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NAPLES, Fla. -- Host Greg Norman announced Thursday that the 24-player field is complete as the Merrill Lynch Shootout readies for another excitement-filled week at Tiburón Golf Club Dec. 5-9.

Rod Pampling and Jerry Kelly with the trophy after the third and final round of the Merrill Lynch Shootout at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 12, 2006. (Cohen/WireImage)

Among the players to join the field is Steve Stricker, who has ascended to the fifth position in the Official World Golf Ranking. Stricker, who finished second in the inaugural FedExCup standings, had one of the strongest second-half performances of the 2007 PGA TOUR season.

"Steve's remarkable run started last year when his peers voted him Comeback Player of the Year," said Norman. "Then he came out this season and played even better. His presence greatly enhances what I believe is the best field we have assembled since moving to Naples seven years ago."

Starting with a runner-up finish to Tiger Woods at the Wachovia Championship in May, Stricker accumulated six of his nine top-10 finishes through September and went on to earn three points for the U.S. side in the Presidents Cup. Included in his stellar run was an emotional victory at The Barclays -- his first TOUR victory since 2001 -- and the first of three straight top-10s in the FedExCup playoffs.

Norman also announced 2007 PGA TOUR Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Anthony Kim will make his initial Shootout appearance. Returning Shootout veterans include Jeff Sluman, Scott Hoch, Scott McCarron and Steve Elkington, who have amassed 41 tournament appearances. Sluman, McCarron and Elkington have combined to win eight Merrill Lynch Shootout titles.

Norman intends to assemble the teams and announce all 12 pairings for the 24-player event by the end of October.

Among the commitments to the 19th edition of the Merrill Lynch Shootout are eight winners on the 2007 PGA TOUR schedule -- Woody Austin, Charles Howell III, Fred Funk, Mark Calcavecchia, Scott Verplank, Justin Leonard, Stricker and two-time champion Zach Johnson, who donned the Green Jacket after a two-shot victory over Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini at the Masters in April.

Justin Leonard plays his third shot from the water's edge on the 18th hole at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 12, 2006. (Cohen/WireImage)

Norman previously announced commitments from defending champions Jerry Kelly and Rod Pampling; nine-time TOUR winner Kenny Perry; four-time TOUR champion Stewart Cink; World Golf Hall of Fame member Nick Price; 2005 Presidents Cup star Chris DiMarco; three-time Shootout winner Fred Couples; two-time major champions John Daly and Mark O'Meara; and international star Camilo Villegas, who recorded three top-10 finishes in the four FedExCup playoff events.

Norman will appear in his 19th Merrill Lynch Shootout. First-time competitors are Austin, Johnson, Kim, Stricker and Villegas. DiMarco will be making his first appearance in Naples.

Eight of the 24 players in the field earned a spot in THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, a field limited to the top 30 in the FedExCup standings. Five of those -- Calcavecchia, Cink, Stricker, Verplank and Villegas -- had a combined 10 top-10 finishes during the four-week PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

Austin, Cink, Howell III, Johnson, Stricker and Verplank all were members of the victorious U.S. Team at the 2007 Presidents Cup. The sixsome recorded a record of 15-8-3 at Royal Montreal, and Cink secured the winning point for the U.S. team Sunday. Verplank led the group with a 4-0-0 individual record.

The Merrill Lynch 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. In 2007, GOLF CHANNEL will televise Friday, and NBC will broadcast the weekend competition.

Tickets for the $2.8 million event are on sale now. Orders can be placed three ways - calling 888-66-SHARK, visiting Alf's Golf Shop in Naples or visiting www.mlshootout.com.

For the latest Merrill Lynch Shootout news and information, please visit the official tournament Web site at http://www.mlshootout.com/