LG SKINS GAME

Fans Will Have Great Vantage Points to Watch All of the Action

LA QUINTA, Calif. - Trilogy Golf Club, the finest new golf course in the Coachella Valley, has been overseeded and manicured and is ready to host four of the greatest players in the world in the MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME on Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 27-28.

Fred Couples will attempt to defend his title against six-time PGA TOUR Player of the Year Tiger Woods, six-time LPGA Player of the Year Annika Sorenstam and sensational young Australian, Adam Scott, one of the fastest rising stars of the sport.

"The course is in fantastic shape," said Trilogy General Manager Todd Keefer. "We had so many positive comments from the players last year, there was little to change. The course is a year older, so the trees are a little larger, but other than that, it will play about the same as it did last year."

One change that has been made is in the routing. This year the course will be played to its original routing, unlike a year ago when the back nine was played on the first day. That should make Sorenstam happy because the closing hole will be the one where she chipped in for eagle on the first day last year to take the nine-hole lead.

"I really enjoyed the course," Sorenstam said. "I think it was challenging and also very fair for all of us. I had my chances out there."

Couples also enjoyed playing at Trilogy last year. "You always enjoy a course when you win," he said. "I hit the right shots at the right time. I think everyone had a chance, and that's what made it so enjoyable. I thought they did a great job in preparing this course. I am looking forward to defending my title."

Woods and Scott will be playing the course for the first time.

Trilogy Golf Club, located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains in La Quinta, Calif., was designed by Gary Panks, a noted golf architect from Scottsdale, Ariz. He is credited with more than 30 golf designs in a career that dates to 1978. Trilogy is his first project in California, but not his first for Trilogy. In addition to the La Quinta course, Panks designed Trilogy courses in Redmond, Wash., and Trilogy at Vistancia in Phoenix, Ariz.

"I really love the setting of the course," Panks said. "It is in such a beautiful location. I am very proud of this course because it offers the players some options and has great locations where fans can enjoy the action."

Panks believes the most interesting hole is the 377-yard 12th hole. "There is a 340-yard tee on that hole which could tempt some of the players to drive the green," Panks said. "I think those kinds of decisions make it exciting for the fans and players as well."

Three of the par-5 holes are going to be reachable (523 to 535 yards) for all of the players, but No. 9, at 580 yards, is a risk/reward hole.

"It's really a three-shot hole," Panks said. "The wind can be a factor. Some players might try to reach the green in two, but you can still make a birdie with a lay-up shot to the right place."

The four par-3 holes are all challenging because of the subtle undulations on the greens.

"So much will depend on the wind and pin placements," Panks said. "There are some undulations on the greens that can be deceptive, but if you hit good shots to the right places, you can make some birdies."

There are six lakes on the course that come into play to some degree on eight holes. The fairways are depressed below ground level to form many mounds, which will create better viewing areas for spectators.

"This will be a very fan-friendly course," Panks said. "I am sure it will easily be able to handle a crowd of 10,000 fans."

Todd Keefer was grateful for a new element to Skins Game history, the title sponsorship by Merrill Lynch, a leading financial management and advisory company.

"Having Merrill Lynch as the title adds not only prestige to the event," Keefer said, "but it exposes our course to a more elite fan base."

Paula Polito, head of Global Marketing for Merrill Lynch Global Private Client, agreed the partnership is ideal.

"This sponsorship gives us a chance to provide top clients and prospects with a unique, one-of-a-kind experience while aligning the company name with a prestigious event," said Polito. "Sponsoring the MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME helps us build stronger relationships with our clients and enhance our firm's visibility."

Couples, Sorenstam, Woods and Scott will be playing for a purse of $1 million, which makes THE MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME one of the richest two-day events in the history of golf. Each of the first six holes will be worth $25,000. Each of the second six holes will be worth $50,000. Nos. 13 through 17 will each be worth $70,000, and the 18th hole, the Merrill Lynch Super Skin, will be worth $200,000.  The foursome will play for $300,000 on Saturday and $700,000 on Sunday. All four players have agreed to donate 20 percent of their winnings ($200,000) out of the $1 million purse to their favorite charities.

ABC Sports will televise the MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME, a joint venture of ESPN Regional Television, Inc., and Trans World International (TWI), for the 14th year. The 22nd edition of the event, annually one of the highest rated golf telecasts, will be televised Saturday, Nov. 27 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. (ET) and Sunday, Nov. 28 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. (ET).

Tickets for the MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME, as well as corporate entertainment packages and hospitality tents, are available by calling the tournament office at (760) 771-0707 or (866) SKINTIX (754-6849).  Tickets also are available on the Trilogy website at www.trilogylife.com.

Trilogy Golf Club is the centerpiece of Trilogy at La Quinta, a residential resort community built by Shea Homes Inc., America's largest private homebuilder. The course lends itself to the natural terrain of the Coachella Valley. The par-72 course opened to public play in February 2003. Trilogy at La Quinta has been designed for baby boomers seeking a life that revolves around adventure, wellness, learning, personal growth and close connections. Trilogy has an intimate street scape that is as varied as the residents who occupy the homes. At build out, Trilogy at La Quinta is planned for 1,200 homes on 527 acres with homes ranging from 1,355 to 2,769 square feet. There are 11 floor plans to choose from priced from the low $400s.

Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) is one of the world's leading financial management and advisory companies, with offices in 35 countries and total client assets of approximately $1.5 trillion. As an investment bank, it is a leading global underwriter of debt and equity securities and strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. Through Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, the company is one of the world's largest managers of financial assets.  Firmwide assets under management total $478 billion.  For more information on Merrill Lynch, please visit www.ml.com.

ESPN Regional Television (ERT) is the nation's largest producer and distributor of collegiate sports programming, producing more than 550 sporting events per year. In addition to event sponsorship, ERT produces 400 events for national, regional and local networks, serves as the exclusive syndication rights-holder for college conferences (Big 12, Big Ten, BIG EAST, Conference USA, Mountain West and WAC) and exclusive marketing rights-holder for select schools (Kansas, Oregon, UNLV, TCU, UAB, South Florida and Iowa State). In recent years, ESPN, Inc. has created or acquired events it owns, markets and televises to increase its value to advertisers and affiliates. 

International Management Group (IMG) literally "invented" sports management and marketing more than three decades ago. Today the company is the global leader in the field. From this foundation, their expertise and resources have enabled IMG to become a major force in other entertainment, lifestyle and cultural activities. The current diversity of their endeavors reflects the measure of their success. IMG now represents athletes, performing artists, writers, fashion models, broadcasters, leading corporations, world-class events, cultural institutions and recreational resorts. All share with IMG one defining characteristic: a mission to excel.

IMG's Trans World International subsidiary, TWI, is the largest independent source and distributor of television sports programming with over 4,000 hours of programming produced and packaged annually for network broadcasts. From Wimbledon and the British Open to the sports news coverage around the globe, TWI delivers sports television and events to millions worldwide. Over the course of its history, TWI has developed the largest, most comprehensive global sports archive library and maintains important archive partnerships with major sports organizations.

Trilogy is a member of the J.F. Shea family of companies.  Over the past century, the J. F. Shea family of companies has accomplished many extraordinary milestones including completing work on the foundation of the landmark Golden Gate Bridge, working on San Francisco Bay Area's Rapid Transit System (BART) and serving as a managing partner for the construction of the Hoover Dam.  Yet, Shea's most satisfying achievements continue to revolve around listening to our customer's needs and satisfying those needs by providing an extensive selection of new home floor plans and quality workmanship in the finest neighborhoods and communities available today.  For more information please visit the company's website at www.sheahomes.com.

For more information on this year's MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME, please visit www.trilogylife.com.