TOP FINISHERS at limited-field events on eligible tours will earn more points next year in the Official World Golf Ranking, its governing board announced Thursday.
At the same time, players finishing in the bottom 15 percent of events for fields of 80 players or less that do not have a cut will no longer receive rankings points.
The same is true in match-play events, with players losing their first-round match or dropping all matches in a pool format no longer earning points.
The change, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, will impact the PGA Tour’s eight signature events next year. For example, the winner would earn about 21 percent of an event’s total rankings points, an increase from the current 17-18 percent.
A second change, viewed as an enhancement, rewards players winning more than once within a 52-week period on any eligible tour. Two wins is worth a 60 percent bonus, and three or more times is a 70 percent benefit. The points bonus, capped at a total of four points, is meant to allow top-performing players a chance to move up the rankings faster. Rookie Ludvig Aberg, who won on the DP World Tour shortly after turning pro and then the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic in November, would have benefited from the new points distribution.
“Based on extensive analysis following the changes implemented in August 2022, we recognized these two opportunities to further enhance the OWGR and to accurately evaluate performances of the world’s participating players on all eligible Tours,” OWGR chairman Peter Dawson said in a statement. “Adjustments to the Ranking are made after careful consideration, and we are confident that today’s updates will better position the OWGR for the future.” — Reuters