Justin Martinson made a GAP splash before turning pro in 2011.

*Hartefeld National’s Martinson wins 2010 Amateur Championship
*Martinson makes 2010 magical
*WATCH: Big Break contestant Justin Martinson

Former GAP Amateur Champion stars on Golf Channel’s Big Break

  Justin Martinson didn’t need a third time to feel charm.

  He became a cast member of Big Break The Palm Beaches, FL — a reality television series on Golf Channel — following his second audition. The show’s 23^rd season premieres Monday, Feb. 2 at 9 p.m.

  “I’ve always wanted to do it,” Martinson, 26, a Hartefeld National member, said. “It was still kind of a surprise that they actually picked me. There were so many good contestants. They had thousands of applicants. They happened to like me a lot apparently.”

  The Big Break The Palm Beaches, FL features 12 golfers competing for more than $120,000 in cash and prizes, including an exemption to the 2015 Barbasol Championship on the PGA Tour. It takes places at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. — home to the Tour’s Honda Classic and the famed Bear Trap.

  A few years ago, Martinson, who plays on the SwingThought.com Tour, noticed a Big Break booth during a practice round and auditioned on a whim — to no avail. In July 2014, he gave it another shot, hitting golf balls at different angles for the cameras and sharing stories with producers. He didn’t foresee a follow-up.

  “They called me and told me they wanted to do a second interview via FaceTime,” Martinson, of Savannah, Ga., said. “All of a sudden, out of nowhere, they said, ‘By the way, you’re on the show. I said, ‘I’m sorry? Excuse me?’ It wasn’t what I was expecting.”

  When he arrived at PGA National Resort & Spa, Martinson met his fellow cast members — most of whom he recognized from tour events over the years — and entered an isolation of sorts: no cell phone, laptop, iPad, etc. Contact with the world outside PGA National was prohibited throughout filming.

  “This whole experience was so different than anything I’ve ever done in my life,” Martinson said. “It’s not really like playing a round of golf because it’s a game show. The hardest part was getting used to the filming process. You do a lot of waiting. They have to set up the cameras and get the lighting right. If they realize you’re not standing where they want you to stand, they move you and have you start over.”

  Upon his graduation from the University of Delaware in 2011, Martinson knew which career path he wanted to explore. The year prior, he won the Delaware State Golf Association’s Amateur Championship and the Colonial Athletic Association Conference Championships. Martinson also captured the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Amateur Championship, defeating Michael Kania, 2&1, at Saucon Valley Country Club. The victory reaffirmed his decision to turn pro.

  “Winning the Philadelphia Amateur was one of the biggest pushes for me. My whole year of 2010 was a big push,” Martinson said. “I started winning a lot of tournaments and it made me think maybe I can play professionally. I had success and there wasn’t a reason why I couldn’t go out there and see how it goes, see how I stack up everybody else.”

  In 2012, Martinson chased Monday qualifiers for the Web.com Tour, only advancing into a handful of events. He soon shifted his professional sights and found a niche on the SwingThought.com Tour.

   “It made sense to me to play a developmental tour like that,” Martinson said. “You have a golf course for seven days straight, just like a PGA Tour event. It’s run right and gives you a total feel.”

  Martinson hopes Big Break The Palm Beaches, FL opens opportunities beyond the SwingThought.com Tour. He couldn’t reveal his fate on the show, but did praise the cast and crew.

  “In my opinion, it’s one of the strongest fields they’ve ever had,” Martinson said. “There are a lot of interesting characters, not just from the golf side, but personality wise too. Everyone is so different and we all got along so well. The chemistry is great.

  “It was a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see how they put it all together.”