The U.S. Golf Association will host an interactive experience at the U.S. Open this year featuring a 117-year history of golf as told through historical media content and data.
Fans entering the experience will be taken through the sport’s most storied moments and championships in the form of immersive videos, photos, articles, scoring and player statistics.
The U.S. Open History Experience features archives tapped from the USGA Golf Museum, including publications, periodicals, magazines, daily newspapers and personal correspondence dating as far back as the first championship in 1895.
“Whether it is Ben Hogan’s 1-iron at Merion in 1950 or Tiger Woods’ putt at Torrey Pines in 2008, the U.S. Open has supplied many of golf’s signature moments,” said Navin Singh, USGA’s head of global content and media distribution, in a statement.
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The experience will be held at Shinnecock Hills, one of the USGA’s founding clubs and the only club that has hosted the U.S. Open in three different centuries. It will feature reflections from the three living Shinnecock Hills champions: Raymond Floyd (1986), Corey Pavin (1995) and Retief Goosen (2004). Other pivotal moments on display will be Jack Nicklaus’ 1-iron on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach in 1972 and Payne Stewart’s putt to seal victory at Pinehurst in 1999.
Golf enthusiasts will be able to view full-field hole-by-hole scoring data from more than 60 U.S. Opens, going all the way back to the 1897 championship. Hole-by-hole scores are available for all 117 U.S. Open champions. Detailed player statistics, including driving distance, putting, and greens in regulation, will be accessible from select U.S. Opens dating as far back as 1940.
SportTechie Takeaway
The USGA has been working over the last few years to revamp its brand by incorporating new digital features and experiences that tend to attract younger fans.
Last year, USGA and FOX Sports partnered to integrate augmented reality and aerial drones into the coverage of the U.S. Open. The golf association also upgraded its app last year to feature live streaming coverage, real-time scoring, and player highlights that ran alongside media content.
At the time, Singh said the USGA was “committed to bringing a fully immersive digital experience” to the sport’s global fan base.