‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Wins Big After Losing on ‘Jeopardy!’
Contestant Scott Menke solved the final Wheel of Fortune puzzle so impressively, it seemed like he had been preparing for this for years. Turns out, he had. Unbeknown to the vast majority of viewers, this wasn’t his first TV game show.
On Friday’s episode of Wheel of Fortune, Menke entered the competition guns blazing. He solved both toss-ups, won the first round, and even guessed his bonus round correctly, working only with a few letters. Using a method that some would describe as reckless, Menke would often not spin the wheel but guess with whatever had already been revealed. Fellow contestants and audiences were amazed.
Even the at-times-difficult-to-impress host Pat Sajak was impressed.
“He’s been a good puzzle-solver, that’s for sure,” said Sajak right before the contestant’s final puzzle.
After selecting the topic “phrase” and only being shown a fraction of the letters on the board, Menke correctly guessed his final phrase in a matter of a few short seconds.
“Pick at the opportunity. Pack at the opportunity. Jump at the opportunity!” exclaimed Menke, the third guess being the correct answer. It was that fast.
For his quick puzzle-solving abilities, Menke won a prize total of $52,690, including his gold envelope prize: a brand new new blue Chevy Equinox.
The impressive showing by Menke came 15 years after he suffered a tough loss on Jeopardy! where he competed as a Johns Hopkins University alum in the 2009 College Championship Tournament.
Scott Menke / X
During Final Jeopardy! on the show, which was hosted by Alex Trebek, Menke wrote down the wrong question in the form of an answer.
“What is a headline?” wrote the young WOF-winner-to-be.
The answer was: “What is a deadline?”
A close call and a tough blow. Menke lost to Eric Betts, a journalism student from Emory University, who – very much in his area of expertise – asked the right question.
Menke spoke to Hunterdon County Democrat about his defeat and how he attended a campus screening of his episode, where many other Hopkins students watched to “see if Scott makes the finals.”
“It was tough to keep a smile,” he said.
While Menke did not go on to compete in Jeopardy! again, his impressive showing at Wheel of Fortune speaks volumes. Perhaps this victorious return to game shows marks the beginning of a refreshed puzzle-solving champion.
Watch Menke solve his final puzzle on Wheel of Fortune below.
