We caught up with Buddy Gross this morning and happened to ask if he had his new blue trophy in the boat with him. Gross won the Harris Chain Elite Series tournament less than two weeks ago.
“No I don’t,” he said. “But it’ll be displayed at the Expo in Greenville. I do plan on rubbing it real good for luck before Friday.”
It was clear Gross was feeling good about life.
That wasn’t the case at the 2021 Classic. He was limping around in an ankle boot after a bad dismount from one of his horses. The accident happened shortly before the Classic. And the injury was bad enough he almost couldn’t fish. But that was his first Classic and nothing was going to stop him.
“People said I hobbled my way to 52nd place,” he laughed.