Virtual Championship 2006: Bracket 22
Opening round – Couch vs. Blaukat
Virtual Championship 2006
Opening round – Bracket 22: Couch vs. Blaukat
Another exciting season of tour-level pro bass fishing drew to a close in record-smashing fashion on Lake Champlain last month, leaving only the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship on the horizon before 2006 is etched forever in the history books. FLWOutdoors.com will once again host its own “virtual championship” – a featured daily poll where readers can make their own picks and weigh in on who they think will be crowned champion during the Aug. 2-5 year-ending event on Logan Martin Lake in Birmingham, Ala.
In the days leading up to the championship, FLWOutdoors.com will ask readers to vote on who they think will advance in each of the daily bracket challenges (polls are located on the right-hand side of the FLW Outdoors and FLW Tour home pages). After each day’s votes are tabulated, the virtual championship bracket will be immediately updated to reflect the readers’ choices.
Will fishing fans correctly forecast the winner of this year’s championship? Vote each day to support your favorite qualified angler and to learn more about the 48 pros who will actually compete on Logan Martin Lake for a top prize of $500,000.
Today’s featured bracket matchup: Tony Couch (No. 22) vs. Randy Blaukat (No. 27)
Tony Couch – No. 22 seed: It’s been a while – seven years, in fact – since Tony Couch has made a championship appearance, but don’t let that overshadow the fact that he has assembled 17 top-10 finishes in his FLW Outdoors career. Clearly, the man knows how to fish a successful tournament. In fact, the last time he competed in the FLW Tour Championship, he earned a top-10 finish. Couch’s 2006 season was a welcome return to form on the FLW Tour, as he put together two top-30 finishes and earned a big-bass award in June on Lake Champlain. Though his success may have largely come in his home state of Georgia, where he hails from Buckhead, Alabama is just a hop, skip and a jump away. No doubt Couch will be ready when championship time comes around.
Randy Blaukat – No. 27 seed: It isn’t said often enough that Randy Blaukat of Lamar, Mo., is one of the most consistent anglers on tour today. This is his sixth straight championship appearance, and he earned his way there with – what else? – consistency. His 2006 season, while bookended with subpar performances, gave the Fujifilm pro four check-range finishes including a season-high 28th place on Alabama’s Pickwick Lake. That’s right, Blaukat’s best finish so far came in Alabama, and being a veteran who’s a threat anywhere he goes, don’t count Blaukat out on Logan Martin Lake.
Virtual Championship 2006 (click for complete details and poll results)
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship 2006 (click for more information)
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Robertson vs. Dudley
Bosley vs. Shaw
Morgan vs. Morehead
Browne vs. Kilby
Chapman vs. Colson
Fukae vs. Jones
Hawkes vs. Yelas
Klinger vs. Kennedy
Rojas vs. Bolton
Le vs. Lefebre
Monsoor vs. Clausen
Pirch vs. Ehrler
Nixon vs. Cochran
Bolivar vs. Yamamoto
Bennett vs. Hibdon
Martin vs. Berry
Scheide vs. Strader
Moynagh vs. Stricker
Herren vs. Namiki
Gagliardi vs. Monroe