Although the time spent with Cirbie Sheppard was short, there's one thing I can say for sure...she left a big impression. How could anyone possibly forget the barefooted Golf Vixen as she stepped up to play the elimination challenge of her life against Tina Miller in episode three?
If we had been able to zoom on the BMW Zone during that challenge, I am sure we would have seen some jaws drop. She really gave Tina a run for her money and walked away from the BB in style. Speaking of style...I think she should be a guest on "Golf with Style." What do you think?
I caught up with Cirbie last week just after she finished walking her dogs: Tank, a Rottweiller /Pit Bull crossbreed; and Maxim, a Boston Terrier. She calls them "the lil bundles of joy" in her life. When I heard that, I just knew she was my kind of girl.
So Cirbie, I'm curious how you came to be part of the BB.
I had joined the Cactus Tour as an amateur and played some tournaments and then turned pro. I injured my wrist pretty badly, but still continued to play a couple of tournaments. The coordinator saw how badly my wrist was swollen and unfortunately, the scores were pretty bad as a result, so I had to withdraw.
The Golf Channel was holding auditions for the Cactus Tour players at the Legacy Course in Arizona. I bought a house on that course, so it was pretty convenient for me.
On the day of my audition, my fiancee was going on tour in Europe and he left at 4 a.m. that morning. Then I had to get up and be ready at 9, and so I said, "I just need to get some eggs and stuff into my system and I swear I'll be fun." <giggles> And they said, "Oh, you're high maintenance already on us, huh?"
I was so nervous because I had never auditioned for anything like that before, so I had to chug a couple of beers down to calm my nerves. <LOL!> But it was fun and [it] worked out. A few weeks later, they gave me the call for the semi-finalists and after that I got the call for the finalists and that was amazing. I was completely blown away to be chosen.
So you had to go to three sets of interviews...
Yeah, and they did background checks on us and they told me that I had a criminal misdemeanor because I was going to court for a DUI. So they called me the second I got out of court, which was pretty funny, but everything went fine with that and they picked me for the show.
You really played your heart out on that show, battling Tina Miller to the very end. Tell me what was going through your mind at that time.
You know I was just hoping that I could perform... unlike I did the first couple of days. I was very disappointed how I performed the first couple of days because it made me look like I was a terrible player and that I didn't belong there. And I knew the viewers would just be hating me.
So to be able to go into elimination very strong, and then in a playoff and give her a run for her money, I knew that I could throw it back in everybody's face. So I was nervous, but filled with adrenalin because I was pumped and focused -- very focused! I really wanted to beat her so bad! <giggles>
But I started getting too creative with the shot. And then there was that putt which was a golden opportunity...definitely missed. But everything happens for a reason and I was happy to go, because all the other girls had been playing for so long -- they deserved it more. I was tickled pink to be there in the first place.
More like tickled black - you wear a lot of black :)
<laughs> Definitely tickled black <laughs> -- that's a good one!
Yes, you really did look focused. And sometimes when you're really focused, time seems to stand still. Your pace of play was talked about a lot. Did you realize how long you were taking?
They were trying to make a TV show and I know for a fact that they missed a few things. Also, they over exaggerated the time limit. I remember them coming up and telling me what the time was, but personally I think it was well under three minutes. And I remember the Marshall coming up and telling me that. But considering what they have to do on the show... and they edit it for certain reasons (and we signed pretty much our life away on that show <giggles>), I just had to suck it up and let it look like I took a lifetime. <laughs>
I did take a long time, but I was so scared of mis-hitting it on a short shot like I did the first couple days because my wrist just won't allow me to make that kind of shot. So I was in choppy grass and I was thinking, "Oh God! Should I putt or should I chip? You know what's going to happen if I skull it, it's not going to be good." So I decided to putt and I was nervous and they said that could hear my heartbeat in the microphone.
We were all on pins and needles watching it. One of the things I love about this whole series is that I have no idea what's going to happen on each show. And so watching you that night, I actually thought you were going to take her.
Yeah...I thought I was too! And then I went, "Ah...oh well...everything happens for a reason." <laughs> I think I and Cougar Momma were the only girls who were eliminated that didn't cry. I was always told, "Oh we cried in the car on the way there to the interview, or I cried here or there..." Then they'd ask, "Hey Cirbie, when did you cry?" And I said, "I didn't cry at all. I was just laughing -- I thought it was awesome that I could finally perform and show you guys I do have game." I could leave on a high note.
So tell me what happens when you do leave the show. I've heard you stick around in Hawaii, but what do you do with yourself?
All the remaining contestants are on one side of the Sheraton resort and the "eliminated" go onto the other side. The first day I did para-sailing and snorkeling. That was pretty cool. And we did things like whale watching and some of the girls did surfing, but the waves were only a foot high so I didn't want to surf. I like the big ones <chuckles> I went sunbathing.
Did you get your own room or did you have to bunk up like you did on the contestant side?
Just for the first night and then whoever gets eliminated next gets to room with you. I had Liz in my room. I remember that Adrienne was very shook up about how she was eliminated and so she needed some time to herself. So I told her she could have her own room so she could think about things and have her emotions come out...and we were there if she needed us.
I heard you and Adrienne and Liz showed up on the set -- were you allowed to do that?
<laughs> No, what's funny is TGC producers haggled us about it, but they gave us the vouchers to eat lunch there that day. So we said, "You gave us the vouchers to come up here and we happened to notice that there was an elimination going on. So of course, we're going to watch." You could see us just in the very background for a split second on TV.
Have you been following the series on TV?
Oh yeah, my family and my fiancee and my friends come over and watch it and we have some brewskies and we cook some food and we make a fiesta out of it.
We'll watch the week before and then we'll watch the new one so we're all caught up and don't miss anything. Cause it's fun...it's a lot of fun, especially for me, because I know those girls and the event of a lifetime that we experienced together. We'll always remember that and cherish it no matter what.
[Aside...for those of you who don't know who Cirbie's fiancee is, I think he's from Vancouver and his name is Troy Healy. He's the guitarist for the very popular hard-rock band Neurosonic. I just went to their website and you know...I'm not into hard rock (Aerosmith is the closest I get :)), but they are really good!].
So have you stayed in touch with the other ladies?
A lot of us stay in touch. I see Christina and Lori. Kim and Adrienne and I stay in touch via texting on our phones...and some of the other girls on email. Tina and I touch base on MySpace.
Adrienne actually came out to one of Troy's concerts at the House of Blues in Texas. She came out one night and got to meet my family and got to meet Troy and we got to go backstage and hang out with all those people...she had a lot of fun.
Have there been any surprises for you on the episodes so far?
You know, in the very first episode, one of the girls chunked her shot about 10 yards and they didn't show that at all.
Who was that?
Sophie...ya, they took that out, which was very strange. That's when we were Team Pink and we were hitting up and into the wind on a par 3 into the third hole. So they can portray people any way they want.
And there have been a couple of others, but...C'est la vie...we've signed our life away. <laughs>
But I think they portrayed each of us pretty well. Now the personalities are starting to come out and there are more cat fights.
I have a journal and I wrote in it everyday, and with each new girl that was eliminated I would ask her, "What's the gossip...what happened...what's going on..." and I'd write it all down. It's nice to look back now and see what's going to happen each week and then see how it is portrayed through the camera.
You should publish that when it's over. I'd love to put it up on GFW after the show's all over.
That would be awesome.
Are you continuing to play golf?
Yes! I never had my wrist fully heal, so I was doing some chip shots and some sand shots with the golf simulator at my house and I hit one a little fat and the shock just shot up my arm and it numbed my pinkie and ring finger pretty badly for about 20 minutes.
After that I wasn't able to grip very well, so I went to the doctor and got it x-rayed and thank God, nothing was broken. But he said it was such a bad sprain that it never healed properly. I kept playing on it and doing things so that it couldn't set itself. So I had to wear a brace for a few weeks and finally got it taken off last week. But if I do anything that is extracurricular, I have to wear the brace. So I can't really get out to the golf course too much right now, but I'm planning to.
And I'm also planning my wedding!
Really...that's so great. When's the big day?
June 10th.
Wow, you have to send me pictures so I can post them here.
It's going to be a rock and roll kind of wedding, so there's going to be golf tees and guitar picks on the tables that are personalized with Cirbie and Troy...lots of fun stuff.
You are such a positive person. How did being on the BB change your life or did it? What did you learn?
<giggles> Well, I knew going in I was definitely in over my head, but I was going to put forth the most effort that I possibly could and I told them that. And they said, "Well, if you're a deer in headlights, just suck it up!"
It has changed my life in terms of my golf game...I don't think I'll really be nervous over another golf shot
