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Field includes U.S. Captain Paul Azinger and World #7 Camilo Villegas
NAPLES, Fla. (Oct. 13, 2008) - Host Greg Norman announced today that defending champions Woody Austin and Mark Calcavecchia will return to Tiburón Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort December 10-14 and currently 22 of the 24 person field has been announced for The Franklin Templeton Shootout.
 Austin and Calcavecchia will return to Tiburón defend their 2007 title. |
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Among the commitments to this special 20th edition of the Shootout are members of the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team--Stewart Cink, J.B. Holmes, Kenny Perry, Steve Stricker and Boo Weekley. They will be joined by their captain Paul Azinger, who guided the U.S. to its first victory in this event since 1999.
Ian Poulter, a member of the European Ryder Cup team whose record was 4-1, is also in the field.
Norman also announced commitments from TOUR Championship winner Camilo Villegas; Hall of Fame member Nick Price; 2005 Presidents Cup star Chris DiMarco; three-time Shootout winner Fred Couples; 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson; past Shootout champions Brad Faxon, Jerry Kelly, Rocco Mediate, Jeff Sluman; five-time PGA TOUR winner Scott Verplank; eight-time PGA TOUR winner Fred Funk; and eleven-time PGA TOUR winner Scott Hoch.
Norman will appear in his 20th Franklin Templeton Shootout. First-time competitors are Poulter, Stricker and Weekley.
Five players who have committed are among the top 25 in the Official World Golf Rankings--Villegas (7), Stricker (13), Cink (14), Perry (19) and Poulter (25).
Five players, Cink, Holmes, Perry, Villegas and Weekley have won PGA TOUR events this year. Perry leads the group with three wins in 2008. Villegas won back-to-back titles during the FedEx Playoffs in September.
The final field will consist of 24 professionals paired into 12 two-person teams. The Franklin Templeton Shootout, widely regarded as the PGA TOUR's premier post-season event, will once again feature a modified alternate-shot format during the first round, a better ball Saturday and a final-round scramble. This year, Golf Channel will televise Friday and NBC will broadcast the weekend competition.
Current Alphabetical List of Participating Professionals
Tickets for Southwest Florida's only PGA TOUR sanctioned event are on sale now. Orders can be placed three ways - calling 888-66-SHARK, visiting Alf's Golf Shop in Naples or online at www.thesharkshootout.com.
For the latest Franklin Templeton Shootout news and information, please visit the official tournament Website at www.thesharkshootout.com.
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