The governing board of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) has announced a series of enhancements to the way that it calculates its ranking of the world’s best male professional golfers.
The updated system will incorporate modern statistical techniques which will allow all eligible players and events to be more accurately evaluated relative to each other.
Over the last three years, OWGR has coordinated an independent analysis of the ranking and its system to ensure it is meeting its key objectives of publishing a transparent, credible and accurate ranking based on the relative performances of participating players.
The results of this analysis have led to the changes announced, including distribution of ranking points to all players making the cut to provide greater differentiation of performances; and 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.
“The Official World Golf Ranking owes a massive debt of gratitude to founders Mark H McCormack and Tony Greer, whose vision has done so much to shape the competitive landscape of men’s professional golf over the past 35 years”, said Official World Golf Ranking Chairman Peter Dawson. “Since 1986, the Tours eligible for inclusion have grown in number from 6 to 23 and the rankings have been continuously modified to accommodate this expansion and to improve accuracy. We are confident the further enhancements announced today will best position OWGR for the years ahead.”
Following a 12-month notice period, implementation is set for the week ending August 14, 2022 at which point all future eligible tournaments will utilise the updated system. There will be no recalculation of past events, meaning the impact of the new methodology will be gradual.
The concept of the ranking was originated in the early 1980s by Mark H McCormack and Tony Greer with the SONY RANKING introduced on in 1986 during the week of the Masters Tournament. After McCormack’s death in 2003, a new company, Official World Golf Ranking Ltd was formed.
The primary objective of the ranking is to maintain, review, update, administer and promote the recognition of a system that fairly ranks the relative performance of golfers participating in the leading men’s professional tournaments throughout the world.
The OWGR Board is composed of representatives of the seven founder members. Augusta National GC representative Buzzy Johnson; European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley; International Federation of PGA Tours representative Keith Waters; PGA of America Chief Executive Officer Seth Waugh; PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan; R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers; USGA Chief Executive Officer Mike Whan, and independent chairman Peter Dawson.