San Francisco (May 25) – The United States Golf Association and World Golf Tour (WGT) have announced the start of qualifying round play for the 2009 Virtual U.S. Open Championship on Bethpage Black at www.USOPEN.com.
Beginning today and running through June 21, golf fans around the world can vie for the opportunity to be a finalist in the inaugural Virtual U.S. Open Championship.
“This is a great way for anyone with an Internet connection to access an incredible HD virtual game on Bethpage Black, without having to download anything,” said Alex Withers, USGA managing director of Digital Media. “It’s fun to play and offers a unique perspective of what the best golfers in the world will be facing in a few weeks at the real U.S. Open Championship.”
The qualifying rounds will take place on a state-of-the-art HD simulation of the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. The top 156 qualifiers, plus ties, will square off on June 22 for the title of the first-ever Virtual U.S. Open champion. Along with the glory of the title, the winner will be a guest of the USGA at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.
“We have had a great response to the Bethpage Black closest-to-the-pin challenge,” said YuChiang Cheng, CEO of World Golf Tour. “Now with the new 18-hole qualifying round, players can experience every inch of Bethpage Black online and further enhance what they will see when they watch the U.S. Open on television.”
WGT recreated the Black Course using proprietary technology from aircraft laser and GPS scans, which were merged with nearly 100,000 digital images of the course taken from helicopters and photographers on the ground. These images and additional data collected from the course were then translated through WGT’s physics engine to enable players to virtually experience Bethpage Black within a photo landscape. Championship tees and hole locations, U.S. Open rough and accurate green contours and speeds all combine to make this the most realistic championship golf experience ever offered online.
About World Golf Tour (WGT)
World Golf Tour (WGT) offers the most authentic online golf experience, making the game of golf accessible and affordable to all. With its patented no-install HD technology and free-to-play social networking format, WGT enables players to tour exclusive courses worldwide, learn the rules of the game, test equipment, and stay connected with friends. WGT’s partner sponsors such as Pinehurst Resort and Kiawah Island Resort provide exclusive luxury benefits such as premium products, prizes and tournament purses. For more information, please visit www.wgt.com.
About the USGA
The United States Golf Association is golf’s governing body in the USA and Mexico, a combined area that includes more than half the world’s golfers and golf courses. We are passionate about, dedicated to and experts in the game of golf. Based on a shared love and respect for golf, we preserve its past, foster its future and champion its best interests for everyone who respects and enjoys the game. Each season, we conduct the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and 10 national amateur championships, including the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Amateur. The USGA also writes and interprets the Rules of Golf, regulates and tests golf equipment, provides research-based turf management expertise, maintains the USGA handicap and course rating system, celebrates the history of the game and supports grassroots programs through its “For the Good of the Game” initiative. For more information about the USGA, please visit www.usga.org.
Contact:
Dave Fanucchi, USGA
908-234-2300
dfanucchi@usga.org
Jennifer Nichols, WGT
415-277-4912
wgt@allisonpr.com
