Quick trivia: Who's the only 2007 rookie to qualify for next week's Forrest Wood Cup as a pro?
Answer: Bryan Thrift.
He finished 28th in the 2007 FLW Tour points to earn his berth. Three other Tour rookies made it – Matt Arey, Monte Knight, and Jim Short – but they earned their berths last year as co-anglers.
Thrift's currently 8th in the BassFan Rookie of the Year Race, which is the sport's only award that recognizes true rookies across both major tours. He was previously 3rd in the Rookie Race, but a 160th at the Detroit River dropped him to his current spot.
"To qualify for the championship was my goal starting out at the beginning of the year – it's what you want to do," Thrift told BassFan during his Cup practice at Lake Ouachita, Ark. He added that yes, he'll probably be a little nervous as the event nears, and that he doesn't know much about the lake. He's seen a lot of grass, and hopes to find some shallow fish, because he'd prefer a shallow bite to the expected dominance of deep patterns.
But he also noted, "It's going to be fun to fish for a $1 million, whether you catch them or not."
