Oldest Golf Tournament ‘The Open’ is Coming to The Metaverse

The metaverse has attracted big players in the game in the past. A recent partnership between R&A, a group of golf-focused companies, and Golf 5, a virtual reality focused company, is bringing the oldest tournament in the game, The Open, to the metaverse.

An Immersive Experience For Fans

According to the announcement, R&A wants to attract new audiences via advanced technologies. The metaverse golf tournament is dubbed ‘The VR Open.’ Winner of the virtual reality event will receive a ticket to The 152nd Open, to be held next year. Rules of the game will be similar to The Open and contestants are required to go through qualifiers.

The R&A CCO, Neil Armit, said, “We have created The VR Open so that fans can engage with the Championship like never before using technology and the Metaverse.” Golf 5 President, Antonio Marine, stated, “We are thrilled to partner with The R&A to bring an immersive and authentic golf experience to life through virtual reality. Our goal is, and always will be, to grow the game we all love globally.”

Tournament’s finale will take place between July 15 and August 19, 2023. The experience will allow qualified players as Green Badge Players while non-qualified players can play as Red Badge Players. Additionally, qualifiers are eligible for a vanity card unlocking access to The Virtual Open Zone at Hoylake, England,

Virtual reality is becoming an appealing technology in Golf. Golf Magazine, published by Times Inc., reported that golf-course designer Nicklaus Design partnered with a tech startup to design a members-only metaverse. The deal will allow companies to create digital golf landscapes.

Last year, the Golf Magazine issued an article reporting about a crypto-financed golf club, LinksDao. The club raised $10 Million via non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Although NFTs are considered an important element of the metaverse, The VR Open does not mention any.

Sports Metaverse to Become $80 Billion Market

Over the past few years, Metaverse has become a new avenue for sports brands, sporting teams and even games. Technology news provider, The Verge, reported in January 2023 that soccer club Manchester City and PlayStation maker Sony are collaborating to create a metaverse.

Last year, Fédération Internationale De Football Association (FIFA), governing body of football, partnered with web3 company Algorand to create NFTs as a part of metaverse strategies. Moreover, FIFA has already developed a women’s football-focused metaverse experience on gaming platform Roblox.

According to a report published by web3 financial advisory firm, Web3 Studios, sports metaverse is expected to become a $80 Billion market by 2030.

Anurag is working as a fundamental writer for The Coin Republic since 2021. He likes to exercise his curious muscles and research deep into a topic. Though he covers various aspects of the crypto industry, he is quite passionate about the Web3, NFTs, Gaming, and Metaverse, and envisions them as the future of the (digital) economy. A reader & writer at heart, he calls himself an “average guitar player” and a fun footballer.