After losing his lead on day three of the tournament, Team Evinrude angler Randall Tharp came roaring back on Sunday to capture his first FLW Forrest Wood Cup on the Red River in Shreveport, La. Tharp led the way for Team Evinrude, whose anglers swept the top five spots, making the 2013 tournament the most successful ever for bass pros running the Evinrude E-TEC engine.
Tharp hauled in an impressive 14 pounds on Sunday, giving him a four-day total of 53 pounds, 2 ounces – good for a four-pound margin of victory, a $500,000 payday and the prestigious title of 2013 Forrest Wood Cup Champion.
“Words can’t describe how happy I am about winning the FLW Championship,” Tharp said. “My Evinrude E-TEC has run flawlessly all season, so that gave me a ton of confidence to make all the runs I needed to in order to win this tournament.”
In addition to Tharp’s victory, Team Evinrude proved once again it shines brightest on fishing’s biggest stage. Last year’s champion Jacob Wheeler recovered from a slow start to finish in second, while Bryan Thrift, Kerry Milner and Larry Nixon rounded out the top five. A member of Team Evinrude has now won the FLW Championship three years in a row.
“We are ecstatic for Randall on capturing his first Forrest Wood Cup, and for the rest of Team Evinrude who displayed a remarkable amount of determination and skill,” said Krista Heidgerken, Senior Communications Specialist for Evinrude. “Taking the top five spots is an incredible feat for Team Evinrude, and we couldn’t be prouder to have these fine anglers represent BRP and the Evinrude brand.”
BRP’s Evinrude engine line-up now includes engine models from 3.5- to 300 horsepower. All engines are available at Evinrude dealerships worldwide.