Johnson and Poulter Win Shootout

Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter won the Shark Shootout on Sunday, shooting a 13-under 59 in the scramble format to beat Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell by two shots.

Johnson and Poulter took the lead with birdies on their first four holes and had no trouble the rest of the way in finishing at 30-under 186. Clarke and McDowell (59) never came closer than two strokes.

The two teams passed second-round co-leaders Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker (64) and Fred Funk and Kenny Perry (66). Kelly and Stricker, the defending champions, tied for third at 26 under with Chris DiMarco and Anthony Kim (61).

The 12 teams in the tournament hosted by Greg Norman at Tiburon Golf Club played modified alternate shot in the first round and better ball in the second. Johnson and Poulter split $750,000 from the $3 million purse.

Johnson and Poulter, who played for the rival U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams two months ago, made the perfect duo in the three-format tournament.

After a birdie on No. 3, they maintained sole possession of the lead, although Clarke and McDowell gave chase.

"They kind of pushed us around," Poulter said. "You know what, making the birdies they did, it was kind of good for us to see good shot after good shot, and good putts going in. It's a lot easier to hole putts when your playing partners do."

Funk-Perry and Kelly-Stricker started the day in front by a shot, but both teams started slowly. Funk-Perry made a birdie, then eight straight pars. Kelly-Stricker had three birdies on the front.

With Johnson putting first in the scramble format, Poulter took advantage, perhaps nowhere more so than on the par-4 15th. Holding a two-shot lead, Poulter knocked his approach to 7 feet after Clarke had put his close. After Johnson missed his putt, Poulter made his to keep the two-shot advantage.

The two teams parred the par-3 16th, but with the par-5 17th ahead, Clarke and McDowell had another chance. They couldn't reach the green in two, but neither could Johnson and Poulter.

"It was definitely a lot harder than it looked," Johnson said. "Standing there we were like, 'Oh, this is a piece of cake.'"

Poulter came through, pitching to 7 feet. Then Johnson made the putt to follow Clarke and McDowell's birdie.

"Ian is one of the best chippers of the ball in the world, and he was the man for the job," McDowell said. "He was pretty clutch today. He played great."

Funk and Perry Join Shark Leaders

Champions Tour players Fred Funk and Kenny Perry shot a 10-under 62 in better-ball play Saturday for a share of the second-round lead in the Shark Shootout with defending champions

Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly.

Stricker and Kelly, who rallied to beat Perry and J.B. Holmes last year in the final round, had a 63 to match Funk and Perry at 18 under on the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort's Tiburon Golf Club course.

Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter shot a 64 to finish at 17 under.

The 12 teams will play a scramble format Sunday.

Last year, Perry and Holmes had a two-stroke lead with four holes to play in the final-round scramble format, only to see Stricker and Kelly take the title.

"I'm not taking for granted anything," said Perry, who won with John Huston in 2006 and Scott Hoch in 2008. "They're great putters; we're good putters. If I drive it well, it's going to set up the whole day for us."

Stricker and Kelly, both from Madison, Wis., birdied four of their last six holes.

"When we're playing together and we're feeding off each other, it's fun," said Kelly, who did most of the talking because Stricker is losing his voice. "A fun, competitive arena. But we're just really going to enjoy what we're doing, and not really worry about where everybody else is."

Perry birdied the first six holes of the day, and Funk made three of the team's four remaining birdies. Funk was amazed by Perry's streak, which ended when he missed a 4-footer for birdie on No. 7.

"Nobody's hit it that good for that long a stretch that I've seen," said Funk, who characterized Perry's play as the best in his 21 or 22 years of professional golf. "That was phenomenal. I've seen some really good golf for 18 holes, but that seven holes was as good a quality as you'll ever see."

Perry admitted missing the short birdie putt shook him up a little bit.

"I was so zoned in for the first seven holes, when I missed that putt on No. 7, it was like somebody stuck a needle in a balloon," he said. "Life just went right out of my body. It was the weirdest feeling. It was like all of a sudden my focus, I lost it for a few holes."

     

 Shark Shootout Round 2 Recap

Two Team Tie at Tiburon

Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly, the defending champions, and Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter put up matching 9-under 63's in the modified alternate-shot format to take the lead at Tiburon Golf Club in the end of 2010 season Shark Shootout.

Stricker and Kelly have similar games, while Johnson hits massive drives and Poulter is more accurate off the tee. Johnson and Poulter also have an edge as far as rankings with both in the top 15 in the world, while Stricker and Kelly are good friends and know how to complement each other on the course.

"We're still a great team and sometimes teams can support each other, and it can help an individual along, even though you're playing your own ball," Kelly said. "It's still a team game."

The 63s tied the mark for low score in the format in the tournament's 10 years at Tiburon.

"I think it was a dream start, to be honest," Poulter said.

The overall format record is a 57 by Fred Couples and Raymond Floyd in 1990 at Sherwood Country Club in California. The 12 teams playing in the tournament hosted by Greg Norman will play better ball Saturday, and a scramble on Sunday in the $3 million event.

Mark Calcavecchia and Jeff Overton, who grabbed the early lead with an eagle-birdie start, and Fred Funk andKenny Perry were tied for third at 8 under. Justin Leonard and Scott Verplank were fifth at 6 under.

Members of those three teams in contention have good records in the event.

Calcavecchia, who is playing in his 17th Shootout, has won twice, and so has Perry. Leonard and Verplank lost in a playoff in 2006, and tied for second last year.

Norman and partner Matt Kuchar were last in the field after a 72.

Both of the first-round leaders stumbled down the stretch.

Sitting at 8 under through 11 holes, Johnson and Poulter bogeyed the par-3 12th, and despite the long-hitting Johnson the duo parred both the par-5 14th and 17th.

"Parring the two par-5s was brutal," Johnson said. "It was no fun. No. 14 was playing pretty tough, but No. 17 was playing fairly easy. We hit four pretty good shots and we made a 5."

Poulter rued the failure to build on a strong start.

"It's just a shame that we kind of parred two of the par-5s," Poulter said. "I think we were really looking to take advantage of those, especially with Dustin's length, and how we got off to a decent start."

Stricker and Kelly were at 10 under through 15, then bogeyed the par-5 17th after Stricker knocked his second shot near the lip of a greenside bunker. Kelly was forced to play the ball directly to the left instead of straight at the pin, then barely got it out of the bunker. He missed a 10-footer for par. They missed the green at the last, but two-putted for par.

Johnson and Poulter both hit poor tee shots on the par-3 12th.

"I'm not taking the full blame on that one," Poulter joked, although he did admit he may have jinxed them when he said then they had gotten off to a good start.

Still, they're happy with where they're at and confident heading into the final two rounds.

"Our game, I think, is very good for this format," Poulter said. "Better ball (Saturday) gives us plenty of chances. I'm playing well. Dustin's hitting it long and straight, and that's dangerous.

"That's also going to be very dangerous come Sunday in that scramble format. You've just got to keep hitting good golf shots. We've certainly done that today in this format, which is the trickiest of the three."

The Shark Shootout Leaderboard

Pairings for Tiburon Shark Shootout

Matt Kuchar & Greg Norman

These two will be playing together for the first time. The tournament host had to sit out last year's competition due to a shoulder injury. Kuchar, who leads the PGA TOUR's Official Money List this season, has enjoyed his best year as a professional. The Georgia Tech graduate finished among the top 10 in 11 events, including a victory during the FedExCup Playoffs. He was a member of this year's U.S. Ryder Cup team and is ranked 10th in the world.

Jerry Kelly & Steve Stricker

The defending champions are both from Madison, Wisc., and were born exactly three months apart (Kelly-Nov. 23, 1966, Stricker-Feb. 23, 1967). They have combined for 12 PGA TOUR victories -- Kelly three and Stricker nine. Kelly has won two Shark Shootout titles in five appearances. His first came in 2006 with Rod Pampling. Stricker, currently ranked fifth in the world, will compete for the third consecutive year.

Justin Leonard & Scott Verplank

This duo has become a perennial Shootout contender in recent years and has been paired together three times in the past five years. In 2006, they lost in a playoff and last year finished tied for second once again. The formidable twosome also has a history in the Presidents Cup, with partnerships in foursomes and four-ball.

Mark Calcavecchia & Jeff Overton

This is a great veteran and rookie combination to watch. Calcavecchia has won the Shootout twice in 16 starts, most recently in 2007 with Woody Austin. Overton will be making his first appearance in Naples following an outstanding season that included three runner-up finishes, a pair of third-place finishes and a trip to the Ryder Cup.

Dustin Johnson & Ian Poulter 

No team has a better cumulative world ranking than this one -- Johnson (13th) and Poulter (14th). Although they played against each other in the Ryder Cup, both are good friends and fan favorites. The world watched Johnson in contention on Sunday during both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship and he won twice this year. Not to be outdone, Poulter, the flamboyant Englishman won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February.

Chris DiMarco & Anthony Kim

These two have won six times on TOUR and will be playing together for the first time. Both have suffered through injuries during the past few years but are back on the mend. Following a victory at the Shell Houston Open earlier this year, this will be Kim's second Shootout start. He finished eighth with teammate Mark O'Meara in 2007. DiMarco is making his fifth appearance. His best finish was third with fellow Florida Gator Camilo Villegas in 2007.

Darren Clarke & Graeme McDowell

These two Irishmen spent a lot of time together at the Ryder Cup - Clarke as a Vice Captain and McDowell as the star player who captured the decisive point for Europe. McDowell returns to the Shootout a more familiar face to the general public after his performance at Celtic Manor -- and for winning the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Clarke, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, is playing in his first Shark Shootout.

David Duval & Davis Love III

This team represents a pair of major championship winners who return to Shootout competition after playing key roles during the 1990s. Love won in 1992 with Tom Kite and Duval teamed with Fred Couples for victory in 1999. Combined they own 33 PGA TOUR titles and both have played on numerous Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams.

Jason Day & Rory Sabbatini

This International team could be in the mix Sunday. Day, now in his third year on the PGA TOUR, won earlier this season at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. The Australian will be playing in his first Shootout. Sabbatini, a five-time TOUR winner from South Africa, will compete in his third Shootout. His best finish was fourth place with Trevor Immelman in 2006.

K.J. Choi & Mike Weir

Another International duo, both of whom are playing in The Shark Shootout for the first time. The South Korean and Canadian have combined for 15 PGA TOUR titles in the past 11 years. Weir won the 2003 Masters and is a veteran of Presidents Cup matches. Choi is the first Korean to earn his PGA TOUR playing privileges and thus is instrumental in starting the golf craze that exists today in his home country.

Fred Funk & Kenny Perry

Two of the game's nicest guys and great competitors have a combined 14 appearances in the Shark Shootout. Perry is a two-time Shootout champion, most recently in 2008 with Scott Hoch. While Perry made his Champions Tour debut a few weeks ago, Funk has already enjoyed senior success, winning three major championship titles on that circuit. Together, the twosome has earned 28 titles on both the PGA TOUR and Champions Tours.

Rickie Fowler & Bubba Watson

These two represent a strong youth movement in the game of golf. Watson earned his first PGA TOUR title this year in emotional fashion and Fowler showed the world his talent and determination in singles matches at the Ryder Cup. These U.S. Ryder Cup teammates could be dangerous as the weekend approaches.

GMAC Plays Shark Shootout

An impressive field of individuals will meet as partners in Naples this week for the 22nd annual The Shark Shootout. Here are some interesting notes regarding this special group who will compete at Tiburón Golf Club for the tenth straight year.

Matt Kuchar, who will be making his fourth appearance in Naples, has enjoyed a career season. He finished the year No.1 on the Official Money List, No. 1 in Scoring Average, No. 1 in All-Around statistics and No. 1 in Top-10 finishes with 11. For his accomplishments, he earned the Arnold Palmer Award for earning $4,910,477 and the Vardon Trophy and Byron Nelson Award for his 69.61 adjusted scoring average.

McDowell, ranked No. 7 in the World Golf Rankings, added his fourth victory of the year Sunday, winning the Chevron World Challenge. (Photo: Stephen Dunn / Getty)

Seven different countries will be represented this week at The Shark Shootout--Australia, Canada, England, Northern Ireland, South Africa, South Korea and United States.

Ten players coming to Naples participated in the Ryder Cup this year--Darren Clarke, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Davis Love III, Graeme McDowell, Jeff Overton, Ian Poulter, Steve Stricker and Bubba Watson. McDowell's singles win clinched victory for the European team while Fowler's performance in the final four holes of his singles match ignited a near-comeback by the United States team.

Five individuals will be competing in their first Shark Shootout: K.J. Choi, Darren Clarke, Jason Day, Jeff Overton and Mike Weir.

In addition, David Duval and Davis Love III will be making ppearance in Naples. In fact, Love has the longest gap between starts in tournament history with 11 years. Love last played in 1998 and finished fourth with partner Brad Faxon. Duval has the second longest stretch between starts (10 years). In his last appearance, Duval won the title with partner Fred Couples in 1999.

Eight players have won on the PGA TOUR and European Tour this year. Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker are two-time winners while Jason Day, Anthony Kim, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Bubba Watson have each earned one title in the U.S. On the European Tour, McDowell won twice and Poulter added a victory a few weeks ago in Hong Kong. McDowell added his fourth victory of the year Sunday, winning the Chevron World Challenge.

As a group, the 24 players in the field have accumulated 155 PGA TOUR victories during their respective careers. Greg Norman and Davis Love III lead in individual titles with 20 each.

Eight of the 24 players in the field are currently ranked among the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking-- Steve Stricker (6), Graeme McDowell (7), Ian Poulter (10), Matt Kuchar (13), Dustin Johnson (14), Rickie Fowler (26), Anthony Kim (28) and Bubba Watson (30).

Rickie Fowler, at the age of 21, is now the youngest and second-youngest competitor in Shootout history. Last year, he became the youngest at the age of 20. Prior to that year, Bill Haas was 22 when he competed in 2004, Ryan Moore was 23 in 2005 and Anthony Kim was 22 in 2007.

Dustin Johnson was ranked third on the TOUR in Driving Distance in 2010 with a 308.5 average. Robert Garrigus led the TOUR with a 315.5 average off the tee.

Two teams in this year's Shark Shootout have been paired together prior to this year. Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker will be playing together for the third straight year. Last year, they won and in 2008 finished tied for 8th. Justin Leonard and Scott Verplank will also work together for the third time. This twosome finished second by virtue of a playoff in 2006 and also finished second last year.

Two players in the field have competed with 10 different partners through the years. Mark Calcavecchia, who will be making his 17th start, is one of those. Calcavecchia has only played with four competitors more than once--Steve Elkington, Andrew Magee, Loren Roberts and Woody Austin. Host Greg Norman, will be playing with his 10th different partner this week when he joins Matt Kuchar. Norman has played with the same partner four times--Jack Nicklaus (3), Nick Price (2), Raymond Floyd (2), Steve Elkington (7)

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 21st start.

Only seven players have won The Shark 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).

Seven competitors have won major championship titles--David Duval (British Open), Mark Calcavecchia (British Open), Justin Leonard (British Open), Davis Love III (PGA Championship), Graeme McDowell (U.S. Open), Greg Norman (British Open twice) and Mike Weir (Masters Tournament).

The Shark Shootout, created and hosted by Greg Norman, is an annual PGA TOUR sanctioned event that raises funds and awareness for CureSearch for Children's Cancer. This year marks the 10th year of the tournament's 22-year history the event will be conducted at Tiburón Golf Club, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples. 

The field consists of 24 professionals paired into 12 two-man teams. 

The Shark Shootout, widely regarded as the PGA TOUR's premier post-season event, features 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. The Shark Shootout is conducted and managed by the Greg Norman Production Company.

The Shark Shootout Leaderboard