The Official World Golf Ranking, which is endorsed by the four Major Championships and the six professional tours which make up the International Federation of PGA Tours (PGA Tour, European Tour, Southern Africa Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Japan Golf Tour, Asian PGA Tour), is issued every Monday, following the completion of the previous week’s tournaments from around the world.
The official events from the six professional tours together with the Canadian, Buy.com and European Challenge Tours are all taken into account and points are awarded according to the players’ finishing positions and are generally related to the strength of the field based on the number and ranking of the Top-100 World Ranked players and the Top-30 of the Home Tour players in the respective tournaments (event “Ratings”). However, the four Major Championships are rated separately to reflect the higher quality of the events together with the Players Championship in the United States. In addition, the Volvo PGA Championship in Europe, and the Australian, Japan and South African Open Championships are allocated higher minimum points levels to reflect their status.
The World Ranking points for each player are accumulated over a two year “rolling” period with the points awarded in the most recent 52-week period doubled (from September 1 2001, points will decline at quarter year intervals – i.e. in eight graduated stages over the two year Ranking period). Each player is then ranked according to his average points per tournament, which is determined by dividing his total number of points by the tournaments he has played over that two-year period. There is a minimum requirement of 20 tournaments for each 52-week period (from September 1 2001 when the graduated decline of points comes into operation, the minimum requirement will change to 40 tournaments over the two year Ranking period).
The winners of the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open Championship, the Open Championship and the PGA Championship are awarded 50 points (30 points for 2nd place, 20 for 3rd, 15 for 4th down to 0.75 of a point for a player completing the final round), and the winner of the Players Championship is awarded 40 points (points are awarded down to 0.60 of a point for 60th place and ties). The Volvo PGA Championship has a minimum 32 points for the winner (points down to 56th place). Minimum points levels for the winners of official Tour events have been set at 3 points for the Asian, Canadian, Buy.com and Challenge Tours (points to 6th place), 6 points for Southern Africa (points to 14th place), 8 points for Australasia and Japan (points to 19th place) and 12 points for Europe and the United States (points to 27th place). In addition the Open Championships of Australia, Japan and South Africa have a minimum of 16 points for the winner down to 0.61 of a point for 37th place and ties. In the cases of co-sanctioned Tour events, the minimum points levels are determined using the “average” of the minimum Tour rankings points from each Tour concerned.
Points are reduced by 25% for tournaments curtailed to 36 holes because of inclement weather or other reasons.
For further information on the Official World Golf Ranking, please contact:
Tony Greer
Pier House
Strand on the Green
Chiswick
London, W4 3NN
United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0)20 8233 5062
Fax: +44 (0)20 8233 5001
