Tommy Gainey Leans on Lessons Learned from "Big Break" for 2026 Season

By Doug Milne

NAPLES, Fla. – As Tommy Gainey prepares to tee it up in his first Chubb Classic presented by SERVPRO, he’ll no doubt be leaning on past golf experiences and successes.

While a 2012 PGA TOUR victory and 2025 PGA TOUR Champions win are certainly highlights to lean on, Gainey’s early, early days take him back to Golf Channel’s “Big Break” show, which he competed in twice.

In his first effort of 2005, Gainey was eliminated in the sixth episode. Upon a return to the show in 2007, he emerged victorious, winning the whole thing.

After a long hiatus, “Big Break” is making a return in 2026. No-one is more excited about that than Gainey, who will be watching this go around as opposed to competing.

“I can't wait,” he said. “When I was on it, there were a lot of good players. But, now, with the unbelievable depth of play, these guys come out more ready than ever. Whatever they're doing in college or whoever they're seeing is working. They're coming out right away and showing they can be successful and be that next guy to win two, three, four times a year.”

With one elimination and one win to his “Big Break” credit, Gainey has a well-rounded understanding of the overall value of just being a part of the wildly popular show.

“What everybody needs to realize is that you can hit a good shot, bad shot or mediocre shot and you're packing your bags. With the new talent we have, as deep as it is, there is no telling how good the golf viewers will witness will be. I'm really excited for that.”