"Team McNeil/Double Gobble", made up of pro fishermen and Richmond Hill businessmen Ellis Phillips, Rodney Rogers, Steve Miller and Michael Hodges took seventh place in the FLW Wal-Mart Professional Kingfish Tour in Beaufort, S.C.
The event is world-renowned and will be televised in October in 29 countries via the FSN network. A purse of $100,000 was on the line for the first place finisher. The team was awarded $8,000 for their seventh place finish.
This top finish puts the team 29th in points for the year which qualifies them for the national championships which will be in Biloxi, Mississippi in November.
The team was in second place on the second day of the three-day event after catching a 34-pound kingfish. They slipped a few spots on the final day but still fared well among the 80 pro teams they were competing against. This marks their second top ten FLW Tour placing, which few can boast. They have placed high in many other pro events this year as well.
"We caught our big one 20 minutes into the first day of the tournament," said Phillips. "We knew it was a good fish because that size had been winning tournaments in this area all year long."The team went on to catch a 38-pound kingfish later in the event to secure their top ten placing. Team McNeill/Double Gobble has one more pro tournament on their calendar before the nationals, which is in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina in early November. That event, as well as the national championships, will be televised on FSN.
"There is some stiff competition on the pro circuit, but nothing would make us prouder than if we could bring the national title to Richmond Hill, Georgia," Phillips said.