National Pro BBQ Tour Kicks Off 7th Season

BENTONVILLE, AR--(Marketwired - March 28, 2017) - The National Pro BBQ Tour, the biggest, most competitive barbecue tournament in America, kicked off its seventh season with plans to visit almost 30 states in America thanks to Sam's Club, the official sponsor and supplier to the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

The tour has 25 local qualifying events, where 30 of America's greatest barbecue teams will compete each week for a spot at one of the five regional events. Out of those 150 teams who make the regionals, 50 teams will move on to compete for the National Pro BBQ Tour Championship at Sam's Club's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. (Dates for the National Championship event can be found at www.kcbs.us/samstour.)

More than 700 teams will ultimately enter the tournament to claim their share of the largest prize purse in barbecue, $500,000. The one team that wins at all three levels will pocket a Grand Prize of $50,000. So far, that title has been claimed by teams from Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, and Michigan.

"This will be an amazing BBQ season based on the record-setting registration and interest already this year," said series director Michael McDearman. "I look forward to hitting the road and joining pro pitmasters to explain the growth of this sport and share their secrets with backyard grillers throughout the country."

All the events for the tour are sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, which requires them to prepare chicken, pork ribs, pork and beef brisket. A combined score of these four categories determines a team's ability to move onto the regional events and ultimately the National Championship in Bentonville, Ark.

It's a day packed with excitement not only for the teams competing, but also for the general public. Each of the tour stops will be hosted at a Sam's Club location, free of charge, where the public can interact with professionals and see how exciting a pro barbeque competition is. They'll also have the opportunity to learn more about great Sam's Club products perfect for home grilling and barbecuing, as series director McDearman demonstrates grilling tips and techniques followed by free samples.

"This tour shows the true American barbeque style of cooking that stretches all over the country -- from coast to coast, border to border," McDearman said.

The National Pro BBQ Tour is presented by Sam's Club and sponsored in part by Cargilltm, Smithfield, New Zealand Lamb, Tyson®, Bush's® Baked Beans, Tone's® Seasonings and Weber® Sauces and Seasonings. Updated information about the tour can always be found at www.kcbs.us/samstour.

About Sam's Club^®

Sam's Club^®, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in 652 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. To learn more about Sam's Club, visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam's Club on Twitter and Facebook.

About The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS)

KCBS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbeque. KCBS serves more than 50,000 active members and volunteers, while sanctioning more than 500 barbeque contests worldwide. For more information, visit us online at www.KCBS.us, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityBarbequeSociety and on Twitter @KCBBQSociety