HOW THE RANKING SYSTEM WORKS

Eligible tournaments from the leading professional golf tours, championships and competitions around the world are included in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Any player competing in Eligible Tournaments (individual elements only) and playing the same Measured Course who completes the relevant Eligible Tournament (or, where the Eligible Tournament has more than one cut, makes the primary cut) will receive Ranking Points subject to their respective finishing position. Ranking Points are derived from each Eligible Tournament's Field Rating.

The OWGR System is run over rolling Ranking Periods. Ranking Points are maintained at full value for a 13-week period from the relevant Ranking Date on which they were awarded to place additional emphasis on recent performances. Ranking Points are then reduced in equal decrements for the remaining 91 weeks of the relevant Ranking Period.

Each player is then ranked according to their average points during the Relevant Ranking Period, which is determined by dividing a player's Total Points (being the total number of Ranking Points awarded to that player in the relevant Ranking Period, as adjusted to give effect to the principle above by multiplying by the Weight to give the player's Adjusted Points) by the number of Eligible Tournaments they have played during that Ranking Period, subject to the minimum and maximum divisors set out below.

There is a minimum divisor of 40 Eligible Tournaments over the Ranking Period, with no more than the most recent 52 Eligible Tournaments that the player concerned has played in during the relevant Ranking Period counting towards a player's position in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Field Rating

Every player in the Tournament Field contributes Performance Points.

The Field Rating for each Eligible Tournament is determined by the sum of Performance Points for all players in the Tournament Field. The number of Performance Points for each player is determined by that player's Strokes Gained (SG) World Rating (see below Strokes Gained World Rating).

Projected Field Rating

OWGR shall provide a projected Field Rating for an Eligible Tournament following submission of the Starting Field Data by the Eligible Golf Tour.

Confirmed Field Rating

OWGR shall confirm the Field Rating for the Eligible Tournament once any updates to the Starting Field Data have been provided by the Eligible Golf Tour and processed by OWGR once all players have teed off.

Ranking Points Breakdown

The Ranking Points Breakdown is derived from each Eligible Tournament's Field Rating.

Ranking Points are awarded to all players in the Tournament Field who complete the relevant Eligible Tournament (or, where the Eligible Tournament features more than one cut, all players who make the primary cut) subject to their finishing position in that Eligible Tournament.

Ranking Points awarded may be fractionally greater than the Field Rating when more than the projected number of players make the cut and complete the Eligible Tournament or to account for ties.

Ranking Points awarded may be fractionally less than the Field Rating when players who have made the cut are disqualified, retire or withdraw from the later rounds causing the number of players completing the Eligible Tournament to be less than the projected number of players to make the cut.

Projected Ranking Points Breakdown

OWGR shall provide a projected Ranking Points Breakdown for an Eligible Tournament following submission of the Starting Field Data by the Eligible Golf Tour in accordance with Section K (Administration of Tournament Data) above.

Confirmed Ranking Points Breakdown

OWGR shall provide a confirmed Ranking Points Breakdown for the Eligible Tournament once any updates to the Starting Field Data have been provided by the Eligible Golf Tour and processed by OWGR in accordance with Section K (Administration of Tournament Data) above (once all players have teed off).

Final Ranking Points Breakdown

OWGR shall provide an actual or "final" Ranking Points Breakdown for the Eligible Tournament once the Results Data file has been provided by Eligible Golf Tour and processed by OWGR.

Ranking Points Breakdown - Curtailed Tournaments

For Eligible Tournaments scheduled to be played over 72 holes which are curtailed because of a Curtailment Event, at least 36 holes must be completed in order to be eligible for Ranking Points and:

• where 54 holes are completed there will be no change to the Ranking Points Breakdown from the originally calculated Ranking Points Breakdown for that Eligible Tournament for each finishing position;
• where 36 holes are completed the Ranking Points Breakdown will be reduced to 75% of the originally calculated Ranking Points Breakdown for that Eligible Tournament for each finishing position.

For Eligible Tournaments scheduled to be played over 54 holes which are curtailed because of a Curtailment Event, at least 36 holes must be completed in order to be eligible for Ranking Points and there will be no change to the Ranking Points Breakdown from the originally calculated Ranking Points Breakdown for that Eligible Tournament for each finishing position.

First place points

• Major Championships: The four Major Championships: the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open Championship and the Open Championship are rated separately and awarded 100 First Place Points.
• The Players Championship: The Players Championship is rated separately and awarded 80 First Place Points.
• Maximum First Place Points: Other than the Major Championships and 54-hole tournaments (such 54-hole tournaments being subject to maximum First Place Points set out in Eligible Formats, the maximum number of First Place Points that can be awarded for an Eligible Tournament shall be 80.

Note: Ranking Points for Limited Field Tournaments are capped at 2.10 maximum points for last place or first round losers in match play tournaments of less than 30 players qualified to play in the relevant tournament.

Strokes Gained World Rating

A player’s Strokes Gained World Rating is based on a player’s actual scores in Eligible Tournaments from completed rounds of 18-hole stroke-play, adjusted for the relative difficulty of each round played over the relevant Ranking Period. 

Scores from completed 18-hole round stroke-play events in Eligible Tournaments are eligible for inclusion in the Strokes Gained World Rating.

To place more emphasis on recent performances, a similar weighting system as that applied to World Ranking Points is utilised (i.e., a 13-week period of full weight, thereafter, reduced in equal decrements).

Performance Points

Each Strokes Gained World Rating has a corresponding value of Performance Points determined by the Performance Curve.

Players with 10 or fewer recorded scores in Eligible Tournaments in the relevant Ranking Period are assigned a value of 0.01 Performance Points.

Players with fewer than 50 recorded scores in Eligible Tournaments in the relevant Ranking Period can each contribute a maximum of 10% of the relevant Eligible Tournament's Field Rating.

Performance Curve

The Performance Curve is the mechanism used to determine the value of Performance Points per Strokes Gained World Rating, which will then equal the number of Performance Points each eligible player contributes to an Eligible Tournament's Field Rating.

Each player's scores from stroke-play events in Eligible Tournaments over the relevant Ranking Period are used in a series of simulated events to determine the average Ranking Points expected per each Strokes Gained World Rating, which are then plotted to create the Performance Curve.

The Performance Curve shall be updated once per year following the publication of the Year End Ranking (expected to be Ranking Week 52/53 of that year) and prior to Ranking Week 1 of the following year.

Ranking of a player

Each player is ranked according to their average Ranking Points, which is determined by dividing a player's Total Points by the number of Eligible Tournaments they have played during the relevant Ranking Period.

There is a minimum divisor of 40 Eligible Tournaments over the Ranking Period, with no more than the most recent 52 Eligible Tournaments that the player concerned has played in during the relevant Ranking Period counting towards a player's position in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Publication of the Ranking

The Official World Golf Ranking will be issued on a Monday morning (GMT) or as soon as possible following the completion of the final Eligible Tournament of the preceding Ranking Week if that is later.

Ranking Period

The OWGR System and the Official World Golf Ranking will be administered over a two year rolling period from the Ranking Date and to the date falling 104 weeks before the relevant Ranking Date (each a Ranking Period).

Ranking Points

The Ranking Points earned by a player will remain at the Original Ranking Points value for 13 weeks from the Ranking Date on which they were awarded.

Original Ranking Points will then be reduced by 1/92 of the Original Ranking Points’ value each week for the remaining 91 weeks of the relevant Ranking Period.

ELIGIBLE TOURNAMENTS

Eligibility Requirements

A tournament shall be an Eligible Tournament and shall be included in the OWGR System and qualify for Ranking Points if it meets all of the following criteria:

• The tournament is organised and/or sanctioned by an Eligible Golf Tour and meets all relevant and applicable criteria.
• The tournament counts towards the Eligible Golf Tour's end of season ranking list (unless it is a Special Tournament approved for inclusion by the Governing Board in accordance with Section 4 (Limited Field Tournaments and Special Tournaments) below.
• The tournament has a minimum field size of 30 players who are qualified to play in that tournament in accordance with that tournament's eligibility criteria (unless it is a Limited Field Tournament approved for inclusion by the Governing Board in accordance with Limited Field Tournaments and Special Tournaments) below. See also the requirements for field size for Joint Sanctioned Tournaments set out below.
• The tournament meets the criteria specified for the Eligible Formats set out below, or the format for the tournament is otherwise approved by the Governing Board.
• The tournament is on the Eligible Golf Tour’s official tournament schedule.

Joint Sanctioned Tournaments

Joint Sanctioned Tournaments are defined as a tournament that is sanctioned by more than one Eligible Golf Tour.

OWGR will regard a tournament as a Joint Sanctioned Tournament provided the following criteria are met:

• The tournament is on each Eligible Golf Tour’s official tournament schedule Tour and meets all relevant and applicable criteria set out in Eligibility Criteria;
• Each Eligible Tour must contribute at least 30 of the players participating;
• The tournament must count towards each Eligible Golf Tour's end-of-season ranking list;
• The tournament meets the criteria specified for the Eligible Formats set out in Eligible Formats or the format for the tournament is otherwise approved by the Governing Board in accordance with Eligible Formats; and
• The tournament is on each Eligible Golf Tour’s official tournament schedule.

Standalone Eligible Tournaments

The Major Championships, World Golf Championships, Olympic Games and the World Cup of Golf (individual element only) are also Eligible Tournaments.

Limited Field Tournaments and Special Tournaments

• The Hero World Challenge isan approved Limited and Special Field Tournament.

Limited Field and Special Tournaments do not automatically qualify as Eligible Tournaments. They must be individually reviewed by the Technical Committee and approved for inclusion by the Governing Board. Eligible Golf Tours should apply in writing to the Chairman of the Governing Board for inclusion of a Limited Field or Special Tournament.

Limited Field Tournaments

Limited field tournaments are defined as events with less than 30 qualified players.

Special Tournaments

Special Tournaments are defined as a tournament that is sanctioned by an Eligible Golf Tour but does not count towards the Eligible Golf Tour's end-of-season ranking list.

Staggered Start Tournaments

In the event of an Eligible Tournament which is a Staggered Start Tournament, only the actual stroke-play scores will be recognized and included in the OWGR System.

If an Eligible Golf Tour wishes to introduce a tournament which does not meet the criteria set out above or if the Eligible Golf Tour wishes to obtain confirmation that a tournament will be treated as an Eligible Tournament, the Eligible Golf Tour may apply for a review of that tournament by the Technical Committee and approval for inclusion by the Governing Board by applying in writing to the Chairman of the Governing Board.

ELIGIBLE FORMATS

All the formats below relate to Individual Tournament Play. Where a tournament includes a team element, only the individual element of the tournament will be eligible for inclusion in the OWGR System.

Stroke Play

Standard format: 72 holes – may consist of rounds of less than 18 holes.

Non-standard format for tournaments anticipated to earn no more than 5.4 First Place Points based on the estimated Field Rating of the tournament: 54 holes – may consist of rounds of less than 18 holes. 

Match Play

Straight knock-out with Play-offs for final position e.g. 3rd/4th

Pools followed by Straight Knock-out with Play-offs for final position e.g. 3rd/4th

Stroke Play Qualifier followed by Match Play or Stroke Play elimination

Stroke Play Qualifier – followed by straight Match Play elimination with Play-offs for final positions e.g. 3rd/4th

Stroke Play Qualifier – followed by Stroke Play head-to-head elimination (groups of 2 or more players)

• The elimination element must be over a round which may be less than 18 holes but must be at least 6 holes.
• A round can be extended to include additional holes for Play-off purposes. These additional holes must have a minimum length of 75 meters.

Allowable Tie-breakers for the elimination element:

• Fixed number of extra holes followed by Sudden Death
• Sudden Death
• Card Play-Off*

*Card Play-offs will not be used to separate players tied on the same score when allocating Ranking Points in stroke play tournaments.

Any tournament wishing to incorporate any kind of nearest-the-pin element to elimination will not automatically qualify as an eligible format. They must be individually reviewed by the Technical Committee and approved for inclusion by the Governing Board. Eligible Golf Tours should apply in writing to the Chairman of the Governing Board for inclusion of a tournament incorporating any kind of nearest-the-pin element to elimination.

Modified Stableford

• Albatross (Double Eagle): 8 points
• Eagle: 5 points
• Birdie: 2 points
• Par: 0 points
• Bogey: -1 point
• Double Bogey or more: -3 points

Stableford

• Albatross (Double Eagle): 5 points
• Eagle: 4 points
• Birdie: 3 points
• Par: 2 points
• Bogey: 1 point

The above eligible formats are guidelines only, and the decision to approve a format to the OWGR System shall be at the entire and sole discretion of the Governing Board.