WGT Golf News

By Leonard Shapiro for GlobalGolfPost

What if they held a PGA Tour event and nobody showed up to watch?

That’s about what happened Saturday at the AT&T National at Congressional, when high winds Friday night blew down more than 40 trees and left a trail of broken limbs and piles of debris all over the course. Tournament officials, concerned about safety issues, decided to keep spectators and most volunteers away from the course on a day when Tiger Woods quietly made his move toward the top of the leaderboard, accompanied by the sound of silence most of the way around.

Woods finished off that ascent on Sunday, when the fans were back in massive numbers, engaging in a thrilling duel down the back nine against first-round leader Bo Van Pelt. When Van Pelt bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes, Woods pounced on those mistakes and eventually claimed a two-shot victory when he made par on his final two holes.

“I remember there was a time when people were saying I could never win again,” Woods said Sunday evening. “That was six months ago. Here we are.... A lot of media people didn’t think I could win again. I could see the pieces coming together. It’s just a matter of time. Just stay the course. Give me a little bit of time, and I feel like this is what I can do.”

Van Pelt’s 50-foot birdie chip to tie at the final hole missed the cup by inches and he also missed the six-foot comebacker for one last bogey. He finished with a round of 71 and 6-under 278 that left him in solo second, a shot ahead of third place finisher Adam Scott (67-279).

A shot off the lead after 54 holes, Woods had a final-round 69 and 72-hole total of 8-under 276 to become the PGA Tour’s only three-time winner this season. He also won his own invitational event for the second time (he prevailed here in 2009), adding that to the 2012 trophies from the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando and Jack Nicklaus’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.

More significantly, this was Woods’ 74th Tour triumph, one more than Nicklaus, his childhood idol who won his 73rd and last event at the 1986 Masters at age 46. Only Sam Snead, with 82 career wins, has more victories than Woods, now 36.

Woods didn’t budge in the world rankings, where he remained No. 4. Van Pelt disagreed.

“No offense to those other guys, but I think he’s the only guy to win three tournaments on Tour this year,” he said. “On three different golf courses and he was leading the U.S. Open after two days. So I’d say he’s playing the best golf in the world right now.”

As the first leg of the new WGT Summer Tournament Series, World Golf Tour is running a special online tournament on Congressional Country Club this weekend only.

The WGT Congressional Championship is a free tournament for WGT players at the Pro thru Legend tiers so players can compete other players of similar ability. Players can play as often as they want from Thu 6/28 thru Sun 7/1 and post your best 18-hole score on Congressional. 

The top three scores in each Tier (Pro thru Legend) will all win Amazon Gift Cards: $100 first place, $50 second place, $25 third place. Check tournament rules for eligibility.

Play Free WGT Congressional Championship

Congressional Country Club was the host of the 2011 U.S. Open and this weekend is hosting the 2012 AT&T National event on the PGA Tour. The event benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation and honors military veterans with the support of the Wounded Warrior Project.

And don't miss the action at the AT&T National this weekend on Golf Channel and NBC, as the tournament features host Tiger Woods, defending champion Nick Watney, as well as Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson and other top PGA players. Learn more on Golf Channel.

World Golf Tour has just launched a number of new features and improvements to our golf game based on the continued feedback from all our great players!

New - Country Club Improvements

WGT Country Clubs can now set-up Multi-Round Tournaments and use Cut Lines in their private Country Club tournaments. There's also a new option for owners to email their club members...and, of course, an option for members to unsubscribe from those new Country Club emails if they want. Plus, Country Clubs can now set-up tournaments on The Olympic Club, site of the 2012 U.S. Open.

If you're not in a Country Club, you're missing out on a popular way to always have online friends to play a game with, or to compete in private tournaments with just club members sharing the credit prizes. Create or join a Country Club today!

New - Match Play Records

Multi-player Match Play Games are very popular on WGT. When you're joining a game, you have been able to see the Level, Tier and Average Score of the other player. However, we've also added their Match Play record statistics against players at every tier, to help you decide if it's going to be a fair match.

New - Free WGT Credits for International Players

We've added even more ways to earn free WGT Credits, especially for players outside the United States. Check-out the new More Offers tab to see the new offers available in your country, including watching videos, online signups and shopping discounts. There are currently lots of new offers for players in Europe and other countries.

New - Country Flag Avatars

New Australian and Italian flag avatars join the existing American, Canadian and United Kingdom flag avatars. Show off your national pride with the new Oz and Italia male and female golfers in the Pro Shop.

...and stay tuned for a Facebook Poll to help WGT pick the next country avatars...France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa...which country will be next?

New - TaylorMade R11S Driver and 3 Wood at Level 40-41

The latest R11S technology from TaylorMade hits longer than the original R11, and is now available to more WGT players, with the R11S Driver unlocking at Level 40, and the R11S 3 Wood unlocking at Level 41.

New - TaylorMade Ghost Manta Putter at Level 30

This beautiful new TaylorMade Ghost Manta Putter unlocks at Level 35 and offers more precision at a lower level, plus new Swing Meter increments (20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 300 feet) to help you select the right power to drain more putts.

In the largest and most competitive Virtual U.S. Open ever, with over 2 million rounds played, it was StoneColdKiller who came from behind to post the low round 55 on Sunday evening to win by 2 shots over TheLighterDark. 

As the 2012 Virtual U.S. Open Champion, StoneColdKiller and a friend will be going to Merion next year to experience the 2013 U.S. Open as a special guest of the USGA. Congratulations! 

StoneColdKiller outlasted a strong field of 199 top WGT players, just beating TheLighterDark and RUNWME who shot 57 and 56 in the final round to edge-out first-round leader tinybo, tallAcePaul and defending champ mrenn29. Here are the top finishers...

1 StoneColdKiller 57-55=112 
2 TheLighterDark 57-57=114 
3 RUNWME 59-56=115 
4 TallAcePaul 58-58=116 
4 tinybo 56-60=116 
6 mrenn29 60-57=117 
6 LuisCraveiro 59-58=117 
6 Aahna 58-59=117 
9 poolmaniac6 61-57=118 

See Full 2012 Virtual U.S. Open Leaderboard 

StoneColdKiller has been a WGT player since 2010. He's a Level 95 Legend with an average score of 58.77 and career earnings of $7,500. He's a member of the Deviations Country Club and also won the 2011 Virtual British Open, making him the first back-to-back winner of a WGT major championship. 

While the Deviations took top honors with places #1-3 and #6 with mrenn29, the other top spots are all from different WGT country clubs which are giving the Deviations a serious run for their money in these championships. 

However, it wasn't just the elite players who won this year, as WGT and the USGA awarded both Leaderboard and Sweepstakes prizes, giving everyone a chance to win. Here are all the prize winners... 

Championship - Trip to 2013 U.S. Open

• Leaderboard: StoneColdKiller 

Qualifier - Trip to 2013 U.S. Open

•  Sweepstakes: PENDING 
• Qualifiers: 199 qualifiers won a USGA hat and membership packet 

Back 9 Challenge - USGA $500 Gift Cards 

• Leaderboard: PENDING 
• Sweepstakes: PENDING 

Front 9 Challenge - USGA $500 Gift Cards 

• Leaderboard: Win1Soon 
• Sweepstakes: rofdoc 

Also, over $3,000 in Amazon Gift Cards were awarded to 15 WGT players who competed in special tiered tournaments for WGT NATION members for Pro thru Legend players. 

Thanks to everyone who played in this year's tournament, and don't miss the WGT Summer Tournament Series, featuring special tournaments on championship golf courses. Stay tuned on the WGT Tournaments page!

Today only, save over 50% on the Adams Idea Tech V3 Hybrid golf club for only $79.99 (suggested retail $199.99).

Visit WGT partner Divot.com for daily deals on golf equipment to help improve your game out on the golf course. There's a new deal every day, so be sure to check back for updates.

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*Offers subject to Divot.com terms and conditions. Shipping only within United States, US Territories, and Military APO addresses.

By GlobalGolfPost

Marc Leishman sat in the clubhouse for a couple of hours, wishing on the one hand, knowing on the other. He had, after all, shot 62 in the final round of the Travelers Championship and had the clubhouse lead a 14 under par. But he was certain that someone, anyone on the leaderboard would go at least one better before the day was out.

One by one, the contenders dropped from the leaderboard, and at the end of the day Leishman’s total was good enough for his first PGA Tour victory.

"I said to my caddie on the range this morning that we would probably have to get to 15 under to have a chance," Leishman said after the long wait. "When we finished at 14 (under), I was pretty confident it wouldn't be (enough). It's really a funny game."

Not so funny to Charlie Hoffman, who had gotten to 16 under with five holes to play and had a two-shot lead on Leishman, three ahead of assorted others. But Hoffman, who has one PGA Tour victory, hit his tee shot in the water at the par-4 17th and made double-bogey. And he followed that with a bogey at the home hole to fall back to 13 under, one back of Leishman.

Leishman, a 29-year-old Australian, finished 72 holes at 266 on the par-70 TPC River Highlands course just outside Hartford, Conn. Although the Travelers was Leishman's first PGA Tour victory, he is no stranger to winning. He has won four times worldwide, including three wins in Australia. And he has a victory on the Nationwide Tour.

But to win on the big Tour, it took a big day. Leishman began Sunday's final round tied for 20th at 6 under. He went out in 5-under 30, including four birdies in a five-hole stretch, beginning at the par-4 second.

He made back-to-back birdies at the par-5 13th and par-4 14th but didn't make birdie at the drivable par-4 15th. A birdie at the 17th capped off his 8-under round and started the long wait. 

A number of players had chances to catch Leishman but all came up short. Former champion and Masters winner Bubba Watson finished one shot back but only made one birdie on the final nine, that at the reachable 13th.

Tim Clark was another shot back at 12 under but failed to birdie the 13th or the 15th and missed a short par putt at the 17th. And if Brian Davis had managed to make a couple of short putts that he missed coming home, he'd have his first PGA Tour victory. Instead, he made bogey at the par-5 13th and another at the 10th to finish two back of Leishman.

We're now into Round 2 of the 2012 Virtual U.S. Open Championship on World Golf Tour, and the action is heating up!

• tinybo has maintained the top spot on the Leaderboard shooting 56-60 for a final 116 – just one shot ahead of the 2011 Champion, mrenn29, who shot 60-57 for 117.
• tinybo represents the Carolina Sandhills Country Club and has a chance to bring home the cup, but there are still two very strong Deviations members, StoneColdKiller and TheLighterDark, at 57 who haven't posted their second rounds yet, and a 58 by either player could take the lead.

Will 116 hold up? Watch the live WGT Leaderboard.

Round 2 of this Championship Round is open through Sunday 6/24 for remaining players to post their final scores, for their chance to win a Grand Prize golf trip to next year's U.S. Open at Merion. Additionally we'll be announcing soon the winner of the second Grand Prize trip, to a lucky sweepstakes winner from the Qualifier Round. See prize details and country eligibility.

Make sure to post those Round 2 scores and, as always, good luck!

You can now play Ready-Go Tournaments on The Olympic Club golf course, host of the 2012 U.S. Open Championship, on World Golf Tour.

Now running on Olympic are $1 Front 9 and $5 Full 18 Ready-Go's open to everyone, plus additional options for Pro thru Legend players only.

Ready-Go's are fast virtual golf tournaments with entry fees ranging from $.50 to $10. They offer great chances to win with the top 30 of 50 players winning credits – and 6X credits for 1st place winners.

Play Ready Go's on Olympic

The 2012 Virtual U.S. Open Championship Round is now being played on World Golf Tour. Round 1 is underway and qualified players can play and post their final score through Wednesday 6/20.

With the Qualifier Round Cut Line at 57 there were 199 players who made the cut as of Sunday night, meaning they posted a score of 57 or better (including ties) in the qualifying round.

But while 57 was the qualifying score, only two scores currently posted in the Championship Round are better than that. Unlike the Qualifier Round, this Championship round is single-play as opposed to unlimited play, adding more pressure to each shot and making it significantly harder to score well.

Only 123 of the eligible 199 players have posted scores so far, so it's still too early to tell how everything will end up, but here's a look at how the leaderboard looks today:

•  tinybo – current solo leader with a score of 56
• TheLighterDark – sits in second place, matching the Cut Line score of 57
• JayJensen – the top qualifier, tied for third place with Aahna with scores of 58
• mrenn29 – the 2011 Virtual U.S. Open champ is currently in 11th place posting a 60 and within striking distance

Two Grand Prize trips to next year's U.S. Open at Merion will be awarded, one to a sweepstakes winner from the Qualifier and one to the final Champion. In addition, all 199 of the players who qualified for this Championship round will receive a USGA 1-year membership and U.S. Open hat. See prize details and country eligibility.

The Championship Round 1 ends Wednesday 6/20, and then our champions put everything on the line in Round 2 which ends Sunday 6/24 as the final test of their skills.

Good luck to all of the players! 

WGT President and Co-Founder, MisterWGT, was lucky enough to attend the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club this past weekend. He shares his thoughts and photos of his unique experience below. Enjoy!

"In leaving... I took one last walk through the locker room. What a special place this Olympic Club. I cannot say enough how honored I was to be a part of it."

U.S. Open -- The Sunday Summary By MisterWGT

Well my friends… what a week!  The U.S. Open is now over and who would have ever predicted Webb Simpson hoisting the championship cup on the final green?  I certainly didn't.  Then again, it's become somewhat of a tradition for the U.S. Open to introduce to the world a new major winner.  Think about it... Geoff Ogilvy, Lucas Glover, Angel Cabrera, Graeme McDowell... all first time champions.  Heck, even Rory hadn't won a major prior to the U.S. Open last year!

And what about the course itself?  The Olympic Club's Lake Course, once again, challenged the legends only to see them come up one stroke short.  Now Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk have walked those same steps as Hogan, Palmer, Watson and Stewart… not only exhausted after ascending that hill from the 18th green to the clubhouse, but mentally and emotionally spent after battling those 72 holes.  I was standing in the hallway of the clubhouse when Furyk's daughter greeted him after leaving the media room.  He leaned down to hug her and she said, "Daddy, would you like me to get you an ice cream?" as she held her own.  Jim's eyes were glassy and then his whole family leaned in for a group hug.  Believe me, I thought about taking a picture of that moment… but that moment was theirs.  He was spent.  He could have had it… but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

In the end, this week and this course holds a special place for me.  I will admit, after spending so much time at Bethpage, St. Andrews, Kiawah or even the dramatic Wolf Creek… I didn't think Olympic would stand out.  Sure, I loved the cypress pines and the elevation changes, but what else would make this place memorable?   Little did I know that each hole would soon hold a new memory.  It started with the first day of the shoot – aerial photography day – when the pilot literally quit while we were attempting to photograph the tricky doglegs of #04 and #05.  I wanted the proper angle from the tee box to the fairway, but he absolutely did not like the proximity of the trees with the heli.  Needless to say, I talked him into finishing. But when I watched Lee Westwood lose his ball on Sunday to the tree on #05… I was not at all surprised!  I was trying to maneuver a helicopter around that very tree!

One of the first holes we shot on the ground was #17.  It was big, wide and even if we moved slowly with our new local crew, the golfers would never catch-up to us.  Little did we know, mother nature had a different schedule.  We finished half the hole when suddenly the California sun vanished into London fog.  So we stopped and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  "Oh well, let's just wrap & clean-up," I radioed to our producer.  But then the weather turned on a dime and again the skies were clear.  Only now… golfers were on #15!  LET THE RACE BEGIN!  The crew went from relaxed and training on the job into full attack mode.  It was a great effort from the team and it set the pace for the rest of the shoot.  Fast-forward to Friday's Round 2…  watching Tiger, Phil & Bubba play #17, it was almost refreshing to see this "easy birdie hole" show golf's biggest names it's pesky little personality.  

Although it's time to look ahead, I am still in denial this U.S. Open has come to an end.  Watching this course test these guys, being in the midst of all these past, present & future champions… to be perfectly honest, I was rooting for a playoff round on Monday!  I simply loved it.  I cannot thank the USGA and The Olympic Club enough for granting us this privilege to share this course with the world.  I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.

Come to think of it... I think I'll enjoy another virtual round.  Care to join?

Continue the discussion and see more photos on our Forum

Sunday's tee box on #03 (not played from the tips)

Woods is done for the day. Not his week. Not his major.

I had lunch with Matt Kuchar! What a great guy... all smiles coming off his Sunday round. After his performance at Augusta, he's ready to win a major.

Furyk explains what happened on #16.

I got goosebumps standing on the green... and I was only holding an iPhone!

Notice Simpson's stretch from #07 - #10. Brilliant golf there & the true reason he won.

Photos by MisterWGT