Shoot-out organisers yesterday abandoned what they regarded as a long-shot bid to lure rising golf star Tiger Woods to the Island for next month's championship.

Instead they rounded out the ten-man field with 1994 winner Corey Pavin who, after initially telling sponsors Merrill Lynch he was unavailable, had a change of heart.

While 20-year-old Woods on Sunday all but wrapped up a permanent spot on the PGA Tour by lifting his earnings in the last four tournaments since he turned pro to over $140,000, there was still no guarantee he would take time away from his hectic schedule to visit Bermuda.

"With time running out we had to make a decision quickly,'' explained Shoot-out coordinator Todd Lincoln from his New Jersey office yesterday. "And when Corey called over the weekend to say he wanted to play after all, we had no hesitation in giving him the final spot.

"Tiger was always a long shot. At issue was his schedule. Even if he secured his PGA Tour card for next season, he couldn't be certain about coming to Bermuda.

"It was so close, time-wise, we just wanted to close the field out.'' With Pavin, the 1995 US Open champion, now confirmed, the all-American field includes the following seven players who have taken part in the sudden-death Mid Ocean event at least once over the past two years: Pavin, who won in '94, Curtis Strange, who won last year, Craig Stadler, Payne Stewart, Scott Hoch, Woody Austin and Kenny Perry.

They'll be joined by first-timers to the Island, Jim Furyk, Paul Azinger and John Cook.

Of the ten, five have won on the PGA Tour this year. Cook triumphed at both the St.Jude Classic and CVS Charity Classic, Furyk won the Hawaiian Open, Pavin the Colonial, Hoch the Michelob Championship and Stadler the Nissan Open.

Lincoln said Pavin, who has earned over $769,000 this season, had been desperate to return to Bermuda which he regards as one of his favourite vacation destinations. But he originally declined a sponsors' exemption because the tournament date -- October 15 -- wouldn't allow him to travel with his wife, Shannon, and two children.

"Corey's very much a family man and anytime he travels to somewhere like Bermuda he wants to bring his wife and kids,'' said Lincoln. "He told me over the weekend he had talked it over with Shannon and decided to come anyway.

That tells you how much he wanted to play.'' Prize-money remains at $600,000 with $150,000 going to the winner and as much as $40,000 to the player who is eliminated at the first hole.

Mid Ocean will again decide the Shoot-out on the same holes as used in previous years -- one, two, three, four, five, 12, 13, 17 and 18.

A one-shot closest to the pin contest will take place at the par-three 220-yard 17th on Monday, October 14, with a $40,000 annuity up for grabs. And that will be followed by the traditional Merrill Lynch Pro-Am which this year will feature a number of businessmen as well as Merrill Lynch executives and clients. ABC will again televise the tournament and air it on a tape delay basis in November.

COREY PAVIN -- The 1994 Merrill-Lynch Shoot-out champion has confirmed that he will return to Mid Ocean October 15 for his third successive appearance in the tournament.