Golf Joins eSports With Inaugural Online e-Open Championship

Golf has become the latest professional sport to embrace online gaming (otherwise known as eSports) as the R&A has launched a digital version of this year’s cancelled Open Championship.

The inaugural e-Open Championship, which is inspired by the success of other virtual sports such as e-Formula 1, will take place over a virtual rendering of Royal St George’s golf course from 13 July to 8 September. Qualifying events and knock-out rounds will run throughout July and August, before a Grand Final showdown the month after.

The e-Open is now open for entries from players of all skill levels. It will be hosted by the WGT by Topgolf platform, which is the described as the world’s most realistic free virtual golf game and has more than 28 million players worldwide.

R&A boss Neil Armit said: “We have seen esports become hugely popular and enjoyed by gamers all around the world. The e-Open presented by Mastercard will give golf fans a unique opportunity on a global platform to challenge themselves against other gamers in a virtual tournament over Royal St George’s.

“We have been working on The e-Open for some time now and are pleased to be able to launch the inaugural tournament during what was due to be the week of the Championship this year. It will complement The Open for The Ages, which is being broadcast this Sunday as a very special celebration of the Championship.”

Full prizes for the e-Open will include what the Open Championship and e-Open sponsor Mastercard describes as “a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the 149th Open at Royal St George’s next year”.

More information on how to enter the e-Open can be found at TheOpen.com.