Snyder native Tanner Beard competed on ABC’s wacky golf show
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Snyder native Tanner Beard leapt onto an inflatable shark during the off-the-wall golf game show Holey Moley. Beard’s episode ran Thursday evening. -
Snyder native Tanner Beard lined up a putt during his Thursday appearance on the ABC miniature golf game show Holey Moley. Beard won his first round on the show, and will appear in the finals in August. -
Comedian and actor Jon Lovitz, left, portrayed a pirate captain on Holey Moley. At right, Snyder’s Tanner Beard watches Lovitz banter with fellow contestant Gerritt Beatty. -
Tanner “White Buffalo” Beard (left) slid with fellow contestant “Scary” Mary Driscol down a slippery slope. Beard said the Slip and Putt obstacle was one of the show’s toughest.
Most days, anyone driving by one of Snyder’s golf courses can see folks trying to putt the ball into the cup.
Recently, one Snyder native had a golf experience that was a little bit different.
Tanner Beard, who lived in Snyder from birth through high school, appeared Thursday evening on ABC’s Holey Moley, sort of a game show featuring various physical challenges, and some miniature golf thrown in for good measure.
“I just got a random DM (direct message) on my Instagram and it was from one of the casting agents from the show,” Beard said. “I’m fortunate to get to play golf with quite a few celebrities.”
Beard, an actor and producer based in Los Angeles, said the $250,000 prize, if he wins, will be used to fund a golf tournament organized by his production company, Silver Sail Entertainment.
Beard has appeared in the serialization of From Dusk ‘Til Dawn and as a regular on the series Valley Peaks.
“As the show’s crafted, 100 people enter and one person walks away with $250,000. There’s 12 jacket winners. I won my episode, so I’m heading to the finals, which takes place in August,” Beard said. “I get to play on behalf of Mammoth Film Festival.”
Beard won his first round on Thursday’s show. Although he lost the second round to competitor Gerritt Beatty, Beatty dropped out of the competition before the final round. Tanner competed in his place and won.
Beard said his experience on the show was unique.
“Each hole is so different. It’s definitely extreme mini-golf to the fullest,” he said. “I always kind of laugh and say kind of ‘hashtag - There Will Be Bruises.’ There’s a lot of falling down and a lot of obstacles to get through. But what’s kind of cool about it is, at the end of the day, with all of the American Ninja Warrior stuff you have to do, you still have to be a golfer. You still have to make your putt. That’s what gets you on to the next round. So you may get battered by a windmill, you may fly off a shark in the water. You may be soaking wet and freezing cold, but you still have to put the ball in the hole.”
One fun experience on the show was meeting guest host comedian Jon Lovitz.
“‘Captain’ Jon Lovitz was a pirate, and he actually hit the ball for you, and tells you you to walk the plank,” Beard said. “You have to leap off the plank onto a moving mechanical shark. That shark takes you around to the second part of the hole, and you have to leap off onto a dock.”
Quarantine permitting, Beard will will host a golf tournament at Western Texas College Sept. 11 in honor of his grandfather, Snyder’s Jeral Beard.