The e-Open

• 18-hole stroke play tournament, plus livestream finals, played virtually on the iconic Royal St George’s rendered on WGT by Topgolf

• Once-in-a-lifetime prizes up for grabs, including all-expenses paid trip to The 149th Open at Royal St George’s next year

• A live Exhibition Match between two stars from the world of professional golf set to be played on Royal St George’s

A new era begins with the launch of the very first e-Open Tournament presented by Mastercard.

Gamers around the world will be able to test themselves against the unrelenting challenge of links golf as the inaugural e-Open launches.

The virtual stroke play tournament will take place over the iconic links of Royal St George’s from 13 July to 8 September, with qualifying events and knock-out rounds running throughout July and August leading to a Grand Final showdown in September.

Players of all skill levels from beginners to advanced gamers can take part and will be powered by the WGT by Topgolf platform – the world’s most realistic free-to-play online golf game, which has been enjoyed worldwide by more than 28 million players.

As fans look forward to The 149th Open taking place along the Kent coastline next July, they can get a taste of the competitive action early by taking digital swings on the iconic Royal St George’s, the e-Open’s very first virtual host venue. The 18-hole stroke play style tournament will provide both a challenging and enjoyable golfing experience for players of all skill levels, whether you are a beginner or an advanced gamer.

This innovative tournament will provide a global platform, helping attract gamers and golf fans alike from all corners of the world. The e-Open is accessible to all through the WGT online gaming app.

Neil Armit, Chief Commercial Officer at The R&A, said: “We have seen esports become hugely popular and enjoyed by gamers all around the world. The e-Open 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.”

Watch two stars of the golfing world battle it out in a live Exhibition Match

As presenting partner of The e-Open, and Official Patron of The Open, Mastercard is helping to make sure that the very first e-Open will be one fans will not forget. During the qualifying round, two Mastercard golf ambassadors will partake in a priceless experience by swapping their clubs for keyboards and going head-to-head in a live Exhibition Match to be played over Royal St George’s. Fans will be able to tune into the live action in what will prove to be a real highlight of the new tournament.

“We are excited to share The Open experience digitally with fans throughout the world. With new advances to our livestream capabilities, our WGT by Topgolf platform makes accessible one of the most prestigious tournaments on the same course as the pros, outfitted with first-hand challenges, rewards and nuances of Royal St George’s.” said President of Topgolf Media, YuChiang Cheng. “We are humbled to be selected by the R&A to produce the first ever official e-Open and allow anyone with a smartphone or computer to have the chance to win it.”

Up to 100,000 players expected to enter The e-Open and compete for world class prizes

The wait is over for many as the tournament kicks off with official qualification stages now open for entry. The tournament will be played through a series of rounds over the coming weeks in a longer style format. Following qualification, a competitive knockout stage will be played from 27-30 August before the Grand Final is contested by the very best players on 8 September.

The e-Open Format

Qualifying Stages – Monday, July 13 to Sunday, Aug. 23

Live Exhibition Match – Monday, Aug. 10

Knockout rounds – Thursday, Aug. 27 to Sunday, Aug 30

Grand Final – Tuesday, Sept. 8

World class prizes will be on offer for the champion of The e-Open (subject to eligibility as defined in the Official Rules and Regulations), including a once-in-a-lifetime experience at The 149th Open at Royal St George’s next year. Exclusive content and digital experiences with golf ambassadors and partners will also be made available for fans through Priceless.com

Champion:

• Opportunity for the winner, plus a guest, to attend The 149th Open

• Return flights included for winner, plus guest

• Accommodation will be provided

• Winner, plus a guest, will receive Official Mastercard Hospitality for the four Championship days

• Winner, plus a guest, will have a ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour experience

Runner-up:

• A Callaway golf bag, signed by Tom Watson

If you think you have what it takes, you can begin your e-Open challenge today. To enter, head to theopen.com/the-eopen-2020 to take on the links and clinch the very first e-Open title.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. You must have a valid registered World Golf Tour account (free).

In the skill-based contest, entrants compete for the best scores in a qualifying stroke play tournament round between July 13, 2020 and August 23rd, 2020 and the 32 top scoring entrants from eligible countries in the qualifying round will compete in two 16-player brackets from August 27th - August 30th. The winner of each bracket will qualify to play in an 18-hole match play contest that will be streamed online. Contest entrants who meet geographic eligibility criteria for sweepstakes entry as defined below will automatically be entered into the Sweepstakes.

Only individuals who are legal residents of and physically located in the fifty United States and the District of Columbia, Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands, Japan, and South Korea who are 18 years of age or older or the age of majority in the entrant's state or province/territory of residence, whichever is greater, are eligible to win prizes in the Sweepstakes.

No Credits will be deducted from your World Golf Tour account to enter the Qualifier or the Sweepstakes. You may play the game as many times as you wish during the Qualification and Sweepstakes Period, however, only the lowest final score received by you during the Qualification Period will be recorded as your entry for the Qualifier round of the Contest, and only one entry per person, per World Golf Tour user account, and per email address will be accepted for the Sweepstakes.

For additional terms, conditions, and limitations, please consult Official Rules and Regulations.

The sponsor of this contest is World Golf Tour, Inc., 100 California St., Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94111.