More annual sporting events are getting in on the iPhone app parade, and golf is no exception. U.S. Open Golf Championship tracks this weekend’s golf happenings from Bethpage Black by providing live video, leaderboard updates, and player profiles. The app is quite polished and will help you follow the action if you get trapped this weekend attending to Father’s Day duties.
The live video is great (and works on 3G and EDGE as well as Wi-Fi); though of course don’t expect High Definition image quality. The picture is a bit grainy and even on Wi-Fi the signal jumped a few times. The developers threw in an option in a recent update that lets you hit “continue” when the “unable to connect” message pops up so connectivity can be restored. Overall the video experience is a plus when compared to a sports app like March Madness, which only offered live video from Wi-Fi.
Some of the other features in U.S. Open work well for keeping tabs on how the tournament is going. The leaderboard is pretty much what you would expect — an updated listing of the standings. The news section was particularly well put together as it did not include just the usual press releases, but full-fledged interview transcripts and news features. Want to know what Tiger said in his press conference? Just tap and start reading.
U.S. Open could also work as a great companion to watching the golf live on TV because of some of the additional features that shed greater detail on the golf course. For each hole there is a map and both flyover and walkthrough videos. Tap the Players icon to get a complete listing of the players’ bios. You can scroll down just as you would on your contacts list. Each player bio includes their career winnings, previous US Open finishes, and their 2009 U.S. Open stats.
With the tournament likely to extend into Monday, U.S. Open Golf Championship will be a great app to keep tucked away while at your cubicle, office, or wherever else you work to follow the action. Just be sure to mute the video when your boss walks by.
