EA Sports dominated golf’s gaming landscape for more than a quarter-century. The company originally launched “PGA Tour Golf” in 1990 for desktop; over the years they added more and more platform compatibility. Tiger Woods’s name was added to the series beginning with “Tiger Woods 99 PGA Tour Golf” running through “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14,” released in 2013. A year later, Woods’s name was replaced with the 2015 release of Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. But this is the end of an era: Although EA insisted that their relationship with the PGA Tour continues, those games will be officially pulled from digital marketplaces this week.
Now, golf gamers can prepare for “The Golf Club 19.” A deal reached between the PGA Tour and “Golf Club” developer HB Studios marks the beginning of a new relationship. A press release highlighted the new platform’s “Career Mode,” in which a player will start at Q-School, make their way through the Web.com Tour and work their way up to a 32-tournament PGA Tour season and on to the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The game will also feature six replica TPC courses featured on Tour: Summerlin, Scottsdale, Sawgrass, Southwind, Deere Run and Boston. You can play the game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and on a PC.
In the press release co-issued by the Tour and HB Studios, PGA Tour Executive V.P. of Licensing said he was “thrilled” with the partnership, which was brokered by CAA Sports Licensing.
The Golf Club franchise launched in 2014. The 2019 edition will also feature “Rivalry” challenges against another player and “Sponsor Goals” further incentivizing performance. Actual PGA Tour players do not appear to be included thus far in the licensing deal for the new game, which is due for release in August.
Still, Electronic Arts (EA) would not rule out a future collaboration. “We continue to have an ongoing relationship with the PGA Tour,” an EA representative said.
