Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Matt Herren, Brandon Palaniuk and Chad Morgethaler will receive invitations to the 2015 Toyota Texas Bass Classic thanks to double-qualifications by three competitors.
Tournament director Lenny Francoeur told BassFan today that bids will be extended to that trio, who finished 16th, 17th and 18th, respectively, in the Elite Series Angler of the Year race. Those invitations came about because defending TTBC champion Keith Combs finished among the Top 15 in the Elite points and Jason Christie and Casey Ashley were in the Top 15 in both the Elite Series and FLW Tour races.
Francoeur explained that because the FLW Tour season wrapped up first, the initial TTBC qualifications of Christie and Ashley were deemed to have come from that circuit and they didn't double-qualify until the Elite Series Angler of the Year Championship wrapped up late last month. Therefore, their second TTBC bids were returned to the circuit from which they became double-qualified.
The same was true for Combs, who fished only the Elite Series this year.
The TTBC field has been reduced from 50 to 38 for next year. The Top 3 points finishers from the upcoming PAA Tournament Series will also get in, along with four sponsor exemptions.
The tournament will take place May 23-25 at Lake Fork.
