Longstanding golfing competition The Open has launched an online edition of its tournament, titled ‘The e-Open‘.
Global financial services company Mastercard has signed onto the online tournament as a presenting partner.
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Scheduled to last three months, The e-Open tournament will use Topgolf’s World Golf Tour, a free online gaming platform that will enable its 28 million users to play for a chance to win an exclusive trip to The 149th Open in 2021 with flights, hotels, and tickets fully compensated.
According to The e-Open’s website, “this innovative tournament will provide a global platform, helping attract gamers and golf fans alike from all corners of the world.”
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Topgolf’s involvement in The e-Open is far from its first swing in esports. In December 2018, TCL and Topgolf partnered to create six esports lounges in Topgolf venues, and Super League Gaming announced a partnership with Topgolf to house amateur esports events in February last year.
Towards the end of 2019, Topgolf Media partnered with the European Tour and DreamHack Sports Games to launch the European eTour, a series that consisted of six events which would take place alongside the scheduled European Tour events in 2020.
More recently, amidst COVID-19 restrictions, The American Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) also announced the LPGA eTour Live. Topgolf’s World Golf Tour was chosen yet again to facilitate the competition.
Esports Insider says: It’s encouraging to see a tournament as prestigious as The Open turning to esports as a replacement for their real-world event; an event cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Hopefully, with Topgolf’s experience, the event will run smoothly and potentially open the door to future involvement in esports and gaming from The Open.