Master Sergeant Russell Normandin of 3rd Battalion 6th Marines in Marjeh, Afghanistan

Master Sergeant Russell Normandin of the United States Marine Corps gained fame as a contestant on the Golf Channel’s “Big Break – Indian Wells” and while he didn’t win that season’s grand prize, he did find the silver lining of being selected for a unique opportunity:

Being selected for Big Break was a dream come true for the average guy like me. Sitting in my house in Okinawa Japan watching Big Break Dominican Republic my wife asked me why I have never tried out for the show. My immediate response was a laugh with “guys like me never get picked for that show”! She told me you never know; you are a great golfer and have a great story to tell.

And so, MSgt Normandin gave it his best shot before being eliminated sooner than he wanted. Once his time on the show ended, reality came calling and he was headed for another deployment as he described on golfchannel.com :

Heading to Afghanistan for another deployment with 3rd Battalion 6th Marines. I once again get the great opportunity to serve with some of the greatest Americans this country produces! Please keep them in your prayers and for a safe return home! Where the rest of my life goes from here will be much clearer after this deployment. The excitement, pain, sorrow etc… that comes with a deployment like this is indescribable but it is what Marines do best.

With his love of golf and a new mission in Afghanistan, MSgt Normandin reached out to Adams Golf for help with his big golf project. As part of the IO (Information Operation) Campaign in the city of Marjeh, Normandin and his fellow troops are helping local Afghan children learn about the game of golf. “The IO campaign essentially helps the locals way of life by teaching them, building for them etc. and the Colonel feels that if we can do this golf thing it will be another piece to that puzzle,” Normandin wrote in his email to Adams Golf. “Things like this actually help save lives believe it or not, on both sides, military and civilian.”

MSgt and his fellow troops received an assortment of golf clubs and accessories from Adams to help their makeshift driving range and give these Marines a place to work on their own golf game along with an area to teach the locals about the game we all love. All of us here at Adams Golf say “Thanks” to the 3rd Battalion 6th Marines in allowing us to be a part of your great mission in Afghanistan and Semper Fidelis!

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