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NAPLES, Fla. (December 5, 2011) - For the 11th consecutive year, the Franklin Templeton Shootout comes to Southwest Florida this week where 24 individuals will compete as 12 two-man teams. The event is celebrating its 23rd year on the PGA TOUR calendar. Here are some notes regarding what has become a favorite annual gathering for professionals and amateurs:
Presidents Cup: With this being a Presidents Cup year, it is interesting to look at the all-time records of players in the field who have also competed in this biennial match between the U.S. and International teams. Steve Stricker and Webb Simpson were on the winning U.S. team last month and had a combined record of 5-3. In all, ten players in the field have represented the U.S. in these matches—Mark Calcavecchia, Stewart Cink, Chris DiMarco, Charles Howell III, Jerry Kelly, Justin Leonard, Sean O’Hair, Kenny Perry, Simpson and Stricker. This group has a combined 55-48-10 all-time record. On the International side, Greg Norman served as captain in 2009 and 2011 and competed as a player three times. Nick Price was on the International team five times. Camilo Villegas and Rory Sabbatini each competed once.
Margin of Victory: Historically, the Franklin Templeton Shootout has always been a close competition. In the past 22 years, there have been four playoffs, seven victories by one stroke and six wins by two strokes. In fact, since the tournament moved to Naples, the margin of victory has only been greater than two strokes once when Scott Hoch and Kenny Perry won by four in 2008.
Top-Five Finishes: Host Greg Norman and Mark O’Meara share the all-time record for the most top-five finishes by individuals in the Shootout with nine each. The team with the most top-five finishes in tournament history is O’Meara and Curtis Strange. This twosome accumulated five solid performances between 1989 and 1996.
Nick & Mark: Outside the Franklin Templeton Shootout competition, two players in the field have won a professional team competition as partners. Nick Price and Mark Calcavecchia captured the 2001 CVS Charity Classic. This duo will be partners at the Shootout for the first time this week.
International Flavor: Six different countries will be represented this week at the Franklin Templeton Shootout—Australia, Colombia, South Africa, Venezuela, United States and Zimbabwe.
States Represented: Looking at the birthplace of all 24 players, here are the states represented this week—Alabama, California (4), Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas (3), Vermont and Wisconsin (2).
First-Time Shootout Participants: Eight individuals will be competing in their first Shootout: Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Sean O’Hair, Scott Stallings, Webb Simpson, Brendan Steele, Bo Van Pelt and Jhonnattan Vegas.
2011 Champions: Eight players have won on the PGA TOUR this year. Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson and Steve Stricker are two-time winners while Jhonattan Vegas, Scott Stallings, Rory Sabbatini, Brendan Steele and Sean O’Hair have each earned one title in the U.S. On the Champions Tour, teammates Mark Calcavecchia and Nick Price were both winners this year as was Kenny Perry. Rickie Fowler picked up his first win as a professional this year with a victory on the OneAsia Tour. Bo Van Pelt also won on the Asia Tour.
Total # of PGA TOUR Victories: As a group, the 24 players in the field have accumulated 133 PGA TOUR victories during their respective careers. Greg Norman leads in individual titles with 20.
UPDATE World Rankings: Six players in the field are ranked among the top 35 in the world—Steve Stricker (6), Webb Simpson (9), Bo Van Pelt (24), Keegan Bradlley (27), Rickie Fowler (28) and Jason Dufner (35).
Repeat Pairings: Two teams in this year’s Shootout have been paired together prior to this year. Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker will be playing together for the fourth straight year. This twosome won in 2010 and in 2008 finished tied for 8th. Greg Norman and Scott McCarron will be a team for the second time. They were fourth in 2004.
Most Partners: Mark Calcavecchia will be playing with his 11th different partner. Calcavecchia has only played with four competitors more than once—Steve Elkington, Andrew Magee, Loren Roberts and Woody Austin. This week will mark the 16th time host Greg Norman will play with a familiar partner--Jack Nicklaus (3), Nick Price (2), Raymond Floyd (2), Steve Elkington (7) and Scott McCarron (2).
Repeat Performers: Mark Calcavecchia will be making his 17th start in the Shootout—most for any other individual in the field except for Greg Norman, who will be making his 22nd start.
Rookie Winners: Only seven players have won the Franklin Templeton Shootout in their first attempt: Mark O’Meara (1989), Curtis Strange (1989), Fred Couples (1990), Scott McCarron (1997), Hank Kuehne (2003), Rod Pampling (2006) and Woody Austin (2007).
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