Tiburón To Host CEO Golf Challenge

Boulder, CO, September 3, 2008 -- CEO Challenges, the world leader in sport competitions for CEOs, in partnership with AIG, announces an exciting CEO Golf Challenge at the Greg Norman-designed Tiburón Golf Club Black Course in Naples, Fla. The two top CEOs from this challenge will earn coveted spots to the Merrill Lynch Shootout Pro-Am. The CEO Golf Challenge will be held on Dec. 9, 2008. The Merrill Lynch Shootout Pro-Am will be held Dec. 10 and Dec. 11.

The two top CEOs from the challenge earn coveted spots in the Merrill Lynch Shootout Pro-Am.

In addition, Norman, ranked the top golfer in the world for much of the 1980s and 1990s and known as the "The Shark" for his Australian roots, will be at the CEO Golf Challenge Awards Reception and present trophies to the best CEO golfers. Plus, he will accompany the top two performers to the Merrill Lynch Shootout Pro-Am Pairings Party.

Space for the CEO Golf Challenge is limited to 24 players and is expected to fill quickly.

The 18-hole Tiburón Golf Club's Black Course has a very distinctive look with its pine straw-lined fairways, stacked sod wall bunkers, orange coquina waste areas and rolling greens tucked within pine trees and native Florida foliage. Tiburón has been home to the Merrill Lynch Shootout since 2001 and is a joint venture with the Ritz Carlton, where CEO Golf Challenge participants will stay.

Participants for this CEO Golf Challenge must be CEOs, presidents, and owners of companies with at least $2 million in annual gross revenue. C-Suite Executives of companies with at least $5 million in revenue are also invited to compete.

The CEO Golf Challenge begins on Monday, Dec. 8, with check-in at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort and a practice round at the Black Course at Tiburon Golf Club, followed by a welcome reception, dinner and pairings party.

The competition begins on Tuesday, Dec. 9, with a 9 a.m. tee time. After the 18-hole round, Norman will present awards at a private reception. A CEO Golf Challenge awards dinner will follow. The top two CEO golfers will then accompany Norman to the Merrill Lynch Shootout Pro-Am Pairings Party that evening. The top two CEO Golf Challenge participants will then play with AIG executives in two rounds of the Merrill Lynch Shootout Pro-Am on Wednesday, Dec. 10, and Thursday, Dec. 11.

The all-inclusive entry fee is $3,800 per competitor. A portion of the entry fee will be donated to the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation. CureSearch raises funds for the Children's Oncology Group, the world's largest cooperative cancer research organization. Together, they work to battle childhood cancer through scientific research and compassionate care.

"This is going to be an amazing CEO Challenge," said Ted Kennedy, president and owner of CEO Challenges. "We have a championship-level course, a chance to earn spots to the Merrill Lynch Shootout Pro-Am, and the opportunity to spend some time with one of the greatest golfers in the world, Greg Norman."

The CEO Golf Challenge entrance fee includes two nights at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, which overlooks Tiburón; two rounds of golf at Tiburon's Black Course; a private reception with golf legend Norman; full use of the practice facility; group meals; networking opportunities; and the opportunity to earn one of two spots in the Merrill Lynch Shootout Pro-Am alongside PGA tour professionals.

To register for the CEO Golf Challenge, visit the CEO Challenges' website at www.ceochallenges.com or go to www.ceogolfchallenge.com.

About Merrill Lynch

Merrill Lynch is one of the world's leading wealth management, capital markets and advisory companies with offices in 40 countries and territories and total client assets of approximately $1.5 trillion. As an investment bank, it is a leading global trader and underwriter of securities and derivatives across a broad range of asset classes and serves as a strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. Merrill Lynch owns approximately half of BlackRock, one of the world's largest publicly traded investment management companies with more than $1 trillion in assets under management. For more information on Merrill Lynch, please visit www.ml.com.

About Tiburón Golf Club

Tiburón, a 36-hole Greg Norman-design course was carved from 800 acres of prime southwest Florida real estate. The courses reflect Norman's appreciation for pristine natural settings and his passion for great golf. The Black and The Gold courses contain a combination of stacked sod-wall bunkers and tricky coquina waste bunkers. Certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International, Tiburón reflects a strong commitment to enhancing and protecting the natural resources.

About CureSearch

CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation proudly supports the collaborative research efforts of the world's largest and most prestigious childhood cancer research organization, CureSearch Children's Oncology Group. At more than 200 member institutions - representing every pediatric cancer program and treating 90 percent of children with cancer in North America - CureSearch is making rapid scientific progress to identify cancer causes and pioneer better treatments and cures. CureSearch is dedicated to reaching the day when every child with cancer can be guaranteed a cure. For more information visit www.CureSearch.org or call 800.458.6223.

About The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples is the proud recipient of AAA's highest honor: The Five-Diamond Award, establishing it as one of the greatest resorts in the country. The resort also scored an impressive ranking as the #1 resort in Florida in Conde Nast Traveler magazine's annual reader's poll and #3 in Florida by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. In the November 2004 issue of Golf Digest magazine, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort was ranked as the No. #1 luxury golf resort in Florida and No. #25 in North America, beating out some of the long-standing top golf resorts in the country. The 295-room resort is Florida's finest luxury golf resort and is renowned for its incredible cuisine, outstanding service and luxurious rooms with panoramic views of the Greg Norman-designed golf course.

Contact

Lee Patterson, 704-553-4790, pattersonprinc@yahoo.com

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