WGT Golf News

  • Donate to charity for a chance to play Pebble Beach

    13 Nov 2012

    This may be your best chance to play Pebble Beach!

    WGT sponsor Cadillac has teamed up with the National Kidney Foundation charity to launch the NKF Cadillac Golf Classic tournament on World Golf Tour.

    The tournament costs 500 WGT Credits to enter and the proceeds go to the National Kidney Foundation charity, benefiting research and treatment of kidney disease.

    The grand prize is a dream golf trip to Pebble Beach for you and a friend, including airfare, three nights at the Spanish Bay Inn and rounds of golf at Pebble Beach and Spanish Bay Links, valued at over $3,500.

    Play Charity Tournament Now

    Note: one entry will be randomly selected to win the grand prize. This is not a skill-based leaderboard tournament, all you need to do is enter and post your round for a chance to win the sweepstakes drawing. See tournament rules for details and eligibility.

  • In Defense Of Guan Tianlang

    12 Nov 2012

    By Brian Hewitt for GlobalGolfPost

    A cooler head prevailed last week at the Magic Kingdom. And it had nothing to do with the outcome of the Children’s Miracle Network Classic or the final disposition of the PGA Tour money list.

    This tempest in a tea kettle was all about a bunch of Mickey Mouse blowback from grownups because a 14-year-old Chinese boy had earned a spot in the 2013 Masters a week earlier.

    When Guan Tianlang hung on to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur it was a cause for celebration in his homeland of China.

    It was also apparently a cause for raised eyebrows, second-guessing and outright sniping thousands of miles away in the U.S., where more than one PGA Tour player questioned the legitimacy of Guan’s achievement.

    Former PGA champion Steve Elkington wondered on Twitter why The Masters had approved a policy that allowed for a 14-year-old to play at Augusta.

    Tommy Gainey, who won the McGladrey Classic last month but didn't receive a Masters invite because The Masters doesn’t recognize Fall Series winners, also spoke out.

    “I feel like I deserve the opportunity as well,” Gainey said at Disney. “And him being 14, he’s young enough. He’s got plenty of time. But I’m 37.”

    Never mind that few complained when accomplished Japanese amateur Hideki Matsuyama gained entry to The Masters by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur in 2010 and 2011. Matsuyama made the cut at Augusta both years and was low amateur in 2011.

    Never mind that Guan conquered a 2012 Asia-Pacific field that included Matsuyama.

    And never mind that Guan wasn’t at Disney to defend himself.

    That left it to Trevor Immelman, a former Masters champion and one of the coolest heads in all of golf, to make the teenager’s case.

    And he did so clearheadedly.

    “The Augusta National golf course and The Masters committee is always going to uphold the amateur game,” Immelman said Thursday at Disney. “They feel like it’s up to them, with the fame that they have and the notoriety they have, to try and do their part to grow the game.

    “And they felt the best thing to do was to grow the game through the amateur ranks in Asia. So, I have absolutely no problem with this.”

    Nevertheless, critics were clucking their tongues and insisting that Guan’s 250-yard drives won’t be nearly enough for the big ballpark that Augusta National has become at 7,435 yards.

    To which Immelman shook his head.

    “I played with Gary Player there once when he was 72 years old and we calculated that he couldn’t reach 11 of the par 4s,” Immelman said. “And he still shot 78 that day. I’m not worried about how this kid does.

    “At the end of the day the rules were made. He won the tournament that gets him in. So for us to argue over whether he should be there or not is really irrelevant.”

    Immelman, who will turn 32 next month, has battled injuries without complaint for several years. He arrived at Disney No. 126 on the money list and quietly reminded questioner after questioner that he was not on a top 125 bubble. His exemption from winning the 2008 Masters extends through 2013.

    On Thursday, he found himself grinding over a five-footer on the final hole at the Magnolia Course. He made the putt, signed for 80 and politely shook the hands of his amateur playing partners.

    Asked outside the scorer’s trailer to talk about Guan he was both patient and measured despite having just signed for an 8-over-par score.

    Immelman was 19 at his first Masters and he, too, had qualified as an amateur by winning the U.S. Amateur Public Links.

    “I think it’s a very good thing,” Immelman said. “At the end of the day the spirit of the tournament was really founded by Bob Jones, the greatest amateur of all time and maybe one of the greatest players of all time.”

    Asked what advice he would offer Guan, if asked, Immelman said, “Playing The Masters is the most nervous a professional will be. So, he’ll definitely be nervous. But everybody will be.

    “I think the media now is probably a little more intense now. And he will have a billion people from his own country following his progress. But he really has nothing to lose.

    “He should just try to have fun. He’s only 14. It’s hard to say it will be the greatest experience of his life because he hasn’t been around that long. It’s going to be a lot for him, but he’ll be working hard between now and then and I think he’ll be ready to go.”

    For years, the Lords of The Masters have been criticized on all sorts of issues. On occasion, they have deserved the criticism.

    Allowing a 14-year-old Chinese youth to play in the 2013 Masters is not one of those occasions.

    The Masters has made a clear and concerted effort at reaching out globally to grow the game. For this they should be commended.

    And for his strong and eloquent support of Guan Tianlang, Trevor Immelman should be commended, too.

    PHOTO: Associated Press

  • New MAX Precision Irons

    09 Nov 2012

    Get the maximum accuracy on your shots with the new MAX Precision Iron Set on World Golf tour.

    This new set of virtual irons features the maximum accuracy in the game, with slightly less total distance and a faster WGT swing meter than other top sets. Top players will want to consider pairing these precision irons with premium balls that provide more distance or slow down the swing meter, especially for closest-to-the-hole games.

    New MAX Precision Irons

    This top-performing virtual club set unlocks in the Pro Shop for WGT players at Level 45 or higher.

  • New MAX Irons, MAX Color Vapor Balls and South African Avatars

    07 Nov 2012

    We've expanded the popular new MAX line of virtual golf equipment, which provides players with the maximum performance in one key area, like precision, control or slow meter. And also added South African Avatars based on Facebook Fan voting, and doubled the Maximum Bet option for Blitz, Match Play and Skins games. Enjoy!

     

    New MAX Precision Irons

    Get maximum accuracy on your iron shots with the new MAX PRECISION Iron Set. Pair these new irons with premium golf balls for extra distance or a slower swing meter, and it's game on. Unlocks for top players at Level 45 or higher.


    New MAX Slow Meter Color Vapors

    Get the golf balls with the slowest WGT swing meter in the game to help you ding every shot – now with vapor trails available in different colors to better trace your shots. The new MAX METER Color Vapor Balls unlock for Amateur and Tour Pro players or higher.

     

    New South African Avatars

    New South African avatars wearing national colors join the collection of WGT country avatars available in the Pro Shop. See the new South African Male 1 Avatar.

     

    New Higher Maximum Betting Options

    Based on player feedback, we've doubled the maximum bet option for Blitz, Match Play and Skins Challenge games against other players for WGT Credits. Please note, you can still choose any amount you want, and because these are high-stakes challenge games, we recommend them for top WGT players only.

     

  • Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier Winner Announced, and more...

    06 Nov 2012

    We have some more WGT tournament winners to announce, including this year's Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier lucky sweepstakes winner who will be going to the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club!

    Last year's VUSO winner, mrenn29, enjoyed his grand prize trip to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club and wrote this blog post to share his experience.

    VUSO Qualifier Sweepstakes
    Winner: sportster
    Prize: sportster was the lucky sweepstakes winner, chosen at random, for a Grand Prize golf trip for two to attend the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, as the special guests of the USGA. WGT player, StoneColdKiller, also won a Grand Prize trip to next year's U.S. Open at Merion for posting the top score in the golf tournament. Congrats to both of our Virtual U.S. Open Grand Prize winners!

    WGT Kiawah Championship Sweepstakes
    Winner: worthel
    Prize: worthel was the lucky sweepstakes winner, selected at random from the qualifier, to win a $500 Amazon gift card.

    September NKF Cadillac Golf Classic
    Winners:

    1. Spammage
    2. WRWil
    3. poldimaier
    4. jlucky3333 
    5. Cygnus3000
    6. SteveOx
    7. BradySeven
    8. hognutz
    9. AllyKennedy
    10. kingstormin

    Prize: The top 10 eligible leaderboard finishers won 500 WGT Credits. Use those WGT Credits to get some new virtual golf equipment in the WGT Pro Shop, or enter some more online golf tournaments! 
    Honorable Mentions: We'd like to congratulate the following WGT players on placing in the top 10, but weren't eligible to win prizes... rikirulz, GoodyChamp, genorb and mssommer.

    October NKF Cadillac Golf Classic
    Winners: 

    1. chrisironsbones
    2. davidh29
    3. dansamcam
    4. Spammage
    5. Ffudd
    6. genorb
    7. PRIESTESS
    8. Cygnus3000
    9. xfipro
    10. KyRock75

    Prize: The top 10 eligible leaderboard finishers won 500 WGT Credits that they can use to get some new virtual golf equipment in the WGT Pro Shop, or enter more online golf tournaments! 

    There is also an ongoing tournament, NKF Cadillac Golf Classic - Pebble Beach Challenge, with a 500 credit entry fee and all proceeds going to the National Kidney Foundation. A winner chosen at random will win a dream golf trip for two to the Pebble Beach Resorts, including flights, a three night stay and two rounds of golf. Play now thru the end of the year for your chance to win!

    Congratulations to all of our winners, we'll continue to keep announcing them as we verify and confirm them. And sportster, we'd love for you to share your U.S. Open experience with us after your trip!

    For your chance to win, visit the WGT Tournaments page!

  • Rory Be Wary

    05 Nov 2012

    By Mike Purkey for GlobalGolfPost

    So, fellow travelers, what to make of this little bromance between Tiger and Rory, them suddenly looking like best buds and all?

    Every time you look up lately, they are strolling down some fairway, side by side, smiling and chatting like they’re fraternity brothers. They’ve played together a hand­ful of times late into this season, the last being this one-day exhibition in China in which each was paid a small boatload of money to turn up.

    What do you suppose they talk about? Do they dissect the Celtic-Rangers foot­ball match? Or whether Ray Allen will get the Heat another NBA title? Did Tiger give Rory the name of his real estate agent and housekeeper? Well, maybe not the house­keeper. Did Tiger invite Rory over to throw something on the grill and play X-Box deep into the night?

    Do you think they discuss what it’s like to have a famous girlfriend except in a good way?

    If this is the new Tiger, we can’t be sure how to figure this one out. The old Tiger would have never given McIlroy the time of day, much less engage in some harmless convo during a competitive round of golf. Woods would have stared a hole through Rory the size of a cannonball and would have no other thoughts than to beat the liv­ing daylights out of his biggest challenger.

    McIlroy is No. 1 in the world and Woods is No. 2. That in itself would normally have been enough for Tiger to keep Rory at arm’s length while he goes about the busi­ness of regaining the top ranking.

    Woods certainly didn’t treat any other of his closest rivals, if you could call them actual rivals, anything like civil. He didn’t have any use for Phil Mickelson, not even for a minute, and when they played together, the only contact they had was a handshake and a nod on the first tee and the 18th green. In between, nothing, abso­lutely nothing.

    The reason Tiger and Phil didn’t win either of their Ryder Cup matches togeth­er in 2004 was because both of them had contracted frostbite from the Arctic ice­berg between them that prevented them from speaking a word to one another. Go get ’em, pards.

    But now, they are Ping-Pong partners in the Ryder Cup team room and, accord­ing to Phil, are a dominant force. If Mickel­son finds out that you play Pong, he’ll buy a table, set it up and bet you $100 he can kick your ass. Maybe he ought to try that in golf. Just saying.

    Where were we? Oh, yes, is it possible that Tiger has turned into a docile house cat at age 37? Has the world’s great­est competitor decided he has nothing to prove? In the beginning of Jack Nicklaus’ career and for years thereafter, he was Ar­nold Palmer’s bitter rival. But when Arnie and Jack were no longer trying to beat each other’s brains out, they became friends, and now no one is closer than these two of the game’s most prominent citizens.

    Or is Tiger a little more content to sit back and count his considerable coin and enjoy the good life that 14 majors bring?

    Tiger has all the money that he will ever need and McIlroy is getting there. At the China exhibition, it was reported that Tiger received $2 million and McIlroy half that. Pretty good payday all around but it still demonstrates that Tiger still not only moves the needle but he is the needle.

    Now, we see that Rory and Tiger are going to be teammates of sorts, as McIlroy is about to sign a big, long-term deal with Nike. Reported at $200 million – or more – for 10 years, McIlroy is about to rise near the top of off-course earnings among pro­fessional golfers. However, it’s not entirely certain what Woods is making but you can bet it’s more than that.

    As the late, great Sen. Everett Dirksen used to like to say, “A billion here, a billion there and sooner or later, you’re talking about real money.”

    And, it was reported that Woods and McIlroy have already shot their first Nike commercial together, engaging in some of what you call your light-hearted banter about the company’s new driver and what kind of insane distance they get from it.

    It has been rightly pointed out that if McIlroy moves to Nike, he will get the equipment he needs to continue play­ing his best golf. There’s really nothing to worry about here. Nike has one of the best club designers in Tom Stites and golf ball builders in Rock Ishii. The company will make certain that it does whatever is necessary and go to what­ever source is required to get something in McIlroy’s hands in which he has the utmost confidence.

    So if golf’s new power couple shares a brand, do they share the same hunger to be the No. 1 player in the world? On the sur­face, Tiger and Rory look for all the world like best mates – but what’s underneath?

    It is thought that Chinese general Sun-Tzu (The Art of War) once rightly said, “Keep your friends close and your en­emies closer.”

    PHOTO: Global Golf Post

  • WGT Holiday Gift Guide

    02 Nov 2012

    It's that time of year again, Starbucks has pulled out the red cups, stores are filled with holiday decorations, and the weather is changing...the holidays are here and it's time to figure out what to get everyone on your list.

    Don't forget all your friends on WGT, as you may spend more time with them than with your friends in the real world. Seriously, think about it.

    Gifting on WGT is easy. Just go the Pro Shop, find an item, click the big GIFT button and enter the WGT username. Note that you can only gift items to players if that item is unlocked based on their level or tier. You also can't gift the few items that unlock at tiers for Tour Pro thru Tour Legend players.

    Here are some gift ideas for the virtual golfers in your life...

    FUN GIFTS

    For friends with the yips...

    PUTTER PAL
    Help out your friends who just can't seem to get their putting right. Putter Pal breaks down the swing meter into smaller increments making it easier to more accurately set the power of putts. 
    (10+ credits)

    For your slow friends...

    SPEED-UP BOOSTS
    Have a buddy who seems to slow down your multi-player rounds? Maybe one that likes to play in a hurry? Get them a Speed-Up Boost so they can play WGT games 2-4 times faster. Boosts don't affect your shots, distance or roll at all, just makes the display faster.
    (75+ credits)

    For your countrymen/women...

    COUNTRY AVATARS
    Show off country pride with an avatar from any of our available country avatar collection, including USA, Canada, UK, England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, Italy and more!
    (800 credits)

    For the fashionista...

    FUNKY AVATARS
    Help your friends and family look stylish on the golf course by getting them a fancy new avatar! There's something for everyone so have some fun picking out the perfect look.
    (400 credits)

    PERFORMANCE GIFTS

    Slowest meter...

    MAX METER BALLS
    Give the gift of a slow meter, in the form of these sleek new MAX Slow Meter golf balls. They offer good overall distance and spin, but the maximum amount of feel to ding more shots. And now with colored vapor trails!
    (450+ credits)

    Most distance...

    NIKE 20XI-X BALLS
    Thanks to the revolutionary RZN core, get the most distance with these Nike golf balls. You're friends will definitely thank you for these as they're crushing their drives!
    (400+ credits)

    Best spin...

    CLEVELAND WEDGES 
    Get the best spin and back up your approach shots just like the pros with Cleveland Wedges.
    (475+ credits)

    Best hidden weapon...

    TAYLORMADE R11S HYBRID 
    Level 43+ | Level 96+
    Add a top-performing Hybrid on WGT to complete any set. It's longer and more forgiving than the original R11, making it the perfect pairing for the R11S Driver and 3 Wood for top WGT players.
    (695+ credits) 

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