Ava Romero
Golf players are ranked using a points-based system, with the most prominent ranking systems being the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and the FedEx Cup points system. The OWGR ranks male professional golfers based on their performance in recognised tournaments over a two-year period. Each tournament is assigned a number of points based on its classification, with major tournaments like the Masters or the U.S. Open offering more ranking points than smaller events due to the higher competition level. Players earn points based on their finishing positions, with the winner's ranking points being the same as the ranking of the event. The OWGR produces new rankings each week, with nearly 400 tournaments on 20 tours covered by the ranking system in 2018.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Basis of ranking | Performance level of golfers in individual tournaments |
| Ranking frequency | Weekly |
| Number of tours factored into rankings | 24 |
| Minimum number of tournaments to qualify for a ranking | 40 |
| Maximum number of tournaments | 52 |
| Ranking calculation | Average score (points total/number of events played) |
| Points decay | Over a rolling two-year period |
| Ranking points distribution | Based on tournament classification |
| Strokes Gained World Rating | Based on players' scores |
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What You'll Learn
Calculating a golfer's world ranking
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is a system for rating the performance of male professional golfers. The rankings are based on their performance in eligible tournaments over a rolling two-year period. New rankings are calculated and produced each week, and they are used as a qualifying criterion for entry into leading tournaments.
To calculate a golfer's world ranking, the following steps are taken:
- Event Ranking: The ranking of each event is calculated first. This depends on the current world rankings of the participating golfers and the leading golfers from the "home tour".
- World Rating Value: Any golfer ranked in the world's top 200 is given a rating value. The world number one is allocated 45, number two gets 37, and so on, down to 1 for those ranked between 101 and 200.
- Home Tour Rating Value: The leading 30 golfers from the previous year's "home tour" are given rating values. Most tours use earnings lists, but the PGA Tour uses the FedEx points list.
- Strength of Field Value: The world rating value and home tour rating value are added together to give a "Strength of Field" value. This is then converted into an event ranking using a table.
- Player Ranking Points: Once the event ranking is calculated, the ranking points for each player in that event are determined. The winner's ranking points are the same as the ranking of the event. The second-place golfer gets 60% of the winner's points, 40% for third, 30% for fourth, 24% for fifth, down to 14% for 10th, 7% for 20th, and so on. Players who tie for a position share the points for those positions.
- Average Calculation: Finally, to get a golfer's world ranking, their total points are divided by the number of events they have played, giving them an average score.
It's important to note that points awarded for each tournament are maintained for a 13-week period at full value, after which they are reduced in equal decrements for the remaining 91 weeks of the two-year ranking period. This places additional emphasis on recent performances.
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Eligible tournaments
To be deemed eligible, a tournament must be organised or sanctioned by an Eligible Golf Tour, as recognised by the OWGR. This entails adhering to the tour's eligibility criteria and featuring on its official tournament schedule. Moreover, the tournament should contribute to the tour's end-of-season ranking list. The Eligible Golf Tour also sets a minimum field size requirement of 30 qualified players for the tournament, although the Governing Board may approve tournaments with smaller fields as Limited Field Tournaments or Special Field Tournaments under certain circumstances.
The OWGR also recognises Joint Sanctioned Tournaments, which are organised or sanctioned by multiple Eligible Golf Tours. These tournaments must meet the eligibility criteria of each involved tour, have a minimum of 30 players from each tour, and appear on their respective official tournament schedules. This type of tournament is an example of how the OWGR system adapts to accommodate various tour structures and formats.
Major Championships, World Golf Championships, Olympic Golf Competitions, and the World Cup of Golf are significant events that fall under the umbrella of Eligible Tournaments. These prestigious tournaments provide golfers with opportunities to accumulate ranking points and elevate their world rankings. It's worth noting that team events are not eligible for world ranking points, emphasising the focus on individual performance.
The eligibility criteria for tournaments are designed to maintain the integrity of the ranking system and ensure that golfers are assessed based on their performance in competitive environments. The OWGR system's inclusion of a diverse range of tournaments from various tours and formats showcases the global nature of professional golf and provides a comprehensive evaluation platform for golfers worldwide.
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Ranking points distribution
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) system ranks players according to their average points during a Relevant Ranking Period. Ranking points are derived from each Eligible Tournament's Field Rating. The winner's ranking points are the same as the ranking of the event, so that major winners get 100 ranking points. The second-place golfer gets 60% of this amount, 40% for third, 30% for fourth, 24% for fifth, down to 14% for 10th, 7% for 20th, 3.5% for 40th, and 1.5% for 60th. Ranking points for a position are shared if players tie. A player's ranking points for an event must be at least 1.2.
To calculate the Field Rating, each player in the OWGR system is given a Strokes Gained (SG) world rating based on their scores in stroke-play events, adjusted for the relative difficulty of each round. The sum of all golfers' points determines the event's field rating.
The Ranking Points Distribution Curve is the mechanism used to determine the number of ranking points per finishing position for each Eligible Tournament. The curve depends on the Points per Player Value, the field size, and the type of Eligible Tournament. Ranking points are awarded to all players who complete the tournament, up to a maximum of 125th place.
The world's top 200 golfers are given a rating value. The world number one is allocated 45, the number two is allocated 37, and the number three is allocated 32, down to those ranked between 101 and 200 who are allocated a rating value of 1 each. The maximum possible world rating value is 925, but this would only happen if all the top 200 golfers were playing.
The leading 30 golfers from the previous year's "home tour" are also given rating values. Most tours use earnings lists for their top 30, but the PGA Tour currently uses the FedEx points list calculated after the playoffs. The home tour number one is allocated 8, down to 16-30 who are allocated a rating value of 1 each. The maximum home tour rating value is 75 if all the top 30 players from the home tour are competing. The total home tour rating value is limited to 75% of the world rating value. The world rating value and home tour rating value are added together to give a "Strength of Field" value, which is then converted into an event ranking.
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Field strength
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is a system for rating the performance level of professional golfers. It was started in 1986 and is calculated each week. The OWGR takes into account a player's position in individual tournaments over a "rolling" two-year period.
The OWGR considers eligible tournaments from the leading professional golf tours, Major Championships, and competitions around the world. Each tournament must have a minimum field size of 30 players who are qualified to play in that tournament.
The ranking points of the players for each tournament are calculated based on their finishing position. The winner's ranking points are the same as the ranking of the event, so major winners get 100 ranking points. The second-place golfer gets 60% of this amount, 40% for third, 30% for fourth, and so on.
The field strength of a tournament refers to the quality of the players in the field and the difficulty of winning the tournament. The "Strength of Field" value is calculated by adding the world rating value and the home tour rating value. This value is then converted into an event ranking.
There are several measures of field strength, including the average player quality and the difficulty of winning the tournament. The average player quality can be assessed by looking at the overall average skill level, the top 25% of players, or other skill distributions. The difficulty to win can be estimated by calculating the probabilities that certain "player types" will beat the field, such as a golfer with the average skill level of European tour fields or an average PGA Tour player.
Some critics argue that the OWGR does not properly evaluate the strength of the field, especially for European Tour events. They claim that even objectively weak European Tour fields receive a minimum number of ranking points comparable to PGA Tour events, leading to overrated European Tour players and fields. However, the OWGR has taken steps to address this by adjusting the Strokes Gained (SG) world rating of players, which dictates the number of performance points they bring into a tournament.
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Points decay
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is a system for rating the performance level of professional golfers. It was started in 1986 and has been calculated every week since.
The OWGR system runs over rolling ranking periods, usually looking back over the previous two years of performance. Ranking points are maintained at full value for 13 weeks from the date they were awarded, to place additional emphasis on recent performances. After this, ranking points are reduced in equal decrements for the remaining 91 weeks of the ranking period. This process is known as 'points decay'.
To qualify for a ranking, a player must play a minimum of 40 tournaments over a two-year rolling period. Only the player's 52 most recent tournaments are used to calculate their ranking average.
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Frequently asked questions
Golf players are ranked based on their performance in eligible tournaments over a two-year period. Players earn points based on their finishing positions, with winners of major tournaments receiving 100 ranking points. These points are then totalled and divided by the number of tournaments played, giving each player an average score which is used to rank them.
The OWGR (Official World Golf Ranking) is a rolling two-year points-based system that ranks players based on their performance in eligible tournaments around the world. The FedEx Cup points system, on the other hand, is specific to the PGA Tour and focuses on performance across a season, usually from April to August. It also takes into account performance in the playoffs, with the player who accumulates the most points crowned the FedEx Cup Champion.
Each event is assigned a number of points based on its classification and field strength. Major tournaments like the Masters or the U.S. Open offer more ranking points than smaller events due to the higher competition level. The ranking points for each position in a tournament are calculated as a percentage of the ranking points for the event, with the winner receiving 100%.
New rankings are calculated and produced each week. However, the previous two years of performance are taken into account, so a player's recent improvement may not immediately propel them up the rankings.
