Virtual Championship 2006: Semifinals
Semifinal round – Martin vs. Dudley
Virtual Championship 2006
Semifinal round – Martin vs. Dudley
You’ve chosen the semifinalists, and now the head-to-head matchups are getting even more interesting, reflecting both the public’s prognostication and will. Only the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship remains on the tour-level bass-fishing horizon before 2006 is etched forever in the history books. Will voters correctly forecast the FLW Tour champion? Learn more about qualifying pros while casting your daily ballot.
FLWOutdoors.com is once again hosting 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 is asking 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.
Revisit Virtual Championship 2006 daily and be a part of the voting body that could be the first to correctly anticipate the championship winner. 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: Scott Martin (No. 5) vs. David Dudley (No. 29)
Scott Martin – No. 5 seed: Part of Scott Martin’s fame may come from his golden locks and charming smile, but make no mistake, this Florida boy can fish with the best of them. Raised on the shores of Lake Okeechobee under the bass tutelage of his father Roland, Martin has been rooted in the sport of fishing his entire life. Martin began competing on the FLW Tour as a pro in 2000 and has quickly ascended to the sport’s upper echelon. In fact, the Clewiston, Fla., native has already accumulated over $650,000 in FLW Outdoors events including two FLW Tour victories. Martin’s 2006 season has been impressive, having already earned $54,750. Even scarier is the fact that in his last two events he has finished 12th and fourth respectively. So when the tour returns to Birmingham for the 2006 championship, expect Martin to be licking his chops. He finished second there in 2004, only a mere 6 ounces from claiming a $500,000 payday.
David Dudley – No. 29 seed: David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., has a habit of winning big. In 2002, he earned a record-setting $700,000 with a single win at the Ranger M1 Millennium tournament on the Mobile Delta in Alabama. He followed that up by winning the FLW Tour Championship and $500,000 the following year. All in all, Dudley has three wins and 27 top-10 finishes. He started off the 2006 FLW Tour a little slow, but has gained momentum coming into the championship, finishing the regular season with a sixth- and 17th-place finish. If that isn’t enough to build his confidence going into the championship, he’s ranked No. 1 in the FLW Series after being in striking distance of a win in three straight events. He’s on a roll and looking for his second $500,000 payday. Even if he falls short of that goal, he’ll become the fifth man to achieve more than $2 million in FLW Outdoors earnings by appearing at the championship and collecting the minimum $15,000 paycheck.
Virtual Championship 2006 (click for complete details and poll results)
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship 2006 (click for more information)
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