The European Tour has teamed up with Dreamhack to launch its first esports competition - the European eTour Championship - at this week’s Made in Denmark presented by FREJA.
Eight of the best players from around the world in the most popular online golf game “World Golf Tour” by Topgolf will go head-to-head in knockout match play format for a prize fund of $5,000 - the biggest prize pool in an esports golf tournament.
These eight players represent the more than 15 million players around the world that play World Golf Tour (WGT) for the most realistic golf game experience online or on their mobile devices.
The esports contest will take place in the tented village at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort, which hosts the European Tour event featuring defending champion Matt Wallace, former World Number One Lee Westwood and Ryder Cup star and home favourite, Thorbjørn Olesen.
While the stars of the European Tour are battling it out on the course, the first day of live action in the European eTour Championship will also take place on Thursday, May 23 and will consist of four quarter finals, while on Friday, May 24 there will be two semi finals followed by the Grand Final.
Action will be streamed during the afternoon to ensure the best viewer experience with a continuous flow of visitors at the venue.
Marcus Lindmark, CEO of DreamHack, said: “We’re always looking for new ways to bring world-class esports to fans all over the globe, and this truly is an amazing opportunity to do just that. With our huge experience in esports and organising gaming events put together with European Tour’s know-how in golf tournaments, it’s going to be the ultimate crossover between competitive golf and esports.”
Richard Bunn, Head of Media Rights & Programming at The European Tour, said: “The European Tour has a proud reputation for innovation and we are extremely excited to be moving into esports. This is undoubtedly an area which has huge potential where we will be able to engage with audiences beyond our traditional following, whilst also creating new sponsorship opportunities for our commercial partners.”
“It is fitting we are launching this partnership with Dreamhack during Made in Denmark presented by FREJA, a tournament renowned for innovation over the past five years.”
Facts about the event:
· The event will take place on May 23-24 at the Made in Denmark tournament held in the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort
· Quarter finals will be played on May 23 while the semi finals and Grand Final will be played on May 24.
· Eight players from all over the world will battle it out for a prize pool of $5,000.
