Reducing the importance put on playing in professional events was one of many changes unveiled yesterday to the way the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) will now be calculated.
The USGA/R&A system is considered the gold standard and is used by most elite tournaments as a consideration when determining the eligibility of entrants.
However many leading amateurs have been critical of how the rankings are structured and this week five major alterations were announced.
Each ‘WAGR event’ is given a Power rating with the strongest amateur competitions reaching the upper 900s. This is largely determined by the rankings of the players taking part.
However amateur players have been able to significantly boost their positions by competing in professional events, which have been rated as high as 3597 (The 2022 US Open).
But now the WAGR organisers have revisited the way it calculates ‘Power’ for pro events and, from January, ‘the professional contribution to the Power calculation will be reduced by a third’.
The USGA/R&A statement added: “The WAGR Committee believes that a disproportionate benefit (to pro events) may have been created that was not apparent in our development modelling.
“Although this does not get entirely back to the pre-Power method balance between professional and amateur events, it is believed that this modification, along with the change to the points distribution formula, should return the emphasis within WAGR to participating in amateur events.”
Another key change will see the points distribution alter for those finishing in the lower half of final standings.
Currently there is not much distinction. For example at this year’s Amateur Championship the three golfers finishing joint last (286th) received 4.1061 points, which was only a point less than the group who finished 150 places above them.
The new system will increase that disparity and the WAGR statement said: “Currently the formula that determines the points awarded to each finishing position produces very little difference from position to position in the lower half of the results.
“This provided ranked players, that would likely finish in the middle or bottom of the field, with no sense of jeopardy to their ranking average. Players participated in high Power events in hopes of having a good week and not worrying about having a poor one.”
The three other changes, which will also come into force on January 1st, will see:
• More flexibility given to event organisers so traditional ‘non-WAGR formats’ are now acceptable although, to be ranked, players must still play at least 36 holes (Stroke play and/or matchplay) and the minimum starting field must be eight
• Power protection measures implemented after the Covid outbreak are being removed. With players not able to travel the strength of fields dropped markedly in 2020 and 2021 so WAGR introduced a measure to cap the power rating at 80% of its pre-Covid levels for events with a Power greater than 400.
• Last year WAGR kept a provision to grant players ‘event removal’ in “exceptional circumstances” – negating any potential drop down the rankings – but that has been ditched. Under WAGR rules anyone withdrawing mid competition receives the same amount of points as those who finish in last place.
To read the full statement click here