WGT Golf News

WGT is taking a closer look at the closing back 9 holes at Congressional Country Club, site of the 2013 AT&T National event on the PGA Tour, featuring top PGA players Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose and Adam Scott.

Hole 10 is a challenging start to the back 9. It's a par 3 where players must carry water the entire distance and shots on the front of the green are likely to back up into the water. Depending on the hole location, shots to the right side will normally funnel back to the hole for a birdie opportunity.

Play Congressional Hole 10 on WGT free without signup. 

Sign up free for WGT and join the millions playing online golf on championship courses like Congressional, Merion, Pebble and St Andrews, including the free Congressional Challenge this week with chances to win double WGT credits.

Check out these video replay highlights from top WGT players in the Virtual U.S. Open on Merion.

Watch Highlights

And there's still time to make some of your own highlights in the 2013 Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier. Be sure to enter for your chance at a drawing for a golf trip for two people to next year's U.S. Open at Pinehurst #2.

Play Tournament

*Virtual U.S. Open Qualifier tournament is free to enter and runs thru 6/30/13. See rules for details.

Get the new WGT Stand Bag Plus and you can save up to four different club sets in each bag.

Many top players like to use different club sets for different WGT courses or types of games. The new WGT Stand Bag Plus gives players to option to create and save up to four club sets, so the right clubs are ready to go when you are. Available in plaid, red and white/blue.

See New Golf Bags

You can choose to equip or un-equip your golf bag in your game settings, and it's visible in all game types but only on tee shots.

Log in and play WGT today, Sunday 6/16 and get a free WGT Shot Pal.

It's Father's Day in America so we're honoring all the dads who play WGT.

WGT Shot Pal helps you fine tune your swing power with ruler increments below the Swing Meter, especially helpful for precise approach shots.

Play WGT Today

Remember, you can always choose to disable Shot Pal using the Settings menu in the upper-left corner of the game.

Note: unlike Putter Pal, Shot Pal doesn't show the exact percent markings on the swing meter ruler, because shot distance isn't as directly related to shot power, like putting distance is related to putting power. This is due to shots involving a range of factors, including club type, swing type, lie, wind, landing surface, etc.

*Special offer for WGT players who log in and play WGT on 6/16/13, receive one free WGT Shot Pal good for 200 hits.

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