United States Golf Association (USGA) and Mixx Team Up to Bring Social Media to the U.S. Open

U.S. Open SocialMixx Channel Will Collect Real-Time Chatter from Fans in Pebble Beach to the Rest of the World

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Jun 14, 2010, 09:05 ET

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The USGA and Mixx today announced a partnership expanding social media at the U.S. Open and across digital platforms.

The official U.S. Open website, which is designed and hosted by IBM, will integrate a Mixx Channel into the U.S. Open.com homepage (www.usopen.com). Users who visit the "Experience Tent" on site at the 2010 U.S. Open in Pebble Beach will be able to provide real-time commentary on the event through their Twitter accounts; the chatter will appear live on the U.S. Open Mixx Channel.

The U.S. Open Mixx Channel will also include relevant tweets from commentators and other golf experts.

"We are proud to be involved in the U.S. Open digital experience," said Chris McGill, founder/CEO of Mixx. "Our technology will bring topical social media streams from dedicated fans to the masses, who cannot experience the event in person."

"Our USOPEN.com fan community has grown from 800,000 to over 6 million unique users over the last two years and being able to integrate a strong social component like U.S. Open Mixx Channel can only help drive further engagement," said Alex Withers, Managing Director, USGA Digital Media.

The Mixx Channel will go live on the U.S. Open website on June 14, when the National Championship practice rounds begin.

About USGA

The USGA is the national governing body of golf in the USA and Mexico. The USGA annually conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, U.S. Senior Open and 10 national amateur championships. It also conducts two state team championships and helps conduct the Walker Cup Match, Curtis Cup Match and World Amateur Team Championships.

The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, maintains a Handicap System® and celebrates the history of the game. Since 1983, the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program has awarded more than $31 million to more than 400 research projects for better turf and a better environment at universities across the country. The USGA also funds an ongoing "For the Good of the Game" grants program, which has allocated more than $65 million over 13 years to programs that bring the game's values to youths from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities.

For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.

About Recommended Reading, Inc.

Mixx is owned by Recommended Reading, Inc., a privately-held company based in McLean, Virginia, dedicated to connecting users and publishers in the digital media environment. Through Mixx Channels and Mixx SiteBox, publishers and brands can engage with social media in a more relevant, direct way. More information is available at www.mixx.com.