Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 11

Today’s matchup: Dave Lefebre, Tracy Adams, Art Berry and Wesley Strader

With the 2005 FLW Tour Championship quickly approaching, FLWOutdoors.com once again will be hosting our own version of the “virtual championship” – a featured daily poll where readers can make their own picks and weigh in on exactly who they think will be crowned champion during the July 13-16 year-ending event in Hot Springs, Ark. In the final days before the championship, FLWOutdoors.com will be asking readers to vote each day on who they think will advance in each of the daily bracket challenges.

Polls are located in the lower right-hand corner of FLWOutdoors.com’s home page and in the same area of the FLW Tour page. After each day’s votes are tabulated, the virtual championship bracket will be immediately updated to reflect the readers’ choices. Full details of Virtual Championship 2005 are provided underneath that bracket layout.

Today’s featured four-man bracket matchup – Dave Lefebre, Tracy Adams, Art Berry and Wesley Strader

Dave Lefebre – No. 5 seed: Making his third consecutive championship in his third year on the FLW Tour, pro Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa., has quickly become a “big stick” in tour-level competition. He’s bettered his year-end standings every year and could be knocking on the door of an Angler of the Year title in 2006. This season-ending finale may be Lefebre’s best chance yet to win a coveted championship trophy. He lost the 2004 BFL All-American on Lake Hamilton by a mere 2 ounces, and the pain of that loss could drive Lefebre to the winner’s spotlight on Saturday. While he didn’t have any top-10s this year on tour, he made the top-50 in five of the six qualifying events and earned more than $53,000. He can flip shallow cover with the best of the field and knows how to find the bass deep if the brush-pile bite gets hot. He finished seventh in the 2004 Forrest L. Wood Championship and 15th in the 2003 championship. If he maintains that consistent improvement this year, he just may find himself holding up the check for $500,000.

Tracy Adams – No. 44: Pro Tracy Adams of Wilkesboro, N.C., had another consistent year on the FLW Tour. Making his fourth championship in six years, Adams looks to improve upon his 18th-place finish in 2004. With the exception of one bad tournament at Okeechobee, Adams has been in the top 50 three times and earned a check in four of the six qualifying events this season. His best finish this year was at Wheeler Lake, where he finished 34th and earned $10,250. With four top-10s and more than $238,000 in career earnings in FLW Outdoors events, Adams has been a strong competitor for a number of years. He’ll have to draw from those years of experience if he’s to overcome the likes of Lefebre in the opening round.

Art Berry – No. 20 seed: Art Berry of Hamet, Calif., proved himself out West in the EverStart Series and showed why he deserved to be in the FLW Tour with his 20th-place finish in the standings in his first year as an FLW Tour pro. Finishing second by 11 ounces in a heart breaker to Tom Mann Jr. at Lake Toho didn’t get the always-upbeat pro down for long. He bounced back with a 29th-place finish at the Ouachita River and finished the season with a 26th-place finish at the Potomac. He earned more than $60,500 in his first year as a pro after posting five top-10s in two years of EverStart Series competitions. With his positive outlook and his uncanny ability to apply his Western techniques to Southern waters, Berry will be someone to watch for in years to come.

Wesley Strader – No. 29 seed: Pro Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., qualified for his seventh championship in his ninth year as an FLW Tour pro. His best two finishes were both 22nd-place finishes at Lake Toho in February and the Ouachita River in March. He’s earned $34,500 this year on tour and another $15,000 is the worst he can do at the championship. Strader finished 38th in the 2004 Forrest L. Wood Championship, losing to David Walker in the first round. Strader’s a proven winner with a tour victory on Lake Ouachita – another Hot Springs lake – already under his belt. This year Strader will have his work cut out for him, but this tournament might play right into his style of fishing: fast and furious.

Poll results

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 10

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 9

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 8

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 7

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 6

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 5

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 4

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 3

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 2

Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 1

Welcome to the 2005 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship