WGT Golf News

While the pros compete against each other – and mother nature – YOU can join the action on Merion by playing in the Virtual U.S. Open on WGT. You'll also face some good competition, but not the stormy weather.

There's still time to enter the Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier tournament and play the Merion full-18 stroke play course. You not only get a free Lexus avatar and Lexus virtual golf ball just for entering, you also have a chance to get a sweepstakes grand prize golf trip for two to the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst #2.

Enter Free Now

Also happening this week on Merion...

WGT NATION members are competing in the Nation Merion Challenge tournament. This special two-round tournament on WGT features an unlimited qualifier round open through Friday, 6/14, and the top 50% of scores in each tier advance to a single-play championship weekend round, 6/15-6/16 to post their final combined scores.

Reminder – This is a tiered, NATION-only tournament and many of the current cut lines are above par. If you haven't posted your first round score yet, be sure to post one today, you still have a good chance to make the weekend championship round cut!

Enter NATION Tournament

Legends Merion Challenge Update

Last week, we challenged some of the top players on WGT to compete against each other in a special tournament on Merion, with the twist of including uneven lies.

The inclusion of uneven lies to the course added 6-9 strokes to top scores, compared to the scores in the Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier tournament. All very impressive, considering the par on Merion is 70 in each round (140 total) and only about 50 Legends and 20 Tour Legends were able to beat par in last week's tournament.

Congratulations to the top leaderboard scores in both the Legend and Tour Legend tiers...

Legend: Hanswurst72 (Level 93 Legend) shot a 59 and 63 in each round for a final score of 122

Tour Legend: fmagnets (Level 99 Tour Legend) shot a 61 in both rounds, totaling 122

• bulfrog2004 (Level 96 Tour Legend) tied for the top score (122), but their round two score of 63 put them into second place based on tie-breaking rules

The 2013 U.S. Open is officially underway, so be sure to join the action on Merion by playing in the Virtual U.S. Open on WGT.

The Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier is a free 18-hole stroke play tournament on Merion. You'll get a free Lexus avatar and Lexus virtual golf ball just for entering, plus a chance at the sweepstakes grand prize golf trip for two to the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst #2. Good luck!

Play Merion Now

There are also lots of other ways to play Merion, including...

• The free Back 9 Challenge for a chance to win a $500 gift card to USGAshop.com
• Quick Merion Ready-Go's where the top 30 of 50 players earn WGT Credits
• Or just join a virtual foursome on Merion with other WGT players from around the world!

*Virtual U.S. Open tournaments run thru 6/30/13. See rules for details.

We're just one day away from the start of the 2013 U.S. Open and wrapping up our Merion hole preview series at the famed Merion Hole 18 with the Hogan plaque.

This famous plaque in the fairway at about 210 yards from the hole commemorates where Ben Hogan used a 1-iron in the final round of the 1950 U.S. Open to reach the green before two-putting to force a playoff. The next day he won the U.S. Open to complete his amazing comeback from a near fatal car accident, one of the greatest comebacks in all of sport.

Watch Golf Channel's Holly Sonders play Hole 18 from the Hogan plaque on World Golf Tour.

Then try Merion Hole 18 for yourself, free without sign-up on WGT, and see if you can pull off Hogan's miraculous shot. This par-4 is one of the hardest holes on Merion, from the semi-blind drive, to the dome-shaped green that will easily add strokes to your score if played short.

And if you haven't played WGT yet, join the millions of golfers playing virtual golf free online at wgt.com.

See all 18 Holes at Merion

U.S. Open Week has begun. While all the pros play their practice rounds at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania, you can play Merion free online on World Golf Tour. Join Golf Channel's Holly Sonders and the millions of other players playing Merion to see how you do on this challenging golf course.

In this exclusive Golf Channel video, "Virtual Holly" is close to surviving Merion as she reaches Hole 17, but the tiered green keeps her on her toes. Be sure to play the contours on the green correctly like Holly does, or this downhill par-3 could turn into a bogey situation.

You can play Merion Hole 17 free without sign-up on WGT here. 

And if you haven't played WGT yet, join the millions of golfers playing virtual golf free online at wgt.com.

See Merion Hole 16 Preview

WGT Nation members, play the free Nation Merion Challenge tournament on WGT during the week of the U.S. Open.

Compete in this free, two-round tiered tournament on Merion against other Nation members in your same tier for a chance at double WGT Credits.

Play the unlimited qualifier round from 6/10-6/14 and the top 50% in each tier advance to a single-play championship weekend round, 6/15-6/16 to post final combined scores. The top 70 players per tier win.

Play Merion Tournament

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

*This special tournament is free to enter and runs 6/10/13-6/16/13, for WGT Nation enrolled players only.

We're getting into the "Quarry Holes," and the final three of the course, in our U.S. Open preview series for Merion Golf Club on WGT.

Watch Golf Channel's Holly Sonders and "Virtual Holly" play the famous Quarry Hole on WGT and see how her caddy, Damon Hack, helps here on the blind approach shot to set her up nicely for an easy putt.

Try Merion Hole 16 for yourself, free without sign-up on WGT, and see if you can beat Virtual Holly's birdie. Be sure to keep your drive short of the hazard off the tee, and line up the blind approach shot correctly, as this is the last realistic birdie opportunity at Merion.

And if you haven't played WGT yet, join the millions of golfers playing virtual golf free online at wgt.com.

See Merion Hole 15 Preview

Everyone is getting into the U.S. Open spirit as we get closer to this year's tournament at Merion Golf Club, including Golf Channel's Holly Sonders.

Watch "Virtual Holly" take on one of the bigger challenges at Merion, the par-4 Hole 15, including an intimidating tee shot and a difficult green with a severe back to front slope, and where it's easy to roll your ball off the green like Virtual Holly does...

You can play Merion Hole 15 too, free without sign-up on WGT here.

And if you haven't played WGT yet, join the millions of golfers playing virtual golf free online at wgt.com.

See Merion Hole 14 Preview

This week, the top players on WGT have been competing against each other in a special tournament under the hardest conditions on Merion.

The Legends Merion Challenge is a week-long tournament open to WGT Legend and Tour Legend players only and features Uneven Lies for an added skill challenge on sidehill, uphill and downhill shots.

Top players can play as many times as they want through Fri, 6/7 to post their best score and the top 50% make the cut and advance to this weekend's single-play championship round.

Currently, Hanswurst72, a Level 93 Legend from Germany is at the top of the leaderboard with a low score of 59. Hanswurst72 is also the only player so far to post a score below 60, unlike what the field looks like in the Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier tournament, where top scores are 6-9 strokes lower without Uneven Lies.

See full Legends Merion Challenge Leaderboard

VUSO Highlight of the Week

Watch Level 95 Tour Legend, nashkurt, sink this 19 yd putt on Merion Hole 12 in this video replay.

Remember, anyone can still play the Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier on Merion (as many times as you want) to try and post your best score!

Play Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier

Be sure to post your best score in the free Virtual U.S. Open Back 9 Challenge tournament on WGT before it ends, for your chance at a $500 USGAshop.com prize.

Both the top leaderboard score and a lucky sweepstakes winner chosen at random will each get a $500 gift card to USGAshop.com, where you can use the gift card to get official USGA and U.S. Open merchandise.

Play Free Now

*The Virtual U.S. Open Back 9 Challenge tournament is free to enter and open to WGT players in all countries, thru 6/30/13.

We're a week away from the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club, but you can play the golf course now, free online on World Golf Tour.

The par-4 Hole 14 at Merion challenges you from the tee, with bunkers lining the right side of the fairway and high fescue rough on the left. Though your approach is to a large green, don't miss to the left or you risk your ball running out of bounds.

Play Merion Hole 14 free without sign-up on WGT here.

And if you haven't played WGT yet, join the millions of golfers playing virtual golf free online at wgt.com.

See Merion Hole 13 Preview