ZANE GREY CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF PICTURE TAKING SHAPE

As the calendar turns over into August, the final chapter of the 2024 SFC Billfish Championship Season is on the horizon with the Gulf Division Championship set to take place at the Mobile Big Game Fishing Club’s Labor Day Invitational Tournament.

A familiar competition venue that has hosted SFC Qualifying Events the past two years, now set to host the final event of the 2024 Gulf Division & SFC Season.

The SFC’s Atlantic Division, which boasted record turnout this season, wrapped up on July 25, at the Tri State Canyon Shootout with team No Mercy clinching the #1 Seed on the Atlantic side of the Playoff bracket.

“We’re excited to compete in Cabo,” said Tyler Dufresne, Captain of No Mercy - a 55’ Viking based out of Palm Beach and Harwichport. “The team really ‘clicked’ at the right time, and we were able to put together a solid run in the Northeast Atlantic. We’re pumped to compete in the new playoff format to end the season.”

Team No Mercy clinched their Playoff berth earlier in the month after taking first place overall at the Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic – one of SFC’s three “win and you’re in” qualifying events. No Mercy took that momentum into the Tri States Canyons Shootout, where they were able to finish sixth in the billfish release division and ultimately clinch the top seed in the Atlantic.

The difference between the Atlantic’s first and second overall seeds came down to tiebreakers, which separated No Mercy from Lady Lisa, who will represent the Atlantic Division in the 2 seed.

“Our sights are set on winning the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs in Cabo,” said Paul Mauiri, Owner and Angler of Lady Lisa, another 55’ Viking out of Palm Beach. “We’re going to prepare to fish all three days in Mexico, and hopefully find ourselves atop the leaderboard on that final day.”

On the Gulf Division side of the bracket, it was Team Lifeline, led by Captain Blake Bridges, who walked away with an impressive victory at the Hurricane Hole Invitational, flying six billfish flags (five blue marlin, one white), and guaranteeing their shot at a Championship.

"We're excited to see how everything has come together this season," said Dino McDowell, Owner of Lifeline. "Captain Blake is an excellent leader. He consistently gets us to the fish, and it's been a remarkable team effort between our mates and whoever steps into the fighting chair. We are blessed to be on such an incredible run."

Team Lifeline currently sits atop the SFC’s Gulf Division with the win at the Hurricane Hole Invitational and a T-3 at the season’s opener at the Louisiana Open in Week 1. With their win at the Invitational, the season’s final “win and you’re in” event, their bags are packed for Cabo as well.

One final event remains on the 2024 SFC Season calendar, and there’s still a lot to be settled in the Gulf Division. Despite Lifeline sitting atop the leaderboard and clinching a spot in the Playoff, the 1 and 2 seeds in the Gulf are still up for grabs.

Fan favorites Rising Sons currently sit in the 2 seed, clinging on to their Week 1 victory in Louisiana which gives them a firm shot at an automatic qualifier into the Playoff. But with teams like Team Supreme, Southern Charm All In and Grocery Isle respectively holding Top 3 finishes during the season, they could find themselves on the outside looking in, if one of those teams wins the Labor Day Invitational.

The Zane Grey Championship Playoffs will be a “tournament inside of a tournament,” hosted alongside the Zane Grey Championship Invitational in Cabo San Lucas, October 19-21. ZGC Invitational registration is available online at https://sportfishingchampionship.com/zane-grey-championship-invitational. The field will be limited to 30 of the league’s top teams – including the Playoff teams selected to participate based on their 2024 SFC Season resume. VIP accommodations are available at the Corazon Cabo San Lucas for all registered teams, with four-night packages available, including access to VIP events to celebrate the culmination of the 2024 Season.

With so much still left to be determined, one thing is for certain, the conclusion of the 2024 SFC Season will be one for the record books and packed with excitement as the league heads into the Gulf Division Championship, August 29 – September 2, in Orange Beach, Alabama at the MBGFC. Registration for the event and additional information is available at www.mbgfc.org.

For more coverage of Sport Fishing Championship’s events, fans are encouraged to follow live coverage of the qualifying events at www.sportfishingchampionship.com and across all SFC official social media handles, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

Media Contacts:
Courtney Hueston
Director of Marketing
305-335-2613
courtney@sportfishingchampionship.com