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Join the main event of the 2012 Virtual U.S. Open on WGT for your chance to win a Grand Prize trip to the 2013 U.S. Open. The golf tournament qualifier features 18 holes of full strokeplay golf on The Olympic Club golf course, the host of the 2012 U.S. Open.

One lucky sweepstakes player, regardless of their score, will win the Grand Prize trip to the 2013 U.S. Open. In addition, the top 156 scores in the Qualifier round will advance to the Virtual U.S. Open Championship tournament, and will compete for a second Grand Prize trip.

Play the Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier

Check here for the full leaderboard

After an exciting day of golf Sunday at TPC Sawgrass for the final day of the 2012 Players Championship, Matt Kuchar finished at the top with a 2-under 70, giving him his first win of 2012. Pars in the middle of his back nine holes turned out to be the key to his leaderboard top spot with a 13-under 275 total.

Kuchar beat out Martin Laird (67), first-time winner Rickie Fowler (70), Zach Johnson (68) and Ben Curtis (68), all tied for second, while Na dropped to tie for seventh at 280 with a 76 after leading Kuchar by one shot going into the final day. Na struggled to focus while spectators continued to heckle him and the importance of golf's mental game became very clear. 

The win at TPC pushed Kuchar from #28 to #6 in the FedEx Cup standings. Phil Mickelson, who finished tied for 25th this weekend, remains in the #4 spot, while Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson and Rory McIlroy sit at the top.

Kuchar celebrated his fourth career win on the 18th green with his wife, two sons and parents, and is now ranked #5 in the official world golf ranking.

PHOTO: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Get 3 free NIKE virtual golf balls when you purchase $20 or more WGT Credits.

With this special offer, receive 3 free NIKE 20XI-X virtual golf balls to add to your golf equipment bag -- valid through Sunday, May 13 (also Mother's Day).

Get Free NIKE Balls

NIKE's 20XI-X Balls feature a revolutionary RZN core that delivers more distance, as well as spin and control, and a slower swing meter.

Pick up your free virtual golf balls now and use them to compete in the 2012 Virtual U.S. Open, played on the The Olympic Club golf course -- now available on WGT! Play the Back 9 Challenge for a chance to win some great prizes, or just an individual hole on The Olympic Club course -- all free to play!

*Offer available to WGT players buying $20 or more WGT Credits 5/10/12-5/13/12, receive 3 free NIKE 20XI-X virtual golf balls

As we continue our coverage leading up to this year's 2012 U.S. Open golf championship at The Olympic Club, we'll take a look at the challenges awaiting players on the front 9 of the Lake Course. Any of the golf holes can be played free without signup virtually at World Golf Tour.

This year, the course will play at a par-70 and 7,170 yards, which is 373 yards longer than when The Olympic Club hosted the national championship in 1998. The front 9 will play at a par-34 and the back nine a par-36 because the par on holes 1 and 17 have been flipped. More than half of the holes have dog legs, including four where the ultra-narrow fairways will go in opposite directions. Additionally, the elevation constantly changes and the unleveled lies could prove particularly challenging.

The front 9 holes at The Olympic Club this year are expected to be the hardest start of any U.S. Open, and players who are able to complete the first 6 holes at par may be in a strong position on the leaderboard. Here’s a closer look at those holes:

• U.S. Open, Hole 3: Expected to be the hardest par-3 on the course, as it grades slightly downhill and is protected by four bunkers, offering no safety to the side of the hole. 

• U.S. Open, Hole 4: The best par-4 on the course. This dogleg left starts a steady dose of holes where shot shaping the ball is critical in scoring well. Play Hole 4 with top performing NIKE virtual golf balls.

• U.S. Open, Hole 5: Features a lot of elevation change where the fairway cants the opposite direction of the dogleg, which will pose quite a challenge for players. 

• U.S. Open, Hole 8: Once one of the easiest holes on the course, it is entirely new from the last championship in 1998, and now features little room for error along the right-side trees. Try Hole 8 with a TaylorMade virtual driver on WGT.

Stay tuned for weekly updates from WGT, and visit the USGA site for more information on the 2012 U.S. Open Championship.

Continue playing the free 2012 Virtual U.S. Open on WGT with this 9-shot, closest-to-the-hole challenge on the back nine holes of The Olympic Club, available now!

Enter the free Back 9 Challenge tournament now for a chance to win some great prizes -- and new this year, both the top score AND a random sweepstakes player will each win a $500 gift card to the USGA Shop.

Play "virtually" the same 2012 U.S. Open course at The Olympic Club, and experience the same thrills, frustrations and challenges as your favorite professional golfers. The live U.S. Open is June 11-17, but you can play WGT's Virtual U.S. Open now!

Play the Virtual U.S. Open Back 9 Challenge

The Olympic Club Lake Course, which opened in 1924 and was redesigned in 1927 due to damage, is considered one of the top 100 golf courses in the world. The Olympic Club is almost entirely within the borders of San Francisco with no water hazards, though it borders Lake Merced, and has hosted the US Open in 1955, 1966, 1987, 1998 and 2012. 

The USGA hosted the first U.S. Open Championship on October 4, 1895 on the nine-hole course of Newport (Rhode Island) Golf and Country Club. The first players to compete included 10 professionals and one amateur in the 36-hole competition -- composed of four trips around the Newport course in a single day. Horace Rawlins, 21, is the first tournament winner, finishing with a score of 91-82-173 and taking home the $150 first prize, of the $335 total prize money.

Last year Rory McIlroy became the youngest U.S. Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923 with a record score of 16 under par, and will be returning this year to defend his title. 

*See tournament rules for details

At the 10th anniversary of the Wells Fargo Championship this weekend at Quail Hollow, Rickie Fowler finished with a 3-under 69 to beat both Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points in a three-way playoff for his first PGA Tour win. Fowler hit his approach shot on the first playoff hole to 4 feet, setting up the short birdie putt that he made to earn the title. 

The win came in his 67th pro start and put him into the #15 spot in the latest FedExCup standings, just two below Tiger Woods who missed the cut this weekend. 

Fowler, McIlroy and Points finished tied at 14-under 274 after 72 holes of the Wells Fargo Championship, going into the playoff. McIlroy finished the tournament with a 2-under 70, while Points finished with a 1-under 71. 

There is now talk of a growing rivalry between the two young golfers, but McIlroy still has a couple extra years of experience as a pro over Fowler. However even with the extra years under his belt, McIlroy says of Fowler, "I think it was just a matter of time before he won." If there is going to be a growing rivalry, it will be fun to watch!

Hometown favorite Webb Simpson, who lives a mile from Quail Hollow, missed a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th that would have put him in the playoff, leaving him with a 73 to finish alone in fourth place.

Though he finished tied for second in the tournament, McIlroy did have a victory of his own: reclaiming the #1 spot in the official world golf ranking. 

Final Leaderboard

Photo credit: PGA

Former PGA Tour player and co-host of the Hooked on Golf radio show, John Abendroth will be sharing his insights over the air waves on The Olympic Club course leading up to the 2012 US Open Championship. John has been the golf course record holder at the Lake Course at The Olympic Club since 1962 and he is a 4-Time Club Champion as well. Every Saturday morning, the team at Hooked on Golf shares inside information on the game of golf, its big names and a healthy dose of light-hearted fun. Mitch Juricich co-hosts the radio show, which Sports Illustrated called ‘the most successful of the few golf radio shows in existence.’ Additionally, Tom Spencer provides special reports and Tour updates.

Listeners can expect to hear insights about The Olympic Club course, such as this insight on hole #1: "This opening hole will be played as a par-4 for the first time in championship history at The Olympic Club. The dog leg right with rolling fairway is an easy opening tee shot, but the downhill shot to the green will be a challenge. Two bunkers are about 40-yards short of the green and the uneven terrain in front of the green will create some excitement."

Visit the Hooked on Golf website to get all of John's insights on The Olympic Club, Hole-by-Hole. 

And, tune in to Fox Sports Bay Area and KNBR-680 am on Saturday mornings to hear the Hooked on Golf show.

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13th.

Current offers are 1,750 WGT Credits from ProFlowers and 1,750 WGT Credits from FTD!*

See Mother's Day Offers

You can use your free WGT Credits to upgrade your virtual equipment, helping you improve your game and win more matches. Try out your upgraded equipment on the WGT Virtual U.S. Open Front 9 Challenge, available now!

*Offers are subject to change. See WGT "Earn Free Credits" page for current offers and restrictions.

**Shipping restrictions for international regions may apply, see offer details for more information.

Jason Dufner got his first career PGA Tour title this weekend at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, beating Ernie Els with a birdie in the second playoff on the par-5 18th. In the first playoff hole, both missed birdie putts within 8 feet of the hole, but Dufner won the second playoff hole by making a short birdie putt after Els missed his birdie attempt.

According to our Facebook Poll over the weekend, only about 18% of people picked Dufner for the win. Understandable, as this was his first title in 164 starts on the PGA Tour. Entering the final round on Sunday, the three-time runner-up on the tour had just a 2 shot lead over the field but was able to hang on for the win.

Dufner called his win a "great wedding present" for himself and his fiancee -- who are getting married next weekend. He commented that, "[Weddings are] a little more expensive than I thought or had imagined. ...It'll be a big celebration not only for our marriage but also for my first victory out on the tour."

Luke Donald shot a 67 to finish in third place at 17 under, and moved past Rory McIlroy for the #1 spot in the official world golf ranking. Defending Zurich Classic champ and 2012 Masters winner Bubba Watson shot a 65 on Saturday, but finished tied for 18th place at -11.

Final Leaderboard

Photo credit: Derick E. Hingle/US Presswire

Now through May 31, play in this special tournament from WGT and Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday with two chances to win a golf trip to Myrtle Beach to play golf with "America's Hottest Golfer" Blair O'Neal, host of the Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz and former LPGA and Big Break star.

Both the top score and a lucky sweepstakes player, regardless of their score, will each win this amazing prize, which includes airfare, hotel and a round of golf with Blair O'Neal.

The tournament, which is available only to residents of USA and Canada, is a FREE stroke play tournament played on Congressional Country Club, the host of the 2011 U.S. Open.

A graduate of Arizona State University, Blair became a professional golfer in January 2004 and has competed in a number of tournaments since. In addition to her professional golfer status, she is also a model with experience on runways, print ads, commercial ads, magazine covers and online. In 2008, she was named “One of the Hottest 50 Athletes of All-Time” by Sports Illustrated, and was voted into the final four of its “World’s Hottest Athlete” contest by Web users shortly after. In 2010, Blair was the winner and MVP of Golf Channel’s Big Break: Dominican Republic and received an exemption for the 2011 LPGA Kia Classic. She is now the host of the Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz.

You have two chances to win this awesome prize, so start playing now!

See rules for details.