Wenyi Ding has topped the inaugural Global Amateur Pathway Ranking, earning a DP World Tour exemption for the 2025 season.
• Ding earns DP World Tour exemption for 2025 season
• Nine players earn professional membership via inaugural Global Amateur Pathway Ranking
• Global Amateur Pathway was launched by the DP World Tour, PGA TOUR and The R&A to provide direct access to professional golf for world’s best non-collegiate amateurs
Ding will turn professional and make his professional debut this week on home soil as a tournament invitation in the Challenge Tour’s Hangzhou Open in Hangzhou, China.
The 19-year-old from China, who finished as the No. 3 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), clinched the number one position in the Global Amateur Pathway Ranking following an impressive season that included victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship earlier this month, recording four rounds of 67 to claim the prestigious title at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Japan.
Ding, who will turn 20 in November, said: “I’m excited to start my journey as a professional, and look forward to teeing it up on the DP World Tour next season. The Global Amateur Pathway has given me an incredible opportunity, and my thanks go to the DP World Tour, The R&A and the PGA TOUR for supporting me and my fellow amateur players to reach their goals.”
The Global Amateur Pathway – powered by WAGR® – was launched by the DP World Tour, PGA TOUR and The R&A to help the very best male amateur players take the next step in their careers.
The landmark initiative has created a pathway for non-collegiate amateur players on to the DP World Tour and partner Tours around the world. In all, the inaugural Global Amateur Pathway Ranking awarded professional membership to nine players across four partner Tours, with those players representing six different nationalities.
European Challenge Tour exemptions, available to European and Middle Eastern players, went to: Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen, who won The Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin Golf Club in the Republic of Ireland in July; Luis Masaveu Roncal of Spain; and Frenchman Bastian Amat.
Americans Nathan Petronzio, Peter Fountain, Ben Warian and Jake Hall earned PGA TOUR Americas membership for the Latin America Swing of the 2025 season.
Lastly, South African Tyran Snyders earned an exemption on the Sunshine Tour and will make his professional debut tomorrow at the Fortress Invitational.
Guy Kinnings, DP World Tour Chief Executive, said: “The Global Amateur Pathway is a key component of the pathways system we’ve developed on the DP World Tour, in collaboration with our partners at The R&A and PGA TOUR. It brings together the best global talent and provides them with a worldwide platform to showcase their abilities. Congratulations to Wenyi Ding on becoming the inaugural winner, setting a high standard for future stars to follow, and we look forward to welcoming him to the DP World Tour next season."
“With players more prepared than ever to succeed immediately upon turning professional, the PGA TOUR has invested heavily to formalize a clear pathway for elite amateurs as they transition to the professional game and the PGA TOUR,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With proof of concept in hand thanks to the immediate success of PGA TOUR University, we are excited about this next step with today’s announcement of the inaugural Global Amateur Pathway class alongside the DP World Tour and The R&A. With PGA TOUR University and Global Amateur Pathway working in parallel, we are confident these direct and strategic routes for high-performing, up-and-coming amateurs will accelerate the process in identifying and developing the stars of tomorrow.”
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “We would like to congratulate the first group of golfers to have earned exemptions to compete on the professional tours through the Global Amateur Pathway. These players have enjoyed success by delivering notable results in prominent amateur championships played around the world this season and we look forward to watching their progress as they embark on a career in the professional ranks.”
The Global Amateur Pathway complements PGA TOUR University – which awards membership on PGA TOUR-sanctioned Tours to the top Division-I college golfers at the end of the NCAA Championship – to ensure opportunities are available for elite players across the amateur ranks.
Under the Global Amateur Pathway, Ding was the best eligible non-collegiate male amateur within the top 20 of the WAGR® during the Ranking period, and therefore receives a DP World Tour card for the following season.
WAGR® comprises a women’s ranking and a men’s ranking for elite amateur players and is offered by The R&A and the USGA as a global service to golf. Players competing in Global Amateur Pathway eligible championships earn points equivalent to the number of points awarded by WAGR®.
To be eligible for the Global Amateur Pathway Ranking, amateur golfers must meet the following criteria:
• Not be a current NCAA Division-I player.
• Be at least 20 years of age by the end of the calendar year of the relevant Ranking Period.
• Be within the top 200 WAGR®
• Players who are outside the top 200 WAGR® by the end of the Registration Period who then move into the top 100 WAGR® at any time prior to the conclusion of the Late Registration Period in the relevant season.
The Global Amateur Pathway Ranking – based on the WAGR® – is published every week on the Global Amateur Pathway page following the registration period. Registration for the 2025 Global Amateur Pathway will open Sunday 1 December 2024 to non-collegiate players within the top 200 WAGR via email compadmin@europeantourgroup.com. The final Global Amateur Pathway Ranking for the class of 2025 concludes on 12 October 2025.
The Global Amateur Pathway Ranking is designed to identify and rank elite male amateur players (excluding NCAA Division-I collegiate players) competing in eligible tournaments based on their average performance in those tournaments.
