Going into the final day of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Championship, the trophies have been awarded in the co-angler division, and there’s some clarity about the seven Bassmaster Classic berths on the line in the pro division. But much is left to be decided today. The following is a rundown of the unknowns going into the final day of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Championship.
1. The pro division champion, and the Classic berth that goes with it. There are many implications here, based on who wins. For instance, if Brandon Lester or Bobby Lane wins, it would give John Cox a Classic berth based on his fourth-place finish in the final Eastern Opens points standings. If Jared Lintner wins, it opens a place in next week’s Classic Bracket for Fred Roumbanis. Most importantly for Lintner, it means he won’t have to travel to Ellijay, Ga., tomorrow and compete in the Classic Bracket for a Classic berth there.
2. The Eastern Opens Angler of the Year. Brandon Lester and Bobby Lane are locked in a duel that was separated by Lane’s one point advantage before this event. Lester needs to finish two places in front of Lane to win the title, as Lane has a big advantage in the tiebreaker, which is total weight on full field days in the Eastern Opens this season.
3. The third Classic berth from the Central Opens. Frank Talley and Brad Whatley clinched the top two spots in the Central points standings. Based on the Day 2 standings, Derek Hudnall and Toby Hartsell are tied in third place. That’s based on Hudnall’s 7th-place finish on Day 2. Hudnall owns the tiebreaker, so he needs to finish no lower than 7th today to earn the Classic berth. If he drops the 8th or below, Hartsell will finish 3rd in the final Central Opens points standings. If Hudnall wins the tournament, that would also give Hartsell a berth, based on his 4th-place finish in the Central Opens standings.