GILBERTSVILLE. Ky., The biggest names in the world of competitive bass angling are set to compete in the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship, September 22-25, 1999, on Ft. Gibson Lake located near Wagoner, Oklahoma, where they will vie for a share of the $450,000 purse and the largest first place cash award in competitive bass angling $250,000.
The world class anglers represent the top 50 competitors from the 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour’s Professional Division and the top 50 anglers from the tour’s Co-Angler Division competing in three elimination rounds to determine which bass angler will reign as competitive bass fishing’s world champion.
The championship field is comprised of winning professional and co-anglers from the previous six, 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour tournaments, the top five professional and co-anglers from the $1 million Forrest Wood Open, with the remainder of the field consisting of the top 40 professional and co-anglers, based on a system of accumulated points and pounds awarded during the first two days of competition in the six qualifying tournaments leading up to the championship.ÌDavid Walker of Cannon, Kentucky, accumulated the most points during the regular season in the Professional Division with 313 out of a possible 450 to lead all professional anglers.
Walker was named the Land O Lakes Angler of the Year as the points leader for the 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour season and will be featured on a special edition box of Wheaties later this year. Walker is only the second angler in the cereal’s 75-year history to receive the honor; Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Missouri, was the first.
The North Carolina and Florida contingents dominate the Professional Division field with six representatives apiece, followed by Kentucky and Missouri with four anglers from each state holding championship berths. Two father/son combinations have qualified for the prestigious championship, presented by CITGO. Keith and Ricky Green of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and Guido and Dion Hibdon of Gravois Mills and Stover, Missouri, will all compete for the incredible $250,000 first place cash, as will Roland Martin of Clewiston, Florida, whose son Scott, the Spiderwire Co-Angler of the Year, qualified to compete in the Co-Angler Division of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour’s season finale. First place in the Co-Angler Division will be $25,000.
In the Co-Angler Division, four anglers who have qualified for this year’s championship, David Hudson of Jasper, Alabama, Rick Parnell of Casselberry, Florida, John Van Cleave of Eufaula, Alabama, and Leon Williams of Fairdale, Kentucky, will be participating in their fourth consecutive Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship.
The championship field will compete for two days, Wednesday and Thursday, for one of 10 berths (pro & co-angler) available in the second round of action on Friday. Weights do not carry over to Friday’s round; Co-Angler competition concludes at the end of Friday’s fishing. The Professional Division field is trimmed to the top five after Friday’s action. The final five start fresh in Saturday’s round.
On Saturday, each finalist is paired with an ESPN camera crew. ESPN is filming the championship as part of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour television series. The championship segment is scheduled to air Sunday, October 24, 1999, at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Sponsors of the 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour include: Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, Land O’Lakes, CITGO Petroleum Products, Chevy Trucks, Uniroyal Tires, Fujifilm, EverStart Batteries, Eveready Flashlights, Black and Decker, Coleman Company, Ranger Boats, Mitchell Rods and Reels, Spiderwire, Evinrude Outboard Motors, Evinrude Electric Trolling Motors, Eagle Electronics, Timex Expedition, Wrangler, Chex Mix, Hamburger Helper, US Bank-VISA, and Wheaties. The Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship, presented by CITGO, is hosted by the Wagoner Area Chamber of Commerce.
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship Presented by CITGO
Qualifiers
Pro Division
ALVIN SHAW – STATE ROAD, NC
STEVE DANIEL – CLEWISTON, FL
MIKE TERRY – OBION, TN
GUIDO HIBDON – GRAVOIS MILLS, MO
BILL SMITH – PRESTONSBURG, ROLAND
MARTIN CLEWISTON
LARRY NIXON – BEE BRANCH, AR
PETE THLIVEROS – JACKSONVILLE, FL
BO FRASER – LORTON, VA
DION HIBDON – STOVER, MO
DAVID REAULT – LIVONIA, MI
KEVIN VAN DAM – KALAMAZOO, MI
ART FERGUSON III – ROCHESTER, MI
DAVID FRITTS – LEXINGTON, NC
WESLEY STRADER – SPRING CITY, TN
DON STEVENS – OTSEGO, MI
CHRIS BAUMGARDNER – GASTONIA, NC
KEITH GREEN – ARKADELPHIA, AR
JIM TUTT – LONGVIEW, TX
CURT LYTLE – SUFFOLK, VA
ERIC HOLT – CAPE FAIR, MO
TERRY BOLTON – PADUCAH, KY
JOEL RICHARDSON – KERNERSVILLE, NC
GARY KLEIN – WEATHERFORD, TX
RICKY GREEN – ARKADELPHIA, AR
CECIL KINGSLEY – LAWRENCE, KS
DENNY BRAUER – CAMDENTON, MO
JERRY RHYNE – DENVER, NC
RICK LILLEGARD – ATKINSON, NH
MARK HARDIN – CANTON, GA
MICKEY BRUCE – BUFORD, GA
CRAIG POWERS – ROCKWOOD, TN
RANDY HOWELL – TRUSSVILLE, AL
MIKE WURM – HOT SPRINGS, AR
DAVID DUDLEY – MANTE, NC
CLARK WENDLANDT – CEDAR PARK, TX
ALTON JONES – WACO, TX
BEN LEE – COLUMBIA, SC
TONY COUCH – BUCKHEAD, GA
JIM MOYNAGH – CARVER, MN
DARRELL ROBERTSON – JAY, OK
JIM BITTER – FRUITLAND PARK, FL
JOHNNY MCCOMBS – MORRIS, AL
BERNIE SCHULTZ – GAINESVILLE, FL
DAN MOREHEAD – PADUCAH, KY
CHRIS III MONTEITH – COLUMBIA, SC
KEN COOK – MEERS, OK
CHUCK ECONOMO – PALM BAY, FL
TOM JR MANN – BUFORD, GA
DAVID WALKER – CANNON, KY
Co-Angler Division
RICK PARNELL – CASSELBERRY, FL
RON CHAPMAN – LAKE QUIVIRA, KS
STEVEN TRAYLOR – HILLSBORO, IL
RICK MARSH – HIGH POINT, NC
BRYAN JOHNSON – SALISBURY, NC
LARRY COLEMAN – JASPER, TX
SCOTT MARTIN – CLEWISTON, FL
BRAD CLINE – SHAKOPEE, MN
DAVID HUDSON – JASPER, AL
TERRY CHAPMAN – CORNELIUS, NC
JOHN SISEMORE – FARMINGTON, AR
BEN KRON JR – MARYVILLE, TN
TROY PICKETT – ROBERTA, GA
EDDIE AMOS – DALTON, GA
DAVID COOKE – DAVIDSON NC
JOHN VAN CLEAVE – EUFAULA, OK
DAVID JR SMITH – EDMOND, OK
LEON WILLIAMS – FAIRDALE, KY
FULLER – AUBURN, AL
JOHN CANTALE – PANAMA CITY, FL
DAVID LAUER – SOUTH BEND,IN
HOMER STEPHENS – NOBLESVILLE, IN
JOHN BRUCE – BUFORD, GA
MIKE MCKINNIS – LITTLE ROCK, AR
ROB NEWELL – TALLAHASSEE, FL
TOM HUNLEY – STAMPING GROUND, KY
BUD GOEKE – PINCKNEYVILLE, IL
QUINTEN STACY – BASSETT, VA
QUINT BOURGEOIS – KNOXVILLE, TN
BILL HALTER – ANNA, IL
RONALD OTT – INDIANAPOLIS, IN
CHRIS RAND – DAVIE, FL
CHARLES TICHENOR – WHEATON, MO
STACEY SMITH – STEPHENS CITY, VA
KEITH BURDEN – ST. PETERSBURG, FL
JACK LADD – UNION CITY, MI
ANDY HEINKELEIN – CINCINNATI, OH
AL LITTLE – GREENSBORO, NC
TIM IRWIN – KNOXVILLE, TN
JOHN LITTLE – HOPE, AR
JIM SHORT – OCEAN PINES, MD
RAY BECK – BEAUMONT, TX
RICK GUNTER – HOLLY HILL, FL
ANTHONY GAGLIARDI – PROSPERITY, SC
RICHARD PRESTIGIACOMO – AVON PARK, FL
ERIC ISRAEL – SANDY HOOK, CT
DARRELL STEVENS – ROSELAND, VA
RICHARD PERSSON – MIAMI, FL
ROBERT VOGELSANG – JESSUP, MD
DOUG CALDWELL – KANE, PA