FanBeat Challenge First Big Shot At Interactive Golf Watching

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In the smart phone era, entrepreneurs have tried to develop apps and other ways to inject fun and prizes into golf viewing.  The PGA Tour seemed to shy away from interactivity in the early days of social media and mobile phones, but they obviously have given their blessing to FanBeat's attempt launching this week and co-sponsored by my partners at Golf Channel and Callaway.

Mixing general trivia questions with elements related to the WGC Mexico City Championship playing out before our sleepy eyes, the game marks the first legitimate attempt backed by legit prizes. In this scenario, I'm more attracted to the predictive questions, something many have wanted to develop with the tour for genuine fan interactivity. I don't believe Commissioner Moonbeam ever warmed to such ideas since interactivity leads to a form of handicapping and that could lead to watching for reasons other than his favorite moment of the PGA Tour day, hats off for handshakes.

You can sign up here, and you don't need an app (though it is said by FanBeat's Brandon Farley on the Callaway Ship Show to have a few more features). The general concept:

- Prior to the tournament coverage, two pre-round questions were available to answer anytime.

- Additional questions are posted during breaks in the action of each round of the following four upcoming tournaments: WGC-Mexico Championship, Valspar Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and WGC-Match Play Championship. 

- Questions will be things like “Where did Phil Mickelson play his college golf?” or more predictive questions like “How many birdies will Sergio Garcia make on the back nine?”

- You earn points for each correct answer to move up the prize leaderboard during each round, and can earn chances to win additional “instant win” and tournament prizes

- Fans who ace all questions during any of the up to 19 tournament rounds in the FanBeat Challenge will have a chance to win $1 million.

- Additional prizes offered by Callaway include a full set of clubs with custom fittings at the Ely Callaway Performance Center in Carlsbad, Ca, a new Callaway Rogue Driver, Odyssey Toulon Design Putters, and much more.