Enhancements to the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) announced in August 2021 come into effect today following the conclusion of a 12-month notice period.
The updated system incorporates modern statistical techniques which allows players and eligible tournaments to be more accurately evaluated relative to each other.
Changes include the distribution of Ranking Points to all players making the cut and the use of a Field Rating calculation based on a statistical evaluation of every player in the field, rather than just those in the field among the current Top-200 of the Ranking.
Major Championships will continue to award 100 First-Place Points, while THE PLAYERS Championship will award 80. All other tournaments will award Ranking Points according to the strength and depth of their fields, with a maximum of 80 First-Place Points.
Peter Dawson, the Official World Golf Ranking Chairman, said: “Through the work undertaken by the OWGR Technical Committee and co-ordinated by a subcommittee comprising the Asian Tour, DP World Tour, PGA TOUR, R&A, and Sunshine Tour, The Official World Golf Ranking has undertaken a rigorous process of analysing and developing the changes implemented today. We are confident these enhancements will best position OWGR for years to come.”
All future eligible tournaments will utilise the updated system, and there will be no recalculation of past events, meaning the impact of the new methodology will be gradual. For further information, please visit the OWGR’s relaunched website: www.owgr.com
“Combined with the enhancements to the clearly defined pathways available to players, it means golfers from around the world can, through their performances on the course, ascend to the highest echelons of men’s professional golf and as they do so, their world ranking will reflect that accordingly.” - Keith Waters
Players from around the world will benefit from clearly defined pathways enabling them to climb golf’s pyramid through the DP World Tour’s network of strategic alliances and partnerships with other federations and satellite tours.
The leading three players on both the ISPS HANDA PGA TOUR of Australasia and the Sunshine Tour will earn cards of the DP World Tour, while the strategic alliances with both tours also offers access for players into both the Final Stage and Second Stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School.
The leading player on the China Tour and the Korean PGA Tour will also earn a DP World Tour card for the following season, with access for both Tours into Second Stage of Qualifying School. The Japan Golf Tour also has access into both Final Stage and Second Stage.
Meanwhile, there are five cards available for each for each of the Satellite Tours on to the Challenge Tour (20 in total), with the Alps Tour, Pro Golf Tour, Nordic Golf League and EuroPro Tour also having access to Q School Second Stage. The leading 20 players each season on the Challenge Tour then earn DP World Tour cards.
Once on the DP World Tour, players also have a pathway to the PGA TOUR as part of the Tours’ operational joint venture partnership, with the leading ten players not otherwise exempt on the DP World Tour Rankings earning PGA TOUR cards for the following season.
Keith Waters, the DP World Tour’s Chief Operating Officer and the International Federation of PGA Tours representative on the OWGR Board, said: “The changes to the OWGR are designed to ensure it continues to meet its key objectives of publishing a transparent, credible and accurate ranking based on the relative performances of participating players in all future events on the 23 eligible golf tours.
“Combined with the enhancements to the clearly defined pathways available to players, it means golfers from around the world can, through their performances on the course, ascend to the highest echelons of men’s professional golf and as they do so, their world ranking will reflect that accordingly.”
