The QBE Shootout is a teamgolf event that takes place on the PGA Tour as an unofficial money event. It was originally played during the off-season, but now it is played during the wrap-around season's December break. The event began in 1989, and is hosted by legendary golfer Greg Norman. The tournament was named the Shark Shootout from 1991 to 2010, after the player's nickname. The first eleven editions of the tournament were played at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. It was then played for one year at Doral Resort & Spa, on the Norman designed Great White Course, before moving to Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Floridain 2001, where it is played over the Norman designed Gold Course.
First round – scramble – also known as ambrose or best-shot; each player in a team tees off on each hole, and the players decide which shot was best. Every player then plays their second shot from within a clublength of where the best shot has come to rest, and the procedure is repeated until the hole is finished.
Second round – greensomes – also known as Scotch Foursomes, follows the same format as foursomes except that both players tee off on every hole. The better ball is chosen and alternate strokes are then played to complete the hole.
Final round – better ball – Each golfer plays their own ball from where it lies throughout the round. A team's number of strokes for a given hole is that of the lower scoring team member. It is also known as best ball or, more properly, better ball.
Broadcasting history
The event was originally broadcast in the United States by the USA Network and CBS, with USA broadcasting the first round on a tape-delayed basis, and CBS handling the second round live. Not all the country saw the final round live, as CBS's commitment to the NFL only allows part of the country to see the round as it takes place, with the rest of the U.S. seeing the event beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. In 2007, the event was moved to December, and was broadcast live by both Golf Channel and NBC. It remained on these networks through 2013. In 2014, weekend coverage moved to Fox, for which host Norman is an analyst. The telecast served as a prelude to Fox's coverage of the 2015 U.S. Open. In 2017, weekend coverage returned to NBC.
