To create this game, a large crew of photographers and programmers spend about two weeks at each course capturing every nook and cranny of each hole from every possible angle, including overhead helicopter shots. Over several months, this data is translated into a 2 ½-D golf experience that replicates the challenges of the actual course.

"It's a tremendous experience for the average golfer," said Imada. "You get to visually experience what we face on Tour each week. Since World Golf Tour goes out and takes actual images of the course, you see the exact same thing we do when we are on the course. The game also does a great job of portraying the difficulty and challenges that these courses present to us. When the casual fan is watching on TV they can't see just how uphill some holes are, or how large the undulations are on some of the greens. This game gives you all of that and it's never been done this way before. And the best part about it is that fans gain access to these premier courses for free."

According to Cheng, over 2 million players have already experienced WGT, which has expanded this year to offer a social networking component for golfers and gamers to congregate both on the virtual course and off. In addition to being able to access the game though WGT.com, golf fans can experience the Virtual U.S. Open through additional online gateways at ESPN.com, NBC.com and USOPEN.com.

Attendees at the U.S. Open will be able to try the virtual links with 11 game kiosks spread throughout the Trophy Room, media center and USGA hospitality tent. In addition, there will be a two-page spread in the official U.S. Open program featuring the free golf videogame. To further connect the online experience with the real thing, Cheng said USOPEN.com announcers will invite golfers to partake in the virtual competition to win that trip to Pebble Beach next June.
Moving forward, Cheng envisions the WGT game being incorporated into actual golf broadcasts, further blurring the line between sport and videogame.

"WGT will be used to show viewers the exact perspective the players see standing on the course," explained Cheng. "TV angles and wide views do not show you the true difficultly a player faces. Also, the announcers can run multiple simulations on WGT and see and show the view what will happen if the player misses a shot short or long, so they can understand why the player needs to manage the 'miss' hits and play it safe."

Gamers who purchased the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii versions of EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 games can also partake in this weekend's activities via the EA Sports Live Tournaments mode. The Upper Deck Challenge offers a virtual Bethpage Black course and two levels of difficulty: Amateur and Tour Pro. EA is also giving gamers an incentive to log online and play in the form of autographed memorabilia from Upper Deck.
So in addition to experiencing Tiger Woods and the PGA TOUR pros on television, gamers now have two new ways to not only play the U.S. Open course, but walk away a winner, as well. And there are no commercial breaks in videogame golf.