By now, everyone knows Scott Martin walked away as the winner of the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup. It was an impressive offshore performance that rightfully earned him the trophy and the big check. Second-place pro Randall Tharp had his chances, but failed to capitalize on some big bites he received the first and last days. But don’t feel too bad for Tharp, because his time is coming – likely sooner rather than later.

For most bass pros, winning an FLW Tour event is something they “hope” to achieve in their career. But for a select few, it’s merely a formality. When Bryan Thrift took the Tour by storm back in 2007 it was clear he was on a different level in terms of talent. And yet, it still took four years for him to capture that first win at Lake Norman.

Jason Christie is in that same rare category. A phenom out of Oklahoma, he’d won everything there was in the lower ranks of bass fishing until joining the FLW Tour in 2008. Fast forward four years and the Diet Mountain Dew pro claimed his first win this past March at Lake Hartwell.

This was only Tharp’s third season on the FLW Tour and he finished runner up twice (also took second at Bassmaster Northern Open). As he continues to improve, it’s clear he’s in that same top-end class as Thrift and Christie. For these types of pros, it’s not a matter of “if,” but rather “when.”

If I was a betting man or an eligible Fantasy Fishing player, I’d take a serious look at Tharp in the near future. He’s hungry, he’s focused and he’s awfully talented. That first win could come at the final qualifier of the year on Lake Guntersville. It could very well happen at the 2012 season opener on Lake Okeechobee. But it will happen.