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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.
David 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 City, State
ALVIN SHAW STATE ROAD NC
STEVE DANIEL CLEWISTON FL
MIKE TERRY OBION TN
GUIDO HIBDON GRAVOIS MILLS MO
BILL SMITH PRESTONSBURG KY
ROLAND MARTIN CLEWISTON FL
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 MANTEO 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 ECONOMOU PALM BAY FL
TOM JR MANN BUFORD GA
DAVID WALKER CANNON KY
Co-Angler Division City State
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
T 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
Uploaded: 7/23/1999
Uploaded: 7/23/1999