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The Merrill Lynch Shootout is a team golf event that takes
place during the PGA Tour's Challenge Season, which begins
after the last official money event of the season, The TOUR
Championship.
The event began in 1989, and is hosted by Australian golfer
Greg Norman. The shootout takes place at The Tiburon
Golf Club in Naples, Florida. It is a 3-day, 54-hole strokeplay
event in which teams of two compete. The first round, on Friday,
uses the modified alternate shot rule; round two, Saturday,
utilizes the better ball rule; and the final round, on Sunday,
uses the scramble rule.
The Merrill Lynch Shootout was formerly known as the Franklin
Templeton Shootout, and is often called the Shark Shootout
dut to Greg Norman's nickname the "Shark".
Tiburon is a Greg Norman-designed course which has been
carved from 800 acres of beautiful Southwest Florida real
estate. The course sculpting was limited to 230 acres
to preserve as many native areas as possible. Of the 230 acres
only 90 acres are maintained as playable.
Driving areas are relatively open, but it's still an advantage
to hit the ball straight. Unlike an errand shot at other courses,
Tiburón will leave a golfer searching in the bag for
something with a little more kick. Tiburón has a
total of 36 holes of golf divided into two 18-hole courses.
Purse: $2,760,000
Winning Team Share: $337,500 per team member
Yards: 7,288
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Hole #1 Par
5 | 573 Yards
Tiburón opens with a long par 5. Players are advised
to check the distance to the lake off the tee, as it is
reachable. Hugging the right side of the fairway will
present a chance to go for the green in two. Those laying
up should take the water out of play and aim just left
of the fairway bunker. This will leave a wedge into the
small green. |
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Hole #2
Par 4 | 440 Yards
Finding the fairway is paramount on this tight, right-to-left
par 4. The support slope on the right side of the fairway
will help kick the drive around the dogleg. an accurate
second shot is required to this deep but narrow crowned
green.
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Hole #3
Par 4 | 458 Yards
Like the previous hole, the support slope on the right
side of the fairway can used to avoid the waste bunker
that protects the entire left side of the hole and extends
behind the green. The generous green is protected left
by the waste bunker and right by a collection swell. |
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Hole #4
Par 4 | 428 Yards
Aiming left of the fairway bunker from the tee leaves
an open approach to the large rolling green. The green
complex is protected on the left by the large lake that
runs along the entire hole and on the right side by the
sod-wall bunker. The smart play is to the center of the
green on the approach to take the hazards out of play. |
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Hole #5
Par 3 | 223 Yards
Wind conditions can dictate club selection on the longest
par 3 on the course. The large green is well protected
by sod-wall bunkers left and right. Again, playing to
the center of the green is the smart move here. Par is
a very good score. |
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Hole #6 Par
5 | 592 Yards
The sixth is the longest hole on the course, and the ideal
drive is up the left center of the fairway. Only the longest
players can reach the green in two, so laying up on the
left side of the fairway near the fairway bunkers leaves
the best approach to this small shallow green. |
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Hole #7 Par 4 | 396 Yards
This short par 4 demands a right-to-left drive to find
the fairway. Driver is not necessary off the tee since
the left side of the fairway leaves the best angle to
the small green.
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Hole #8 Par
3 | 172 Yards
This short par 3 is protected by a lake and sod-wall bunker
left and waste bunkers right. A high fade to the right
center of the green is the safest play. The slope of the
green can be used to collect shots to the protected left
pin placements.
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Hole #9 Par
4 | 446 Yards
Finding the fairway is paramount off the tee to this long
par 4. The right side of the fairway will leave an approach
that requires little or no carry over the water. The safe
play is to the right center of the green. Don't come up
short, as sand and water protect the front and left of
the green. |
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Hole #10 Par
4 | 374 Yards
This short left-to-right par-4 hole gives a player many
options off the tee. The conservative play is to lay up
short of the left fairway bunkers with a long iron or
fairway wood, leaving a short iron to an open green. Those
choosing driver off the tee need to play up the right
side to avoid driving through the fairway. |
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Hole #11 Par
4 | 408 Yards
The play here is a drive up the left side of this straightaway
par 4 to leave an open approach. The green is protected
on the right side by water and a sod-wall bunker. |
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Hole #12 Par
3 | 205 Yards
This long par 3 is protected by water and several large
sod-wall bunkers. Wind conditions and pin placement will
significantly affect club selection to the large green.
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Hole #13 Par
4 | 370 Yards
Accuracy off the tee is paramount on this short par 4.
Like the 10th hole, a long iron or fairway wood is the
smart play off the tee. Favoring the right side of the
fairway will leave the best approach angle. The distance
can be tricky on the approach to this small crowned green. |
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Hole #14 Par
5 | 578 Yards
This left-to-right par 5 is a three-shot hole for most
players. The longest players can cut the corner off the
tee and avoid the water to the right. The left side of
the fairway leaves the best angle for the second shot,
and players are advised to take enough club to safely
clear the water. The green is protected on the right by
a large bunker, but attention must be paid to the steep
collection swale to the left of the green |
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Hole #15 Par
4 | 435 Yards
The target off the tee on this straightaway par 4 is the
bunker on the right side of the fairway. This will leave
a medium iron to a large green protected on the left by
a large sod-wall bunker. |
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Hole #16 Par
3 | 205 Yards
Golfers shouldn't let the bunker short of the green cause
them to misjudge the distance to this par 3. Trust the
yardage for club selection on the course's final par 3.
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Hole #17 Par
5 | 534 Yards
This par 5 is reachable with a good drive up the left
side. Be aware of the water up the right side on your
second shot. Those laying up should play short of the
approach bunkers or up into the generous collection areas
left of the green. This leaves a short pitch to a small
rolling green. |
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Hole #18
A fantastic dogleg left awaits the players as they prepare
to finish their rounds. Constant accuracy is of the utmost
importance on this hole. Water guards the full length
of the hole to the left, while large spectator mounds
and trees line the right side. A collection of grass bunkers
is situated in the front-right section of the green, while
a lone sand bunker stops shots hit left and long. This
18th has become one of the premier finishing holes in
golf. There is a new spectator mound behind the green. |
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