WGT Golf News

Today is Play 9 Day and we've joined the USGA to celebrate the new initiative today, 7/23.

The USGA recently launched the Play 9 program to encourage golfers everywhere to fit golf into their busy lifestyles with a quick, 9-hole round.

So today, we invite you to get out and play a 9-hole round at your local golf facility, or virtually online with Play 9 Speed Brackets on WGT.

Plus, as a special bonus we're giving everyone who logs into WGT today a free Play 9 virtual golf ball to celebrate.

Play 9 on WGT

To learn more about the Play 9 program, click here.

Get free virtual club rentals on WGT this Saturday and Sunday during The Open Championship.

While you're following the action at Royal Liverpool, play the popular new Big Bertha and X2 Hot woods from Callaway, the Nike Covert 2.0 driver and VRS irons, the latest PING Anser putters, MAX Spin wedges, or any other virtual clubs you've been dying to try – all free!

Rent Free Clubs

Find the club you want and click the RENT or TRY ME buttons and it's yours free for 24 hours. You can rent and re-rent as many clubs as you want for free, Sat-Sun 7/19-7/20.

Congratulations to this year's Virtual U.S. Open Champion... Tour Legend poldimaier from Germany.

Championship round scores of 55, 61, 56 and 56 put poldimaier at the top of the leaderboard with a total of 228, 3 shots ahead of second place fmagnets (UK) and 4 ahead of third place rowlets (USA).

As the grand prize winner, poldimaier wins a dream trip for two to attend the 2015 U.S. Open Championship at Chambers Bay, as special guests of the USGA, plus a $500 gift card to USGAshop.com.

It's been a good summer for German athletes, as poldimaier joins fellow German champs Martin Kaymer (2014 U.S. Open champion) and the German national soccer team (2014 World Cup champions).

Pinehurst No. 2 provided a challenging setting for this year's players, keeping competition tight throughout the summer in all of the Virtual U.S. Open tournaments hosted on WGT. Congratulations to all of the tournament leaderboard winners...

Virtual U.S. Open Championship: poldimaier (Germany) - Aphrodite country club

Virtual U.S. Open Front 9 Winner: dansamcam (USA) - Aphrodite country club

Virtual U.S. Open Back 9 Winner: ESTIENNE (South Africa) - League of Legends country club

U.S. Open Week Event Winner: TigerWoo (USA) - East Coast country club

U.S. Women's Open Event Winner: fmagnets (UK) - Wooden Tee country club

Virtual U.S. Open Championship Leaderboard

Congratulations to all the competitors, and to the Aphrodite country club for taking top honors this year, with top players including poldimaier and dansamcam.

Eligible leaderboard and sweepstakes winners win a $500 USGAshop.com Gift Card prize to spend on official USGA merchandise, plus a lucky sweepstakes winner for the Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier tournament will also win a grand prize trip to next year's U.S. Open.

We're still confirming some of our sweepstakes winners, but will announce them all soon. Stay tuned...

While you're watching The Open Championship this week, play the St Andrews Championship on WGT.

The Old Course at St Andrews is the birthplace of golf and has hosted the most Open Championships, last time in 2010 won by Louis Oosthuizen, and again next year in 2015.

Compete against other WGT players in your same tier in this free two-round tournament, for a 200,000 total credit purse.

Post your Round 1 score by Fri 7/18 and then play Round 2 over the weekend 7/19-20. Both rounds are unlimited play so you can post your best score.

Play St Andrews

Premium golf balls add distance to your WGT shots.

Nothing feels better than booming a drive down the fairway, cutting a corner, or getting a long second shot onto the green.

Check the Distance rating for virtual golf balls in the WGT Pro Shop, the higher the better, like these top-sellers...

TaylorMade Lethal Balls	Callaway HEX Chrome+ Balls	NIKE RZN Black Balls
Level 7+	Level 35+	Level 90+

Use WGT Credits to purchase premium golf balls. Get WGT Credits by leveling and tiering up, completing free offers and purchasing WGT Credits.

It's the middle of the final round of the 2014 Virtual U.S. Open Championship, and it’s WGT player poldimaier (Germany) who's currently in the lead, among 253 top WGT players competing for this year's title.

A Level 104 Tour Legend from the Aphrodite country club, poldimaier shot steady scores of 55-61-56-56 for a 228, and is 3 shots ahead in the clubhouse, which includes fmagnets (UK) 231, rowlets (USA) 232, bhoese (USA) 233, and three players all at 234, ESTIENNE (South Africa), bigddogg19 (USA) and dansamcam (USA).

However, there are several top players still "out on the course," who haven't posted their final round score yet, and who can take the title from poldimaier, including...

• Courtney01 (South Africa) with 173 needs a 54 for 227 for the win, a long-time top player but has never won a big title
• BolloxinBruges (USA) with 175 needs a 52 for 227 for the win, one of WGT's all-time greats and a multiple winner of big tournaments

Here is some action from the championship rounds, watch AgentBrown123 (USA) from the Aphrodite Country Club with a tricky bunker shot on the 15th Hole. 

See Leaderboard

Past Virtual U.S. Open Champions

NASAGolfer (USA)
Bethpage - 2009

BolloxinBruges (USA)
Oakmont - 2010

mrenn29 (USA)
Congressional - 2011

StoneColdKiller (USA)
Olympic - 2012

Kriztjan (Sweden)
Merion - 2013

This month is a major on the WGT Virtual Tour with DOUBLE WGT CREDITS awarded in the Transamerica Championship. Majors have a direct impact on the Virtual Tour Season standings and qualifying for the Virtual Tour Championship in December, which has a record ONE MILLION WGT CREDIT PRIZE PURSE.

Below are the current Virtual Tour season leaders, and their position after Round 1 of this month's major...

TOUR LEGEND SEASON LEADERS

1. dansamcam (USA) 51,801 - #2 MONTHLY 
2. LyonWoulds (USA) 34,249 - NA MONTHLY
3. frenchconnect (USA) 27,574 - #70 MONTHLY
4. CptWomp (Canada) 24,855 - #5 MONTHLY
5. poldimaier (Germany) 18,731 - #1 MONTHLY

poldimaier is making a move on dansamcam, and watch fmagnets who's #6 SEASON but currently #2 MONTHLY so also making a move up the season standings

LEGEND SEASON LEADERS

1. AlbertoBQ (USA) 17,967 - #18 MONTHLY
2. hatchy66 (UK) 16,208 - NA MONTHLY
3. RoarEMackElroy (USA) 12,946 - NA MONTHLY

Two of the leaders haven't posted yet, but watch PhilMcilroyson who is currently #1 MONTHLY and has tiered-up from Master to Legend

TOUR MASTER SEASON LEADERS

1. shagadelic (USA) 17,280 - NA MONTHLY
2. keplere (Spain) 10,920 - NA MONTHLY
3. TR1ANNA (Spain) 9.320 - NA MONTHLY

None of the leaders have posted yet, but watch HuskerJackie who's #8 SEASON and EmeliaJokinen who tiered-up from Master as they are #1 and #2 MONTHLY and moving up the board

MASTER SEASON LEADERS

1. EmiliaJokinen (Finland) 5,220 - #2 MONTHLY
2. PhilMcilroyson (USA) 4,458 - NA MONTHLY
3. RollyStone (Canada) 3,468 - NA MONTHLY

EmiliaJokinen has tiered-up to Tour Master and PhilMcilroyson has tiered-up to Legend, which opens up the monthly and season leaderboards for RollyStone and other Master players

Season Leaderboard

Current Month Leaderboard

Play Transamerica Championship

If your putting isn't up to par, try the new virtual Anser 2 putter from PING on WGT.

Get extra precision and a slower WGT swing meter with expanded swing meter increments, starting at 15 and 30 feet for more precision and more birdies.

PING Putter Level 28

PING Putter Level 44

PING Putter Level 72

New PING Anser 2 virtual putters available now in the WGT Pro Shop, unlocking at Levels 28, 44 and 72.

WGT Nation members, play the special Nation Uneven Lies on Pinehurst No. 2 tournament this month.

Compete in this free stroke play tournament, featuring challenging uneven lies conditions, against other WGT Nation players in your same tier for a share of the 200,000 WGT Credit purse.

Play Free Nation Tournament

WGT Nation is a free program for top WGT players. Learn more and see if you're eligible here.

The 2014 Virtual U.S. Open Championship is currently underway on WGT.

The top 253 players from the Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier are playing the Virtual U.S. Open Championship, featuring four challenging single-play rounds, with the lowest combined score becoming the 2014 Virtual U.S. Open Champion.

In the middle of Round 2, it's BigNick092785 (USA) from the Double Eagle Country Club, shooting 56 and 58 for 114, but followed closely by four players at 115 including: bigddogg19 (USA), fmagnets (UK), pb1711 (South Africa) and Courtney01 (South Africa) all at 115, with about 50 players within a few strokes of the leaders.

BOOM! Just like that, the 2010 Virtual U.S. Open Champion and one of the all-time great WGT players, BolloxinBruges, is tied for the lead at 114 with 56 and 58. Also tied at 114 is bhoese who's from the same Double Eagle Country Club as BigNick092785. It's heating up!

There are no saved replays from BigNick on Pinehurst yet, but here he is in action recently on Congressional.

2014 Virtual U.S. Open Championship

Round 1 - Jul 1-4 - pb1711 (South Africa) 55, poldimaier (Germany) 55, TarHeelsRule (USA) 55

Round 2 - Jul 5-8 - bigddogg19 (USA) 56, ladyluck87 (USA) 56

Round 3 - Jul 9-12

Round 4 - Jul 13-16

See Leaderboard

Past Virtual U.S. Open Champions

NASAGolfer (USA)
Bethpage - 2009

BolloxinBruges (USA)
Oakmont - 2010

mrenn29 (USA)
Congressional - 2011

StoneColdKiller (USA)
Olympic - 2012

Kriztjan (Sweden)
Merion - 2013