WGT Golf News

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.

The Masters is underway and the players are dominating the course. Even some of the older players such as Larry Mize and Greg Norman are near the top of the leaderboard. Augusta National has lengthened the course, added more trees, and shifted tee boxes, but the course didn’t put up much of fight against the pros. The soft greens and the easy pin placements allowed for some really low scores.  Tiger Woods shot a 2-under 70 but was 7 shots behind the leader. One good omen for Tiger though is that he shot an opening-round 70 in his first three Masters victories.

All of us at World Golf Tour are watching the tournament and enjoying every minute of it. The Masters website is asking how people would like to see The Masters represented in an online game. Can you imagine playing Augusta in WGT? Post a comment on their website and give a plug for WGT! http://www.masters.com/ggw/ggw_newaudience.html

If you haven't posted your hottest swing for a chance to win a $500 gift card to Golfsmith, do it before June 30! In the meantime, check out the great swings that have been posted so far and cast your vote!

USGA announced today their partnership with WGT to host the first Virtual U.S. Open Championship! See the full press release below:

Far Hills, N.J. -  The United States Golf Association and World Golf Tour (WGT) announced Wednesday that they have formed an agreement to host the first Virtual U.S. Open Championship on www.USOPEN.com.

Developed in partnership with Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., the Virtual U.S. Open will take place on a state-of-the-art simulation of the Black Course at Bethpage, allowing golf enthusiasts everywhere to play an online golf championship from their computers at no cost, at the same time and on virtually the same course as the actual U.S. Open competitors in June.

Visitors to www.USOPEN.com, the official Web site of the U.S. Open, can play qualifying rounds for the Virtual U.S. Open, beginning May 25 through June 21. The top 156 qualifiers plus ties will then square off for the Virtual U.S. Open title on June 22. The winner will be crowned the USGA Virtual U.S. Open Champion and will be a guest of the USGA at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.

A closest-to-the-hole challenge on WGT’s virtual Bethpage Black will be available starting April 13, on www.USOPEN.com for players to test their skills, before the Virtual U.S. Open qualifying rounds begin.

“This is a unique opportunity for fans to experience a very realistic online representation of the Black Course at Bethpage State Park,” said Alex Withers, USGA managing director of Digital Media. “We are thrilled to be able to bring this product to golf fans around the world and to be working with World Golf Tour on this exciting project.”

WGT has utilized its patented technology to bring Bethpage Black to life online. First, nearly 100,000 high-definition images were taken of the course from the ground and with helicopters using precisely mapped GPS coordinates. These images and additional data collected from the course were then translated through WGT’s proprietary physics engine to enable players to virtually experience Bethpage Black within a photo landscape. Championship tees and hole locations, U.S. Open-quality rough and accurate green contours and speeds all combine to make this the most realistic championship golf experience ever offered online.

“Through WGT’s association with the USGA, fans now have the opportunity to get more involved in one of golf’s four major championships,” said YuChiang Cheng, CEO of World Golf Tour. “This opportunity is a strong step forward in demonstrating the ability of WGT’s platform to integrate live events with an online experience. We are honored to be working with the USGA to bring players the Virtual U.S. Open, with some of the pressure and elation that the real competitors feel.”

Today's launch includes a new course and the back 9 holes of Kiawah Resort! Please let us know what you think in our forums, and check out the highlights from today's update:

Back 9 Holes of Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Stroke Play on 18 holes! WGT players now have full 18-hole access to The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Players have the option to play the front 9, the back 9 or the full 18. Look for some April tournaments to feature the full 18, so practice up!

Wolf Creek Resort Closest-to-the-Hole Challenge
Play a nine-hole challenge at Wolf Creek Resort, tucked into the northeast corner in Mesquite and carved beautifully out of the Nevada desert. Ranked as one of Golf Digest's toughest courses in America, Wolf Creek's challenging layout is matched only by its breathtaking scenery. Click the PLAY NOW button to experience it for yourself!

WGT Tour Starters Set
Hit the ball farther with the 2009 WGT Tour Starters Irons. These irons are tempo-matched to the more advanced drivers so the swing meter speed will be similar. Visit the Pro Shop and add them to your bag today.

Invite Your Friends
Now you can easily invite your friends to play WGT. Simply go to your Profile page and click on the "Invite Your Friends to Join WGT" banner. This feature helps you find people you know who are on WGT with an in-game friends invite, and also helps you send emails to friends who do not have a WGT account.

Green Speeds
We have changed up the green speeds on Kiawah to be faster and more true to the real-world course.

Bug Fixes and Replay Wipe
The following are bugs that have been fixed:

• You should be able to change and save your clubs with no problems now.
• The following awards have been fixed, and you should get them going forward. Birdies in a Game, Closest-to-the-Hole Accuracy, and Double Eagle.
• A few changes have been made to decrease swing meter "stuttering". We will continue to investigate these issues to make the game more responsive.
• You can now see the tournament you played in your score history, instead of just the course you played.
• Delete links should no longer disappear after a certain number of posts have been reached on your profile page.
• As a result of adding new courses, it was necessary to wipe the replays again. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Choosing the right swing is essential to taking your game to the next level. Here is a break-down of the different types of swings that are available to you, and when to use them:

Most shots from the fairway and rough call for full swings. A full swing delivers the most power, causing the ball to travel the farthest of all types of swings. Full swings are the most common types of swings on the golf course.

Punch shots are flatter, shorter swings that cause the ball to fly lower than a full swing. Punch shots are useful when there is high wind or an obstruction in front of you, like a tree, that you need the ball to fly under. 

Pitch and chip shots are compact, controlled swings that are useful around the greens. Pitch shots put more loft on the ball and travel further than chip shots. Chip shots are even more compact than pitch shots. Chip shots are most useful near or on the fringes of the green and give you the greatest amount of control.  

Flop shots are touch shots that cause the ball to fly very high and stop quickly. Flop shots are useful when there is an obstruction in front of you, like a sand trap, which you need the ball to fly over. They are also useful when you don’t have a lot of green to work with and need the ball to stop quickly by the flag. Flop shots can be hit only with your wedges.