Five 2009 Champions Highlight Field As The Shark Shootout Returns to Naples for Ninth Year

Field includes World #3 Steve Stricker and #6 Kenny Perry

NAPLES, Fla. (Oct. 2, 2009) - Host Greg Norman announced today that defending champions Kenny Perry and Scott Hoch will return to Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort December 9-13 for The Shark Shootout.

Norman, the tournament host for this 21st edition, also announced a total of 19 competitors scheduled to compete in the 24-person, 12-team field.

Hoch and Perry will return to Tiburón defend their 2008 title.

The group represents success in various categories on golf's worldwide stage.

Five players among the initial commitments won PGA TOUR tournaments during the 2009 season and four of those are multiple winners this year. This group accumulated eleven tournament victories this year. Steve Stricker won three times while Zach Johnson, Brian Gay and Perry each won two titles. Jerry Kelly won the 2009 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This same group competed in last week's 30-player TOUR Championship.

Eight players are currently ranked among the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking-- Stricker (3), Perry (6), Johnson (18), Ian Poulter (20), Ross Fisher (25), Justin Leonard (37), Gay (38) and Scott Verplank (48).

Several past champions of The Shark Shootout will return. While Hoch and Perry are the most recent, Fred Couples has won three times while Mark Calcavecchia and Jeff Sluman have won twice, Norman and Kelly once.

Eight major championship winners are in the field this year, including World Golf Hall of Fame member Nick Price. Price leads the group with two PGA Championships and a British Open. Other major champions are Couples, Calcavecchia, Johnson, Leonard, Norman, Leonard and Sluman.

Fred Funk, winner of the U.S. Senior Open a few weeks ago, will return for his eighth straight appearance. Three-time TOUR winner Chris DiMarco will compete in his fourth Shootout. This twosome was a team last year. However, they had to withdraw in the final round due an injury to Funk's knee.

Chad Campbell, a four-time TOUR winner, will compete in his fourth shootout and Boo Weekley, a 2008 Ryder Cup standout, will return after finishing 2nd in his Shootout debut last year.

Co-defending champion Perry, received the prestigious Payne Stewart Award last week. The award is given annually to a player sharing Stewart's respect for the traditions of the game.

This will mark Norman's 21st appearance in The Shark Shootout, held annually to raise funds and awareness for CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation.

The final field will consist of 24 professionals paired into 12 two-person teams. The Shark 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

Mark Calcavecchia	Scott Hoch	Nick Price
Chad Campbell	Zach Johnson	Jeff Sluman
Fred Couples	Jerry Kelly	Steve Stricker
Chris DiMarco	Justin Leonard	Scott Verplank
Ross Fisher	Greg Norman	Boo Weekley
Fred Funk	Kenny Perry
Brian Gay	Ian Poulter

Tickets for Southwest Florida's only PGA TOUR sanctioned event go on sale next Monday, October 5. Orders can be placed four ways - calling 888-66-SHARK, visiting Alf's Golf Shop in Naples or Lumpy's in Fort Myers or online at www.thesharkshootout.com.

For the latest Shark Shootout news and information, please visit the official tournament Website at www.thesharkshootout.com.

About Greg Norman Production Company

The Greg Norman Production Company (GNPC), a subsidiary of Great White Shark Enterprises, is devoted to event management and sports marketing. The GNPC is proud to operate the PGA TOUR-sanctioned Mayakoba Golf Classic & The Shark Shootout, Golf PARa Todos, Three Friends: One Goal, Greg Norman Estates events and many other corporate and special events. The GNPC prides itself on producing events and marketing initiatives that not only reflect the discerning standards of its namesake, but of its clients as well.

About Tiburón Golf Club

Tiburón Golf Club, a WCI managed facility, featuring two Greg Norman-designed golf courses, was carved from 800 acres of prime southwest Florida real estate. The courses reflect Norman's appreciation for pristine natural settings and his passion for great golf. The Black and The Gold courses contain a combination of stacked sod-wall bunkers and tricky coquina waste bunkers. Certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International, Tiburón reflects a strong commitment to enhancing and protecting the natural resources.

About The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples

The AAA Five Diamond Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples is renowned for its outstanding service, incredible cuisine and luxurious accommodations with panoramic views. The 295-room Mediterranean-style resort, ranked as the top golf resort in Florida by Golf Digest (October 2009), is home to a pair of 18-hole signature Greg Norman golf courses at Tiburón and hosts the annual PGA TOUR Shark Shootout. The Tiburón Golf Course complex is complete with the Rick Smith Golf Academy, recognized as one of the top academies in the country.

About CureSearch for Children's Cancer

CureSearch for Children's Cancer funds the lifesaving, collaborative research of the Children's Oncology Group, the largest, cooperative pediatric cancer research organization in the world--essentially a "cancer center without walls." With more than 5,000 physicians, nurses, and other researchers at 230 hospitals in North America and around the world, this group treats 90% of children with cancer. For more information visit www.CureSearch.org or call 800.458.6223.

Contact

Lee Patterson
The Shark Shootout
704-553-4790
pattersonprinc@yahoo.com

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