The ability to provide up-to-date scores, statistics and information is an essential element of today’s digital lifestyle. Usopen.com and uswomensopen.com reflect what our users want and have come to expect from our national championships.
Village of Pinehurst, N.C. (PRWEB) April 21, 2014
In its commitment to provide fans with the most dynamic digital experience for two of golf’s premier championships, the United States Golf Association (USGA) today launched usopen.com and uswomensopen.com, the official websites of the 2014 U.S. Open championships. With enhanced design and functionality, usopen.com and uswomensopen.com offer a unified digital platform that will feature comprehensive coverage of this year’s historic back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open championships.
Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) will play host to the 114th U.S. Open June 12-15 and the 69th U.S. Women’s Open June 19-22.
“The unique nature of this year’s back-to-back U.S. Opens allowed us to create a site that showcases both championships,” said Sarah Hirshland, USGA senior managing director of business affairs. “Through our collaboration with IBM, we set out to design an interactive and informative platform that offers a best-in-class user experience during this two-week championship event.”
Designed with the fan experience in mind, usopen.com and uswomensopen.com serve as the go-to source for up-to-date information about the championships. The website’s newly-established “Know Before You Go” section is an essential resource for real-time spectator information, including weather updates, traffic advisories and parking information.
In addition to the newly launched website, the USGA’s suite of 2014 U.S. Open digital products also includes enhanced iPhone, Android and iPad applications, designed and developed by IBM, that will deliver live video, real-time scores, news and highlights throughout the 114th U.S. Open. All apps feature user-friendly functionality and provide access to live HD video streaming, real-time scoring, live updates, news, photos and Twitter feeds. The official U.S. Open applications will launch in early June and will be available for download from iTunes and the Google Play Store.
“Fans of the 2014 U.S. Open Championship can count on staying connected to the action at Pinehurst, no matter where they are located, thanks to an enhanced digital and mobile platform enabled by IBM cloud and analytics technologies that will deliver action and insights live on the Web, iPad, iPhone and Android devices," said Rick Singer, vice president of client executive marketing for IBM, the USGA's technology partner. “We're partnering with the USGA to present an engaging and interactive U.S. Open experience to fans that want to follow their favorite golfers from the first drive to the final putt of the championship.”
USOPEN.COM And USWOMENSOPEN.COM Features:
Enhanced Scoring:
- Live, second-round hole-by-hole scoring from the 10 domestic U.S. Open sectional qualifying sites on Monday, June 2.
- Updated scoring dashboard that gives fans an “At-a-Glance” view of top scores at all sites as players attempt to earn a place in the field at Pinehurst.
- Improved “My Leaderboard” feature to enhance the scoring experience for both championships and allow for the tracking of an unlimited number of competitors.
More Dynamic Championship Content:
- Enhanced course profiles, including flyover videos and accompanying hole descriptions of Pinehurst No. 2.
- Course and hole insights powered by IBM’s cloud computing and analytics technologies.
- Live HD video streaming of morning and afternoon marquee groups on Thursday and Friday, and featured holes on Saturday and Sunday.
Increased Social Media Integration:
- Through its Twitter (@usopengolf) and Facebook accounts (http://www.Facebook.com/USOPEN), the USGA will provide news, statistics, facts and photos leading up to and throughout both championships. The Social Connection page on both sites will be devoted to aggregated tweets from @usopengolf and @USGA, as well as those of select players and broadcasters. Throughout the championships, fans will be invited to join the conversation by using the #usopen hashtag on Twitter. The hashtag #usopenpresspass will permit users to submit post-round questions to U.S. Open competitors.
- Users will have the opportunity to engage with the USGA while watching usopen.com’s live streaming coverage of morning and afternoon marquee groups on Thursday and Friday, and featured holes on Saturday and Sunday. Fans who use the #AmexGolf hashtag in the U.S. Open Tweet Stream, presented by American Express, can chat with USGA experts, celebrities and fellow U.S. Open fans, as well as directly receive enhanced coverage, including facts, photos and statistics related to the marquee groups.
- The live-streaming console will also offer fans the opportunity to participate in multiple-choice polls about the marquee groups as the action unfolds.
- During U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open qualifying, Twitter users will be able to track participants and join the conversation by using the hashtag #RoadtoPinehurst. Now in its sixth year, the Virtual U.S. Open allows fans the opportunity to play Pinehurst No. 2 just as the best golfers in the world will. Developed in association with the World Golf Tour and sponsored by Lexus, the Virtual U.S. Open will consist of various virtual challenges, including a full 18-hole qualifier. Players who make the cut will qualify for a chance to win a trip for two to the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. Other prizes include $500 gift cards to USGAShop.com and credits to the World Golf Tour pro shop. As part of the celebration of the back-to-back championships, the game will also be tailored to let users choose to play from the men’s or women’s tees.
“We are committed to connecting with fans of the U.S. Open Championships wherever they are,” said Hirshland. “The ability to provide up-to-date scores, statistics and information is an essential element of today’s digital lifestyle. Usopen.com and uswomensopen.com reflect what our users want and have come to expect from our national championships.”
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches, attracting players and fans from more than 160 countries. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s reach is global with a working jurisdiction in the United States, its territories and Mexico, serving more than 25 million golfers and actively engaging 150 golf associations.
The USGA is one of the world’s foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services and its ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.
For more information about the USGA, visit http://www.usga.org.