasing his dreams on the golf course.

You gotta love Maxwell even more now that he found his way into a reality television series. Viewers may become fast fans just to see what he’ll be wearing each week. He’s definitely ready to give his former golf coach Darby Roggow and the infamous John Daly a run for their money for style points. In the series premier, K-Max’s attire includes chartreuse (vivid green) pants, a fuchsia or magenta (bright purple) shirt, and a large belt buckle with his name boldly displayed. He wears it well.

His promo hints of plenty of flashy fashion statements on every episode. Who knows, he might just pick up an endorsement contract for the official K-Max brand by season’s end! The guy did graduate from a great business university, you know.

Kevan humbly acclaims that in professional golf, “I’m a no-body from nowhere and I wanna come out and shock the world.” Well, certainly we think he’s something special and can only hope his weekly fashion ensemble inst’ the only thing that shocks his followers!

Whether he’ll be teeing off over a make-shift door to Mickey Mouse’s castle (the show is filled with weekly outrageous stunt shots) or chipping into the sunroof of a stock car at the Walt Disney World Speedway, Maxwell has already added to the favorable reputation of the TU golf program. Coach Roggow’s brother Rip has been an Assistant Golf Professional at Eagle Mountain Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Former player Ryan Sams is the women’s head coach at Tiffin University, and Ryan Kossick is the Director for the Northern Texas PGA junior’s programs.

Maybe one of our alumni golfers will become a long shot qualifier for the 2016 Olympics now that the sport (along with rugby) is officially in the 2016 and 2020 Games. In no surprise (you may have caught my prediction from September’s column), the 106 members of the IOC who are predominantly aging, Eurocentric, white males, didn’t give softball, baseball, or any other sport a second thought. Despite the high cost of game, the lack of accessibility in developing countries, and the discrimination towards women by some elitist clubs that don’t permit female members, Tiger and Golf are in.

Golf and rugby both made their Olympic debuts in Paris in 1900. Golf was played again only at the 1904 St. Louis Games, and rugby last appeared in 1924 (maybe there is hope for softball in a hundred years). Now both sports will vie for prominence in Rio de Janeiro which was recently confirmed as the host country for the 2016 Olympics. Oprah and the Obama’s are still shaking off the embarrassing first round loss by Chicago’s bid. I’ve already received inquiries about the Tiffin University Olympic Academic Experience and whether we will be partying on the beaches of Copacabana.

The IOC meetings in Copenhagen this month that determined the 2016 host city and the next two official sports also included one more important vote. Jacques Rogge, the IOC president, was re-elected to a final four-year term. The 67-year-old Belgian, the president since 2001, was the only candidate.

Stay tune for November’s column when we follow the progress of K-Max on his Big Break tour. Hopefully he survives enough rounds to keep us watching each and every week. Move over Nate, you have some great company.