spectr17
10-16-2001, 09:12 AM
Wal-Mart plans to alter, enrich basstournament.
By Steve Waters, S. Florida Sun Sentinel Staff Writer.
Posted October 16 2001.
The Wal-Mart FLW Tour announced Monday that its 2002 bass tournament season will feature a $650,000 increase in purses, improved TV coverage and a new championship format.
Anglers will compete for a total cash purse of $5.1 million, up from $4.45 million in 2001. Of the $650,000 increase, $350,000 will be added to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship purse, which increases from $450,000 to $800,000.
For the first time, the trail's tournaments will be broadcast live on PAX TV. Live studio coverage begins Jan. 19, with live tournament coverage starting Jan. 26 at the FLW Tour season-opener on Lake Okeechobee.
The 27-week series, which also includes live coverage of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American and the Ranger M1, will air every Saturday at 3 p.m. The Dempsey Film Group, based in Little Rock, Ark., will produce the magazine-style FLW Tour show, which will have a potential reach of 84 million households on PAX TV.
Anglers will fish on Lake Okeechobee out of Clewiston on Jan. 23-26. Other venues include Wheeler Lake near Florence, Ala., Beaver Lake near Rogers, Ark., and Shreveport, La., for the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship on Sept. 11-14.
New venues include Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs, Ark.; Old Hickory Lake near Nashville, Tenn.; and Lake Champlain near Plattsburgh, N.Y., which was the site for the 2001 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship before it was canceled following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Champlain will host the $1.05 million Forrest Wood Open on June 19-22.
More anglers will advance to the semifinal and final rounds in each regular season tournament of 2002. Whereas fields were cut from 175 pros and 175 co-anglers to 10 pros and 10 co-anglers after the two-day opening round in previous seasons, the semifinal round in 2002 events will feature 20 anglers in each division. Ten pro anglers will advance to the final round of regular season events, doubling the number from prior years.
The 2002 FLW Tour Championship will have a new bracket format in which 48 pros will be seeded based on their point standings through six qualifying events. The No. 1 seed will be pitted against the No. 48 seed and No. 2 will face No. 47, etc. After the two-day opening round, 24 anglers (based on accumulated catch weight) will advance to the one-day semifinal round.
Following the semifinal round, the 12 remaining competitors will be re-seeded for the final round based on their total three-day catch to that point. During the final round, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will compete head to head for $260,000, the richest cash award of any professional bass fishing series. Anglers seeded No. 3 and No. 4 will compete for third and fourth place money, and so on. For information, visit www.flwtour.com (http://www.flwtour.com).
By Steve Waters, S. Florida Sun Sentinel Staff Writer.
Posted October 16 2001.
The Wal-Mart FLW Tour announced Monday that its 2002 bass tournament season will feature a $650,000 increase in purses, improved TV coverage and a new championship format.
Anglers will compete for a total cash purse of $5.1 million, up from $4.45 million in 2001. Of the $650,000 increase, $350,000 will be added to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship purse, which increases from $450,000 to $800,000.
For the first time, the trail's tournaments will be broadcast live on PAX TV. Live studio coverage begins Jan. 19, with live tournament coverage starting Jan. 26 at the FLW Tour season-opener on Lake Okeechobee.
The 27-week series, which also includes live coverage of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American and the Ranger M1, will air every Saturday at 3 p.m. The Dempsey Film Group, based in Little Rock, Ark., will produce the magazine-style FLW Tour show, which will have a potential reach of 84 million households on PAX TV.
Anglers will fish on Lake Okeechobee out of Clewiston on Jan. 23-26. Other venues include Wheeler Lake near Florence, Ala., Beaver Lake near Rogers, Ark., and Shreveport, La., for the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship on Sept. 11-14.
New venues include Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs, Ark.; Old Hickory Lake near Nashville, Tenn.; and Lake Champlain near Plattsburgh, N.Y., which was the site for the 2001 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship before it was canceled following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Champlain will host the $1.05 million Forrest Wood Open on June 19-22.
More anglers will advance to the semifinal and final rounds in each regular season tournament of 2002. Whereas fields were cut from 175 pros and 175 co-anglers to 10 pros and 10 co-anglers after the two-day opening round in previous seasons, the semifinal round in 2002 events will feature 20 anglers in each division. Ten pro anglers will advance to the final round of regular season events, doubling the number from prior years.
The 2002 FLW Tour Championship will have a new bracket format in which 48 pros will be seeded based on their point standings through six qualifying events. The No. 1 seed will be pitted against the No. 48 seed and No. 2 will face No. 47, etc. After the two-day opening round, 24 anglers (based on accumulated catch weight) will advance to the one-day semifinal round.
Following the semifinal round, the 12 remaining competitors will be re-seeded for the final round based on their total three-day catch to that point. During the final round, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will compete head to head for $260,000, the richest cash award of any professional bass fishing series. Anglers seeded No. 3 and No. 4 will compete for third and fourth place money, and so on. For information, visit www.flwtour.com (http://www.flwtour.com).