Golf fans around the globe are being invited to take on stars of the European Tour in a new match play challenge powered by live-scoring app Golf GameBook.
The groundbreaking ‘Your Race to Dubai’ game enables amateur golfers to use scores recorded on the free Golf GameBook iPhone app to challenge top tournament professionals competing in European Tour events in the same week.
The exciting new concept, which launches in time for this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, May 21-24, puts fans in the unique position of going head-to-head with their favourite players, including Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, during live tournament play.
From the comfort of their own home, fans watching the tournament on TV or online, and simultaneously using the Golf GameBook app, can see their match play round unfold hole by hole, sharing comments and score updates on social media.
Each result counts towards a global ‘Your Race to Dubai’ ranking, ending at the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, November 19-22.
The scores of professionals will be updated automatically and instantly on the Golf GameBook app, so fans watching tournament rounds in real time will know whether they are up or down in their match play. The app has been specially configured to automatically adjust for amateur handicaps as well as the different courses being played by fans and professionals.
Kalle Vainola, co-Founder of GameBook, said: “Your Race to Dubai offers golfers a unique experience and brings a whole new meaning to their rounds. For most golfers, the thought of playing with the likes of Rory, Justin or Henrik is a dream; but with our match play all golfers, whether they are in Europe, Asia or the Middle East, can enjoy a European Tour experience and the opportunity to go head-to-head with some of the best professional golfers in the world.”
How Your Race to Dubai works:
1. Using the Golf GameBook app, fans challenge a nominated European Tour professional to a match play round at a European Tour event, selecting a specific tournament day
2. Fans play an 18-hole round at least one day before the nominated tournament round, keeping score with the Golf GameBook live-scoring app
3. Using the app on iPhone or iPad, the fan can then watch the match play round unfold live during the European Tour event, hole by hole, sharing comments, score updates and results on social media.
Developed by PGA professionals who themselves have previously played on The European Tour and Challenge Tour, Golf GameBook is now the fastest growing golf community in the world with more than 850,000 downloads. It was also recently shortlisted for both ‘Best Use of Technology by a Sponsor’ and ‘Best Sports App’ at the Sports Technology Awards 2015.
With nearly 2.5 million rounds of golf recorded so far, Golf GameBook is the first and only free live scoring app that offers social interaction between players and friends on the course.
For further details about Your Race to Dubai visit: www.yourracetodubai.com
For further details about Golf GameBook visit: www.golfgamebook.com