PGA TOUR introduces new automated Chatbot

LONDON, UK — IMG ARENA, a leading sports betting service and content hub, announced today that BetMGM has signed an agreement to utilize IMG's Golf Event Centre product. The Golf Event Centre is IMG ARENA's unparalleled, front-end sports betting solution, designed to revolutionize the golf betting experience by enabling interactive in-play betting on the sport. Created in association with the world's leading golf tours, the Golf Event Centre is a real-time experience for golf fans and bettors. The industry-first product is the only place to find fast, comprehensive, shot by shot data and markets, live streaming which is purpose-built for in-play betting, and interactive course visualizations. The Golf Event Centre is available to sports betting operators worldwide where betting is legal. "The Golf Event Centre allows us to introduce a totally new and captivating concept to BetMGM customers," said Ryan Spoon, Chief Operating Officer, BetMGM. "It's a product that is both useful and exciting, putting a wealth of information at players' fingertips, with an intuitive and interactive delivery that augments golf viewing and betting." Max Wright, SVP Commercial of IMG ARENA, said: "BetMGM has embraced the Golf Event Centre platform that we have worked so closely with our key federation partners to create. The Golf Event Centre is an incredible product that allows operators the ability to genuinely differentiate their sportsbook offering on one of the world's most popular sports." "The Golf Event Centre is a first-class product that will transcend sports betting on golf," said Scott Warfield, Vice President of Gaming at the PGA TOUR. "BetMGM is an Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR and acquiring the Golf Event Centre will be a dynamic addition to its golf offering that will allow them to grow and distinguish themselves in the marketplace." BetMGM will also utilize IMG ARENA's golf live streaming video feed that allows customers to closely follow golf action on two par-3 holes per week from the PGA TOUR. These holes will be captured by three cameras tee-to-green and feature dedicated shot and hole score bets for each group that arrives on tee. To learn more about the Golf Event Center product, please click here. In 2018, IMG ARENA was named as the PGA TOUR's official data distributor for media and betting purposes. The PGA TOUR's official data is collected through its proprietary ShotLink system, powered by CDW. With an elaborate network of walking scorers, lasers and greenside cameras, ShotLink collects and distributes a rich set of data points from each shot in PGA TOUR competition in real time. IMG ARENA's officially licensed Event Centres are produced collaboratively with the agency's federation and governing body partners, to ensure the safe and correct use of their proprietary data and intellectual property Headquartered in London, IMG ARENA works with more than 460 leading sportsbook operators worldwide, providing always-on services including 24/7 live streaming and on-demand virtual sports products designed to evolve and inspire engagement by placing fans at the heart of the action. In 2020, more than 210 million hours of IMG ARENA content was watched by 69 million unique viewers around the globe. IMG ARENA's clients include the ATP, UFC, European Tour,PGATOUR, FA Cup and Serie A. For more information, please click here.

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“This takes me back to my roots — one player at a time, one wedge at a time, crafting the sole to the player’s exact specifications,â€� said Master Craftsman Bob Vokey. For more than 20 years, Bob Vokey and his team of craftsmen have worked closely and directly with TOUR players to shape wedges that maximize performance and feel specifically for that player, and for specific course conditions. If the TOUR player wants or needs a special grind, Vokey and/or his team take the wedge to the grinding wheel to make the necessary adjustments. Now, through Vokey’s new HandGround wedge program on Vokey.com, general consumers will have the opportunity to dial their Vokey wedges in with tour-level customization. To achieve this, Vokey has setup a new workspace inside Titleist Golf Club headquarters in Carlsbad, California, where two of his personally-trained wedge grinders will perform the custom work. Also, according to Titleist, Bob Vokey himself will grind orders “from time to time.â€� In the program, consumers can order performance and profile adjustments. Performance adjustments include a pre-worn leading edge, smooth grind lines, heel relief and trailing edge relief. Profile adjustments include a semi-square leading edge, thin top line, and a “Tour Grind,â€� which, according to Vokey, “smooths all profile lines and slightly reduces profile size.â€� Additionally, with F, K and L grinds, golfers can create other specific grinds. An F-grind can turn into an S-grind, a K-grind can turn into a J-grind, which has heel and trailing edge relief, and an L-grind can be made into an A-grind, which has softer “grind angles.â€� The HandGround wedges are available on all SM7 Raw models, and each wedge comes with a BV Wings grip and up to 10 characters of stamping. The HandGround SM7 wedges start at $195 apiece, with an additional charge of $75 for HandGround services.

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