Fiamma’s Extreme Mini-Golf Adventure
Fiamma lined up her shot, it was less than 10 yards to sink the Putt. She’d taken thousands of shots from this distance, but never a shot like this. To her left were a line of 8 porta potties rigged to open randomly. To the right a pool of water. “I got up there and saw a foot wide strip of grass, and I was like, oh yeah, I’m definitely going into the water.” This was no ordinary golf course. Fianna was a contestant on ABC’s Holey Moley.
It’s a cross between mini-golf and American Gladiator, reminiscent of the obstacle courses and water-dunking-antics of Wipeout. Filmed in California, Holey Moley has its own twists and humor with quirky commentary by Rob Riggle and Joe Tessitore, and guest star and resident “golf pro” Stephen Curry.
After watching the first season of Holey Moley safely at home, professional golfer Fiamma Felitch was intrigued and decided to audition as a contestant in season two. She’s proud to have the opportunity to represent Oklahoma and compete in the show. “Just the experience was worth it for sure,” she said. “Because to get to the end, I mean, there’s like 96 contestants, so you have to make it through a few rounds and lots of long nights.”
Contestants of the show face dauntingly large obstacles in this oversized mini-golf, 18-hole course. The contestants play one another one hole at a time, and the winner of each hole moves onto the next with a new rival.
Competition is nothing new to Fiamma, she’s been swinging golf clubs since she was four. She was a standout player at Bishop McGuinness High School. She was a Class 4A State and regional champion before attending Tulsa University, and quickly entered the professional level after two years of college.
She has played the Cactus Tour, Symetra Tour, LPGA Futures Tour, finished second on the Golf Channel’s Big Break Florida contest and competed in numerous charity events and Pro-Am golf events. Today, she is working for Rehab Medical as a medical sales representative. She still plays golf on the weekends and competes in charity events.
Did she make that Holy Moley putt? After chipping down the foot-wide turf, she sprinted across the narrow green as the porta-potty doors randomly opened and closed, slamming her into the water. On her final attempt, she putted the ball down the turf, where it hit a bathroom sign – which shot it over two small hills and then finally came to rest near the cup. Falling into the water counts as a stroke penalty, and after attempting the hole twice, Fiamma didn’t make it to the next round.
“I wish I would have moved on obviously, because I’m so competitive,” she said. “But on the other hand, I had a lot of fun. The whole experience was very special to me because my parents got to go with me and be in the live audience,” she said. “Mom and dad really enjoyed that. My dad’s 90, and I grew up playing golf with him.”
This episode is expected to air on ABC July 2 at 7 PM. Fiamma can be found on Instagram @fiammafelitchgolf and on Twitter @FiammaFelitch. For more information about Holey Moley visit www.abc.com/shows/holey-moley
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