Every's next golf adventure is year one on the Nationwide Tour
By Dave Lagarde, PGATOUR.com Correspondent
The GOLF CHANNEL's "Big Break'' is just about the last place a knowledgeable golf fan would look for a former Walker Cup and Palmer Cup player. Toss in the facts that this fledging professional also was a two-time All-American as well as the 2006 Ben Hogan Award winner as college golf's player of the year and the odds become something less than miniscule.
But anyone who checked in on "Big Break Mesquite,'' the most recent of the GOLF CHANNEL's series, saw Matt Every, who previously helped the United States collect those Cups and figured prominently in the Florida Gators' NCAA fortunes, on what can best be described as golf's most endearing game show.
"I didn't even apply,'' said Every, who will be a rookie on the Nationwide Tour in 2008. "The Golf Channel called me.''
That it did.
"We thought Matt was a very attractive player,'' said GOLF CHANNEL's Mark Mitchell. "He's a very talented guy and also outspoken. We believed he'd make for good television. But after the initial contact he had to go through the interview process like everyone else.''
Every, 24, failed to advance through the second stage of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament in 2006, leaving the mini-tours as his only option. He played the Hooters Tour and, as luck would have it, the circuit shut down during the July dates "Big Break'' was filming. So Every took a flier, considering the show offers some seed money, nice prizes and an exemption into the PGA TOUR's Mayakoba Golf Classic in 2008.
There was one slight problem. Every's game was, to put it mildly, in disarray when the shoot began.
"I was hitting it so bad,'' he said, chuckling at the recollection. "I can't even tell you how bad.''
Every paused.
"But I took a chance. It takes a lot of guts to do that.''
Every explained that chances are, a very small percentage of the shots he hits on the Nationwide Tour will be shown on television. But every shot he hit on "Big Break'' was caught on camera.
"And we were only hitting two or three shots a day,'' he said. "It seemed like every shot was now or never. It was like that every day.''
There likely will be fewer sets of eyes on Every on a weekly basis as he begins competition on the Nationwide Tour, which kicks off Thursday with the Movistar Panama Classic in Panama City, Panama.
The pressure to perform will not abate however. But unlike "Big Break,'' where competitors face elimination on every show, Every, who was an early casualty on the show, will be judged on his body of work, not a flop shot blindly lofted over a piece of plywood. And that's just fine with him.
"I plan to keep my head down and keep on going,'' said Every, who made no secret of a goal he shares with every other member of the Nationwide Tour: Finish in "The 25'' and graduate to the PGA TOUR in 2009. "I'm not going to make it a habit of looking at the money list. It's a long season. The idea is to just let my abilities take over.''
Every may not be in top form this week. He battled the flu bug for almost two weeks leading up to the event, a fact that erased any time to prepare. Every found a silver lining though.
"The only good thing was I lost a lot of weight,'' he said, laughing about dropping 11 pounds.
Nevertheless a confident Every believes he is ready to take the next step after eating his share of humble pie in 2007, when he learned standards in professional golf are very high. That was the lesson he took away from his Q-School failure.
"I thought I had enough talent and didn't need to play my best to advance,'' he said. "That's definitely not the case.''
Every's mistake is a common one. After all, this former walk-on at Florida became a three-time first-team All-American, often outshining the majority of his more highly publicized teammates. But he paid his dues in 2007 and is ready for the immense challenge that is the Nationwide Tour.
"I think I know what to expect now and that should make a huge difference,'' he said. Every won't be the only big name former collegian making his debut this week. A pair of former Georgia Bulldog All-Americans and Southeastern Conference rivals -- Chris Kirk and Brendon Todd -- will be among other highly decorated Nationwide Tour rookies. Toss in Colt Knost of SMU, the nation's top-ranked amateur in 2007 and it gives you the idea that youth could be served this season.
Every is familiar with the threesome as well as many other accomplished, well-seasoned professionals who will provide weekly competition as the Nationwide Tour winds its way through six countries.
"I honestly believe this year is going to be fun,'' he said.
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