The pokerized golf hybrid tournament, The World Series of Golf, is returning to Las Vegas for a third edition, scheduled for May 11th-15th. Sponsored in large part by Full Tilt Poker, this unique event will again be held at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, designed by world-famous course architect Pete Dye. Like the poker series it’s named for, the World Series of Golf features a hefty $10,000 buy-in. The similarity ends there, however, as this tournament field will be capped at 125 runners, restricted to golf amateurs only. The top 25 places will each get a piece of the $700,000 prize pool, with the ultimate winner taking home $300,000.
The unique format of the WSG blends the mental challenge of betting strategy with the physical test of playing golf. It is tailored specifically for golfers with medium-high handicaps. Similar to a shootout poker tournament, players are divided into groups and the winner of each group – the one who takes all the “chips” from his opponents – will then advance to the next round until only one champion is left standing. At each hole, players must “ante” before teeing off, and succeeding shots are then followed by a betting round where players can choose to “check”, “bet”, “raise”, or “fold” based on how well they think they did in the previous shot.
Golf pros may be barred from entering, but many top poker pros have played in this event. Over the last two years a veritable who’s-who of famous poker names have played the WSG, including Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Erick Lindgren, Allen Cunningham, and Daniel Negreanu – with golf aficionado Negreanu already blogging about his plans to attend the 2009 WSG. Moreover, the series has traditionally drawn a number of celebrated names from the arenas of professional sport and entertainment. The $10,000 entry fee also includes four nights of accommodations at The Mirage in Las Vegas. More information is available at worldseriesofgolf.com.
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