Cliff Pace, the reigning Bassmaster Classic champion, will miss this year's Classic at Lake Guntersville next month after breaking his left leg while climbing out of a tree stand during a deer hunting outing Friday near his home in Mississippi.
According to a story posted on Bassmaster.com, Pace was hunting alone and was exiting his tree stand when his hand slipped out of his glove on his way down from the stand. He landed on his feet, but his left foot landed in a hole and he suffered breaks above and below his knee along with a torn ACL.
He underwent surgery Saturday and is not expected to be able to put any weight on his left leg for 10 to 12 weeks, which means he could miss a good portion of the Elite Series season. B.A.S.S. announced in the story that Pace's Classic qualification will be deferred to 2015.
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