Camilo Villegas had four top-10s in 2011 — two of them during the Playoffs.

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One of the most underreported stories on the PGA TOUR in 2011 was how well Camilo Villegas played in the second half.

Villegas was supposed to be a shoo-in to make the Presidents Cup team, but instead, he free-fell in the first part of 2011. He didn’t even have a top-25 finish until June, and he says it was all about erratic ball-striking.

What was different? Villegas now says it was a tiny grip change that caused him to miss the ball left. His grip had grown too strong, he said, and it wasn’t until midseason that he realized it.

"The grip had got a little bit too strong and it was definitely hard for me it cut the ball," Villegas said.

"I’m looking toward to next year. I’m definitely hitting it better. I definitely have more confidence. I’m definitely happier," said Villegas, who is preparing to play in this week’s Franklin Templeton Shootout with partner Rickie Fowler. "You got to somehow understand the nature of the game and go through those tough times and grind it out and have fun somehow."

Starting around June, Villegas’ game turned around. He rallied to qualify for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, and then reeled off top-10s in the Playoffs. He then went 15 under in the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic and tied for fourth.

"I had my back against the wall going into the Playoffs, not even knowing if I was going to be a part of them," Villegas said. "I stepped it up and played some good golf."

The always popular Franklin Templeton Shootout, which will feature 24 of the game’s best players, gets under way on Friday at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples.

The first round will be played with a modified alternate-shot format while the second round is contested as best ball and the final round is a scramble.

Scott Stallings, who won The Greenbrier Classic earlier this year, was the last man in the field after J.B. Holmes had to withdraw earlier this week. The Shootout was to be Holmes’ competitive debut after he had surgery in September to correct a Chiari malformation of his brain.

"While I continue to make great strides in my recovery … I am not 100 percent and I think it would be a disservice to my partner, Kenny Perry, and the entire Franklin Templeton Shootout organization for me to play at less than full capacity," Holmes said. 

Stallings, who is making his Shootout debut, will now play with Perry. Here are the first-round pairings.

Fredrik Jacobson will not be able to play in next week’s Franklin Templeton Shootout due to a thumb injury.

He will be replaced by Scott McCarron, who will play with tournament host Greg Norman for the second time. McCarron is trying to become the first player to win the Franklin Templeton Shootout four times.

McCarron won in 1997 with Bruce Lietzke and then captured back-to-back titles with Brad Faxon in 2000 and 2001. McCarron and Norman played together in 2004 and tied for fourth.

McCarron has not played in the Franklin Templeton Shootout since 2008. The three-day competition — which features modified-alternate shot, best-ball and scramble formats — begins on Dec. 9 and will be broadcast on the Golf Channel and NBC.