The DP World Tour has partnered with leading virtual reality golf game Golf5 eClub, to launch a new tournament in the metaverse that will coincide with the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The “DP World Tour Championship Metaverse Challenge” will be open to Golf5 eClub members and is available to play from 10th – 25th November 2022.
It will see players compete against each other in a new virtual reality simulation of the final three holes of the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. That is the same course the world’s leading players, such as Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Matt Fitzpatrick, will be playing from 17th-20th November as they bid to win the season-ending DP World Tour Championship and be crowned the winner of the 2022 DP World Tour Rankings.
The virtual reality game has been developed by AAA Game Studios and can be downloaded via the Oculus app. Spectators attending the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai will also get the chance to enter the competition at a dedicated gaming area in the spectator village.
There is an Irish angle to the futuristic initiative with Cian Branagan of ForeFront Sports having been involved over recent months and on the ground in South Africa and Dubai over the coming weeks to bring it to life.
We will be catching up with Cian to learn more about the Challenge from Dubai next week.
“Golf lends itself perfectly to virtual reality gaming and we are determined to lead the way in bringing top-level professional golf to the metaverse,” said Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group.
“The team at AAA Game Studios has done an amazing job in recreating the final three holes of the Earth Course in what is a truly immersive and realistic experience that will enable fans to engage with golf and the DP World Tour Championship in new ways.”
“This builds on the success we have already had in the launch of the DP World eTour, which will have its grand finale at the DP World Flow Pavilion in Dubai on 16th November. These innovations will make the DP World Tour Championship a multi-dimensional entertainment spectacle – both on and off the course.”
“Our vision is to build out this partnership with the DP World Tour over the coming years and ensure fans can play some of the biggest events on the golfing calendar,” added Antonio Marin, Founder and CEO, AAA Games Studios.
“We are very excited to partner with the DP World Tour Championship to bring this tournament to life as the world’s first in the Oculus Metaverse. We are excited for the fans to be able to play the course at Jumeirah Golf Estates and the immersive experience we will be providing with this unique event”.
