LG SKINS GAME

2004 MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME
Sunday's Results
Trilogy Golf Club at Trilogy Resort at La Quinta
November 28, 2004

HOLE WINNER WINNING SHOT MONEY SKINS
    10 Fred Couples 27-foot birdie putt $300,000 8 
    11 --- --- --- -
    12  --- --- --- - 
    13 --- --- --- -
     14    --- --- --- -
    15 Tiger Woods 6-foot birdie putt $310,000 5
    16 --- --- --- -
    17 --- --- --- -
    18 --- --- --- -
   * 18  SORENSTAM AND SCOTT ELIMINATED  
   * 17 --- --- --- -
   * 18 --- --- --- -
   * 17 Fred Couples 1-foot par putt $340,000 3

SATURDAY    SUNDAY   TOTAL
Player Skins Money  Skins  Money  Skins           Money 
Tiger Woods 0 0     5 $310,000 5 $310,000
Fred Couples 0 0              11 $640,000  11 $640,000
Adam Scott 2 $50,000 0 $0 2 $50,000
Annika Sorenstam 0 0 0 $0 0 $0

Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 18 17 18 17 Money
Par 4 3 4 4 4 4 5 3 5     
Fred Couples 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 5 3 $640,000
Adam Scott 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5    $50,000
Annika Sorenstam 4 3 4 4 4 5 5 4 5 5    $0
Tiger Woods 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 3 5 4 $310,000

 MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME SHOT-BY-SHOT
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2004 at Trilogy Golf Club
Trilogy Golf Club at Trilogy Resort at La Quinta

No. 10 - 446 yards, Par 4, 8 SKINS, $300,000
Adam Scott hits 303-yard drive to right rough, hits PW from 143 yards to 45 feet, misses putt.
Tiger Woods hits 365-yard drive over bunker and into light rough, hits LW from 81 yards to 18 feet,  misses putt to tie Couples.
Fred Couples hits 313-yard drive down right side of fairway, hits SW from 133 yards to 27 feet, makes putt for birdie.
Annika Sorenstam hits 302-yard drive down the middle, hits 9-iron from 144 yards to just off back of green, chips to 2 feet.
COUPLES WINS 8 SKINS AND $300,000 WITH BIRDIE. NEXT HOLE WORTH $50,000

No. 11 - 135 yards, Par 3, $50,000
Couples hits PW to 18 feet, putt misses right.
Scott hits PW right of green, putt off back of green is short.
Woods hits PW to 20 feet, putt misses on right, makes par.
Sorenstam hits PW to 35 feet, misses putt, taps in for par.
HOLE IS HALVED, NEXT HOLE WORTH 2 SKINS AND $100,000

No. 12 - 377 yards, Par 4, 2 SKINS, $100,000
Couples hits 275-yard drive down right side, hits SW from 102 yards to 102 feet, birdie putt to match Scott is good.
Scott hits  292-yard drive down right side, hits LW from 85 yards to 18 feet, makes birdie putt.
Woods hits 306-yard drive down middle, hits LW from 71 yards to 4feet
Sorenstam hits 266-yard drive down middle, hits PWfrom 111 yards to 20 feet, misses putt.
HOLE IS HALVED, NEXT HOLE IS WORTH 3 SKINS AND $170,000.

No. 13 - 417 yards, Par 4, 3 SKINS, $170,000
Couples hits 263 yard drive just short of lake, hits PW from 154 yards to 12 feet, misses putt.
Woods hits 318 yard drive into rough, SW from 99 yards to just off edge of green, chips from 20 feet to edge of cup, taps in for par.
Scott hits 279-yard drive through the fairway and into rough, hits SW from 138 yards to 25 feet, missed the putt.
Sorenstam hits 249-yard drive through fairway and into rough, hits 9-iron from 168 yards into bunker, blasts out to 6feet.
HOLE IS HALVED, NEXT HOLE IS WORTH 4 SKINS AND $240,000

No. 14 - 448 yards, Par 4, 4 SKINS, $240,000
Couples hits 359-yards drive, hits LW from 89 yards that bounces over green, chips to 5 feet, makes putt to match Scott.
Scott hits 372-yard drive, hits LW from 76 yards right of green, chip misses right edge, taps in for par.
Woods hits 349-yard drive, hits LW from 99 yards to 18 feet, misses putt on right.
Sorenstam hits 308-yard drive down the middle, hits PW from 140 yards that bounces over green, chips from 70 feet to 5 feet.
HOLE IS HALVED, NEXT HOLE IS WORTH 5 SKINS AND $310,000

No. 15 - 421 yards, Par 4, 5 SKINS, $310,000
Couples hits 277-yard drive into left rough, hits 7-iron from 144 yards to 45 feet, misses putt.
Scott hits272-yard drive into left rough, hits 8-iron to 50 feet, misses on right.
Woods hits 273-yard drive down the middle, hits 6-iron from 148 yards to 6 feet, makes birdie putt to win 5 skins and $310,000.
Sorenstam hits 228-yard drive into left rough, hits 4-wood from 193 yards over the green, chips from 120 feet to 20 feet, misses par putt.
WOODS WINS 5 SKINS AND $310,000 WITH BIRDIE. NEXT HOLE WORTH $70,000

No. 16 - 533 yards, Par 5, $70,000
Woods hits 297-yard drive, hits 2-iron just short of green, LW from 39 yards to 5 feet, birdie putt is good.
Couples hits 286-yard drive into left rough, hits 3-wood just short of green, PW from 20 feet to 8 feet.
Scott hits 269-yard drive into left rough, hits 3-wood from 264 yards just short of green, LW from 64 yards to 5 feet, birdie putt to match Woods is good.
Sorenstam hits 230-yard drive into right rough, hits 7-wood, PW from 105 yards to 40 feet, putt is short, makes par.
HOLE IS HALVED, NEXT HOLE IS WORTH 2 SKINS AND $140,000

No. 17 - 204 yards, Par 3, 2 SKINS, $140,000
Woods hits 4-iron to 45 feet from pin, just misses putt, makes par.
Couples hits 4-iron to 45 feet from pin, just misses putt, makes par.
Scott hits 4-iron to right of green, chips to 5 feet, misses putt.
Sorenstam hits 4-wood into bunker, blasts past hole and off the green.
HOLE IS HALVED, LAST HOLE IS WORTH 3 SKINS AND $340,000.

No. 18 - 524 yards, Par 5, 3 SKINS, $340,000
Woods hits 282-yard drive to left rough, hits 3-wood from 242 yards just short of green, chips from 80 feet to 3 feet, makes birdie putt.
Couples hits 281-yard drive down middle, hits 3-wood from 243 yards right of green, chips to 3 feet, makes birdie to tie Woods.
Scott hits 275-yard drive down the middle, hits 3-wood from 249 yards into bunker, blasts out to 20 feet, misses birdie putt.
Sorenstam hits 233-yard drive down the middle, hits 3-wood, PW short of green, PW short again, chips past hole and picks up.
HOLE IS HALVED. FIRST PLAYOFF HOLE IS WORTH 3 SKINS AND $340,000.

PLAYOFF HOLES

No. 18 - 524 yards, Par 5, 3 SKINS, $340,000
Woods hits 298-yard drive, hits 2-iron from 226 yards to 55 feet, putt just misses, taps in for birdie.
Couples hits 288-yard drive, hits 3-wood from 236 yard to right side of green, PW from 65 feet to 2 feet, taps in for birdie.
Scott hits  267-yard drive into left rough, hits 3-wood from 257 yards into bunker, blasts to short of green, chips to 12 feet
Sorenstam hits 260-yards drive down the middle, hits 4-wood from 264 yards into right rough, hits PW from 80 yards iron over green, chips past hole.
WOODS AND COUPLES BIRDIE HOLE, SORENSTAM AND SCOTT ELIMINATED
PLAYOFF CONTINUES AT 17TH HOLE

No. 17 - 204 yards, Par 3, 3 SKINS, $340,000
Woods hits3-iron to 10 feet, misses on left.
Couples hits 3-iron to 40 feet, just misses on the left.
HOLE IS HALVED

No. 18 - 524 yards, Par 5, 3 SKINS, $340,000
Woods hit drive into left rough, hits 3-wood into rough short of green, chips to 15 feet
Couples hit drive left of cartpath, hits 3-wood just short of green, chips to 12 feet

No. 17 - 204 yards, Par 3, 3 SKINS, $340,000
Woods hits 3-iron into lake, hits  third shot right of hole, chips 8 feet past hole.
Couples hits 3-iron to 25 feet, legs to 1 foot, taps in for par. He wins 3 skins and $340,000 to win MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME with 11 skins and $640,000. Woods is second with 5 skins and $310,000, Scott is third with 2 skins and $50,000, and Sorenstam was blanked.

SATURDAY    SUNDAY   TOTAL
Player Skins Money  Skins  Money  Skins           Money 
Fred Couples 0 $0               11  $640,000 11  $640,000
Tiger Woods 0 $0 5  $310,000  5 $310,000
Adam Scott 2 $50,000 0    $0  2 $50,000 
Annika Sorenstam 0 $0   0 $0 0      $0   

 MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME NOTES
Trilogy Golf Club at La Quinta
Sunday, November 28, 2004

THE WINNER . . . . AGAIN
FRED COUPLES won the MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME for the fifth time. He won 11 skins and $640,000 to increase his lifetime records in the event to 77 skins and $3,515,000.

ANOTHER PLAYOFF
The playoff was the 13th in MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME history.

THE $3 MILLION DOLLAR MAN...Fred Couples started the morning off by sinking a 27-foot birdie putt to earn $300,000 and eight SKINS on the first hole of Sunday's competition.    The eight SKINS on one hole are the third greatest of all-time.  Greg Norman had 18 in 2001 with the validation format.  Jack Nicklaus won nine SKINS in 1984 and Couples matched the late Payne Stewart, who had eight in 1991.

MONEY ON THE LINE...With no winner through the final seven holes on Saturday, the players opened play with the largest carryover in MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME history with eight skins and $300,000 on the table for the opening 10th hole on Sunday.

WOODS BREAKS THE ICE...Tiger Woods surpassed his four-year Merrill Lynch SKINS GAME total money won when he won $310,000 and five SKINS on the 15th hole in Sunday's play.  Woods had won $225,000 and nine SKINS in four previous SKINS GAMES.  His previous best for a year was his last visit here in 2002 when he went home with $125,000. The total moves his career SKINS earnings to $535,000 and into 10th spot on the all-time money list.  Woods tied Fuzzy Zoeller for the most money won on Sunday at $310,000 on the all-time list.

ROOKIE WINNERS...Adam Scott was trying to become the sixth rookie winner of the MERRILL LYNCH SKINS GAME. Fuzzy Zoeller was the first rookie to win when he won 9 skins and $255,000 at Bear Creek in Temecula, Calif., in 1985. The other rookie winners were Raymond Floyd, 12 skins, $290,000 at the Stadium Course at PGA West in 1988, Payne Stewart, 8 skins, $260,000 at the Stadium Course at PGA West in 1991, Tom Lehman, 10 skins, $300,000 at Rancho La Quinta in 1997 and Colin Montgomerie, 6 skins, $415,000 at Landmark Golf Club.

17TH HOLE A WINNER...Four contestants in a national sweepstakes by FORD were hoping to have their player hit their shot closest to the hole on No. 17 to earn them a Ford 500.  Jeff Marler, who just returned from Air Force duty in Iraq, had Tiger Woods and won the car.  Woods beat Couples by a matter of inches.  Justin Snyder of Las Vegas had Fred Couples, Doug Sokoll of Las Vegas had Adam Scott, and Corey Hall of Phoenix, Ariz., had Annika Sorenstam.

THIRD MOST MONEY FOR ONE HOLE...The $340,000 on the final hole ties for the third largest money hole in history.  Colin Montgomerie won $340,000 on the 18th hole in 2000.  The two previous highs are Greg Norman, who pocketed $800,000 in the validation format in 2001 on the 17th hole and Fred Couples, who won $410,000 in 1999 on the 18th hole.

CHARITY WINS AGAIN...Each player donated 20 percent of their earnings to their favorite charity.  Fred Couples played for the Breast Research Center of Santa Barbara; Tiger Woods played for the Tiger Woods Foundation; Adam Scott played for the Adam Scott Foundation and Annika Sorenstam played for the Annika and David Esch Charitable Trust.

SATURDAY BREAKDOWN...
    Couples Scott  Sorenstam  Woods
Eagles          0      0          0         0
Birdies         2      4          1         3
Pars          6      4                          6         6
Bogeys         1      1          2         0

SUNDAY BREAKDOWN
Eagles         0      0          0         0
Birdies        3      1          0         3
Pars         6      7          7         6
Bogeys        0      1          2         0

TOTALS
Eagles                       0      0          0         0
Birdies        5      5                   1                      6
Pars        12     11         13         12
Bogeys           1        2            4              0

With his birdie on the 10th hole to begin day two of the Merrill Lynch Skins Game, Fred Couples earned eight skins and $300,000 to move over the $3-million mark in career earnings at the tournament. Couples came into the event with $2,875,000 in his previous 10 appearances. Couples also brought his tournament-leading career skins total to 74.

Fred Couples picked up three more skins (77) and $340,000 by winning the four-hole playoff over Tiger Woods (Adam Scott and Annika Sorenstam were eliminated after the first hole) to bring his career-total to $3,515,000. The next closest competitor in tournament history is Greg Norman with $1,115,000 in four appearances. It was also Couples' fifth title in the event.

The eight skins earned by Fred Couples on the 10th hole on Sunday was the highest single day total for Couples in his 11 appearances. His previous best for a single day was seven on Sunday 1995, Sunday 1996 and Sunday 2003. In fact, it would also tie for his fourth highest total skins. He had 11 in 1999, nine in 1994 and 1996, and eight in 1992 and 2003.

The eight skins also tied Fred Couples for third-most skins earned on one hole. The record is 17 by Greg Norman in 2001, under a different rule format. Jack Nicklaus earned nine in 1984, while Payne Stewart had eight in 1991.

The $300,000 earned by Fred Couples on the 10th hole was more than his total earnings for eight of his previous appearances. The only two years he did not surpass were 2003 when he earned $580,000 and 1999 when he earned $510,000.

The 11 total skins captured by Fred Couples on Sunday was the second highest total in tournament history behind the 18 won by Greg Norman during the 2001 event, which was played under different rules. The 11-skin two-day total for Couples tied for fourth most in tournament history and matched his career-best of 11 in 1999.

The $640,000 won by Fred Couples on Sunday was the second-highest Sunday total in tournament history behind the $1 million won by Greg Norman during the 2001 event, which was played under different rules. It was also the second most won in one year behind Norman. Couples career Sunday total now stands at $2,970,000

Tiger Woods birdie on the par-4 15th hole earned him five skins and $310,000. The money was more than Woods had earned in four previous appearances combined ($225,000). The five skins were also the most earned by Woods on one hole. His previous high was three, which he had done twice previously, most recently on Saturday 2002.

Coming into the 2004 tournament, 18 players had not earned a skin during the two-day event. Annika Sorenstam, who recorded five skins in 2003, became No. 19 after not pocketing a skin in 2004.

The playoff was the 13th in the 22-year history of the Merrill Lynch Skins Game. For the second straight year, the playoff lasted four holes.

The two skins earned by the foursome of Fred Couples, Adam Scott, Annika Sorenstam and Tiger Woods on Saturday, were the least amount earned in a first day of the event in the 22-year history of the tournament. Scott, a rookie in the event, earned the two skins wirth $50,000 with a birdie on the par-4 second hole. The previous low was six in 1983, 1985 and 1991.

Note to the above...In 2001, no player earned a skin through the first 16 holes but that year a new rule was instituted to make it more difficult to earn a skin. Under the rule, a player winning a hole did not own the skin or the money unless he validated it by winning or halving the following hole. Greg Norman captured 17 skins and then won the 18th hole as well.

Defending champion Fred Couples was shut out on Saturday for just the fourth time in 11 appearances at the Merrill Lynch Skins Game. His 11 appearances are the most by any player and he became the sixth defending champion to be shut out on a Saturday. The others: Jack Nicklaus (1984 at Desert Highlands CC), Fuzzy Zoeller (1985 at Bear Creek CC), Payne Stewart (1991 at TPC at PGA West), Couples (1995 at BIGHORN GC) and Greg Norman (2001 at Landmark GC).