WGT Golf News

Thanks to everyone who entered our Virtual U.S. Open 2009 Video Blogger Contest! We were excited to see such on-screen talent among our players, and had a great time looking through the entries. After much consideration, the winner of the video blogger contest is...

Tyler DeZubay, AKA Hotwir3! Here is his winning submission, where he covers April's Play with Parker 18-Hole Open:

Tyler is a full-time college student and hails from Charlotte, North Carolina. He enjoys hockey, real and virtual golf, and in additional to being our video blogger this summer, he is also volunteering at a hospital and coaching little league hockey. "I hope to provide insight and report on the Virtual U.S. Open and the U.S. Open at Bethpage in order to add to the well-established WGT community," he says.

We'd also like to say a special thanks to the two runners up, Bennett Fink (bfink) and Corey Hodges (OBXGOLFER18), who blew us away as well and made it a very hard decision for us.

Please check out Tyler's video blogs in the coming weeks to get the latest news on the Virtual U.S. Open 2009, and to show support for one of our own!

The qualifying round of the Virtual U.S. Open 2009 starts May 25, and we hope you've been practicing for it in the April and May Closests-to-the-Hole tournaments. Another tool that can help you get an edge are these video tutorials narrated by Peter Kessler, covering topics like "How to Choose the Right Club" and "How to Read Your Lie". Have fun practicing!

Check out this radio interview with USGA's Director of New Media, in which he discusses the Virtual U.S. Open and how great it is to play Bethpage Black online in hi-def!

Thanks to you, we reached an important milestone this weekend--100 million balls hit at WGT! We look forward to bringing you more courses and features in the coming months, so keep on playing!

Sincerely,
WGT Team

The "Play with Parker" Tournament ends April 30th, so enter now if you haven't already. Winners of this 18-hole stroke play tournament will play a round of golf with PGA Tour Pro Parker McLachlin on his home course at TPC Scottsdale! Airfare, two-night hotel stay, and spending money included. US and Canadian players are eligible. See tournament rules for full details.

We have launched a nationwide search for a video blogger to cover the 2009 Virtual U.S. Open and practice rounds at the actual 2009 U.S. Open Championship at Bethpage Black in New York. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any golfer or sports fan!

The best entries could include: coverage of the leaderboard, replays of some great shots, interviews with players, commentary on some challenging holes, and an overall ability to create excitement and drama in a similar fashion as real sportscasters.

Be sure to tag your video with "2009virtualusopen_contest_yourwgtusername" (example: 2009virtualusopen_contest_golfer09)—videos not tagged in this way will not be considered.

The winner and two runners up will be announced on May 21, 2009. Don't delay, get started now!

Important Dates:

• May 11: Deadline to submit video entry
• May 21: Winner announcement
• May 25 - June 23: 2009 Virtual U.S. Open
• June 15 - 19: 2009 U.S. Open practice rounds at Bethpage Black

For the latest on the video blogger search and other WGT news, click here.

You must be 18 years or older and a United States resident, have a valid WGT.com account, and have completed at least three game rounds at WGT.com between October 1, 2008 and May 11, 2009 to participate in the 2009 Virtual U.S. Open Championship video blog promotion. If you participate in the video blog promotion you will not be eligible to register for, or participate in, the 2009 Virtual U.S. Open Championship. One winner will be selected by WGT in its sole discretion. If you are selected, WGT will reimburse you for a ticket to attend the 2009 U.S. Open Championship golf tournament and related travel expenses. There is no other compensation for the video blog and you bear all production costs. WGT will have exclusive rights to your video blog. We can decide whether or not to publish your blog and may edit it or use excerpts of the blog in our promotional materials. Your participation is subject to the terms of WGT's then-current video blogging agreement.

Did you choose the wrong country when you registered at WGT, only to find that you cannot enter tournaments in which your country is eligible? Or did you move recently and need to update your account? You can update your country yourself by going to: https://www.wgt.com/user/contactinfo.aspx and clicking on the green "Change Mailing Address" link. Be sure to click the "Update" button underneath when you are done. Hope this helps!

The April Virtual U.S. Open Closest-to-the-Hole Challenge is available to play! USGA has teamed up with World Golf Tour and New York's Bethpage State Park to host the inaugural Virtual U.S. Open. A nine-hole skill contest of the Bethpage Black course is available on USOpen.com for you to test your skills for the upcoming Virtual U.S. Open Championship. The winner of the nine-hole skill contest will receive a U.S. Open flag signed by a 2009 U.S. Open player.

Wondering what 2009 Masters winner Angel Cabrera keeps in his golf bag? Add the new Virtual Ping G10 irons to your WGT bag and see if you can play like a Master!

Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

When you play WGT, be sure to log in using your own account. Our terms of service allows each player to have just one account, and to only play the game using your own account. By sharing an account with someone else, or playing games using another person's account, you run a risk of having the accounts blocked. You also run the risk of being disqualified from any tournaments you played.

Speaking of the terms of service, be sure to check them out from time to time as they change periodically.

Happy golfing.