Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 9
Today’s matchup: Todd Faircloth, Dean Rojas, Cody Bird and Danny Correia
With the 2005 FLW Tour Championship quickly approaching, FLWOutdoors.com once again will be hosting our own version of the “virtual championship” – a featured daily poll where readers can make their own picks and weigh in on exactly who they think will be crowned champion during the July 13-16 year-ending event in Hot Springs, Ark. In the final days before the championship, FLWOutdoors.com will be asking readers to vote each day on who they think will advance in each of the daily bracket challenges.
Polls are located in the lower right-hand corner of FLWOutdoors.com’s home page and in the same area of the FLW Tour page. After each day’s votes are tabulated, the virtual championship bracket will be immediately updated to reflect the readers’ choices. Full details of Virtual Championship 2005 are provided underneath that bracket layout.
Today’s featured four-man bracket matchup – Todd Faircloth, Dean Rojas, Cody Bird and Danny Correia
Todd Faircloth – No. 11 seed: Though Faircloth has been around the FLW Tour since 2000, this year was his first attempt at a full season, and he established himself as a force to be reckoned with thanks to his solid 11th-place ranking. A resident of Jasper, Texas, Faircloth is much more than just a Sam Rayburn hotshot – his performances this year were steady and consistent except for a stumble on Wheeler Lake. His best effort of the year was 11th at the Chevy Open on the Potomac River, a big-bass haven. It does seem that Faircloth performs well on big-bass waters, which may prove difficult on Lake Hamilton, but if consistency is indeed his game, he should do well.
Dean Rojas – No. 38 seed: Faircloth may be riding a wave of FLW Tour success, but he’s got a formidable foe en route to a $500,000 payday – fellow Texas pro Dean Rojas. A well-known big-bass expert, Rojas typically fares well when he competes in all six FLW Tour events within a season. This year, though, was not his best, though a respectable 38th was still plenty high enough for Rojas to claim a third career championship berth. Rojas – a world-record holder for his 45-pound, 2-ounce stringer on Lake Toho a few years back – kicked off the season on a high note with a third-place finish on Lake Okeechobee, his fifth top-10 on the FLW Tour and his second on the Big O. He followed that up with a 25th-place effort on Toho before sliding a bit, but don’t count him out. Rojas may not appear to have the momentum right now, but the fierce competitor loves a challenge and will certainly bounce back.
Cody Bird – No. 14 seed: After missing the championship last year, Bird is back for his second go-round at the big show, having finished fourth in 2003 in his first attempt. Over the years, Bird has rivaled Clark Wendlandt as the Beaver Lake expert, and he added another notch to his column this year with a sixth-place finish there, his season best. Except for a tough tournament on Lake Toho, Bird fished a solid season that earned him a check in five out of six events. Bird, a former EverStart Series Central Division points champion from Texas, seems to fare well in Arkansas and has the stats to prove it – besides Beaver, he also has good showings on Lake Ouachita and the Arkansas River. Could Lake Hamilton be next?
Danny Correia – No. 35 seed: Nice guy Correia slipped into the championship in 35th on the heels of his best season yet on the FLW Tour. In 2005, the Marlborough, Mass., resident showed he knew a thing or two about fishing in the South, stringing together a series of finishes inside the top 50 that earned him several good checks. His best finish came on the Ouachita River in Louisiana, where he took 35th, and he earned big-bass honors on the Potomac River when he caught a 6-pound, 9-ouncer. It was his performance on the Potomac that vaulted him into the championship, where he will make his first attempt at fishing for the big half-million-dollar prize. After years of success on the Bassmaster trails, one can expect more good things from Correia – perhaps starting at the FLW Tour Championship.
Poll results
Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 8
Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 7
Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 6
Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 5
Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 4
Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 3
Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 2
Virtual Championship 2005: Bracket 1
Welcome to the 2005 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship