Castrol pro sets sights on Forrest Wood Cup
DETROIT, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., added to
his already impressive list of career accomplishments by winning the Land
O'Lakes Angler of the Year title Friday at the Wal-Mart FLW Tour's final 2008
qualifier, the Chevy Open on the Detroit River, Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair.
Although this is Dudley's first Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year title, his
pro bass-fishing resume is extensive. In fact, Dudley owns the FLW Outdoors
career earnings record with more than $2.3 million in winnings. He was the
youngest angler in history to surpass the $1 million milestone, a feat he
accomplished in 2002 at 26 years old, and the $2 million milestone, a mark he
passed in 2006 at the age of 30. Additionally, Dudley boasts five victories -
two FLW Tours, including the Forrest Wood Cup, one Wal-Mart FLW Series, one
Stren Series and the Ranger M1.
"I've achieved the FLW Outdoors grand slam," said Dudley following
Friday's weigh-in. "I've been at this for 14 years, and I've won at every
level in the professional ranks. Now I can add Angler of the Year to the list,
and to me, that's the most important."
Dudley jumped from fifth place in the Angler of the Year standings to earn
the title with 1,003 out of a possible 1,200 points after finishing the Chevy
Open in 38th place. He just edged out National Guard pro Brent Ehler of
Redlands, Calif., who finished second with 1,002 points after finishing in
16th place. Pre-tournament leaders, Evinrude pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn.,
and Berkley pro Glenn Browne of Ocala, Fla., stumbled Friday, finishing 192
and 197, respectively.
Along with the Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year title, which annually goes
to the sport's most dominant bass angler, Dudley earned $65,000, including a
new Ranger boat powered by Yamaha and $25,000 cash.
Dudley started the FLW Tour season off with a 67th-place effort on Lake
Toho in Kissimmee, Fla. He then finished 43rd on Lewis Smith Lake in Jasper,
Ala. At the Tour's third qualifying event, the National Guard Open, on Lake
Norman in Charlotte, N.C., Dudley took 28th place. He earned a 26th-place
finish in the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake in Rogers, Ark., in May and won on
Fort Loudoun-Tellico lakes in Knoxville, Tenn., last month.
Next up for Dudley is the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and
Castrol in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 14-17. There he will face 76 other qualifiers
from the FLW Tour, FLW Series, Stren Series Championship, BFL All-American and
TBF National Championship for the sport's biggest award, $1 million.
Coverage of Dudley's historic Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year win on the
Detroit River will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers
in the United States on Aug. 31 and Sept. 7 as part of the "FLW Outdoors"
television program. "FLW Outdoors" airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in
most markets. "FLW Outdoors" is also broadcast internationally to more than
429 million households in such countries as Germany, China, South Africa,
Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the
most widely-distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.
The Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year title is determined by the total
accumulated points from six regular-season events. Two hundred points are
awarded for a win, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on.
Tournament anglers aren't the only ones winning big this season. With the
introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing(TM), FLW Outdoors(R) offers anyone the
opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the
opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players can become a
virtual pro angler by signing up for Player's Advantage, providing them with
exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at
every Wal-Mart FLW Tour(R) stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player's Advantage
will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1
million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing
cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up
for Player's Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.
Land O'Lakes, Inc. (www.landolakesinc.com) is a national, farmer-owned
food and agricultural cooperative with annual sales of more than $8 billion.
Land O'Lakes is a Fortune 500 company which does business in all 50 states and
more than 50 countries. It is a leading marketer of a full line of dairy-based
consumer, foodservice and food ingredient products across the United States;
serves its international customers with a variety of food and animal feed
ingredients; and provides farmers and ranchers with an extensive line of
agricultural supplies (feed, seed, and crop protection products) and services.
Land O'Lakes also provides agricultural assistance and technical training in
more than 25 developing nations.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger
Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008
alone, the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win
over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass,
walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking
fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy
sports: $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit
FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy
Fishing and Player's Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
SOURCE FLW Outdoors
Dave Washburn, vice president of communications of FLW Outdoors,
+1-270-252-1607
