How the World Golf Rankings Impact Tournament Invitations

How the World Golf Ranking Affects Tournament Invitations and Eligibility

No matter if you aspire to become a professional golfer or are interested in another career path in golf, understanding how players are ranked remains important. For men’s professional golf, the Official World Golf Ranking System is a key tool for determining player eligibility for special events, securing sponsorships, and more. 

Understanding the OWGR: How World Golf Rankings Are Calculated

The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is a detailed system used to rank professional golfers based on their performance at recognized events. It has been in place since 1986 and is the most widely accepted ranking system for professional golfers worldwide.

Rolling Two-Year Performance

OWGR rankings are made up of points calculated using a rolling two-year performance period. Points are earned based on the player’s finishing position. From there, a player’s total number of points is divided by the number of events in which they’ve participated to calculate their ranking.

Minimum and Maximum Tournaments Counted

In order to remain OWGR-ranked, professional golfers must participate in a minimum of 40 qualifying events (such as tournaments) and a maximum of 52 events over a two-year (104-week) rolling period. This ensures that golfers cannot simply pick and choose to play at events where they are confident they will perform well.

Weighting: Strength of Field (SoF) and Event Prestige

Under OWGR rules, different events may also offer more (or fewer) points based on field strength. Major tournaments, for example, have a higher field rating and are thus worth more points to players with a high finishing position than smaller events.

Point Aging

Under this rolling system, points from older events lose value over time, whereas points from more recent events have more weight. Specifically, points from an event are worth half as many points after one year, with those points “dropping off” the player’s ranking entirely after two years. This gives more relevance and weight to players’ most recent performances.

How OWGR Rankings Influence Tournament Invitations

In the world of professional golf, OWGR rankings are critical because they can dictate a player’s eligibility for numerous other events.

Major Championships

Some major golf championships, such as the Masters and the U.S. Open, rely on OWGR rankings to determine eligibility. For these events, there is often a hard cutoff — where only the top 50-ranked players are permitted to compete.

WGC and Invitational Events

Meanwhile, OWGR rankings can affect player eligibility for invitational events, too, such as the World Golf Championships (WGC). In this case, player rankings may also affect the field rating for these kinds of events, with more points potentially up for grabs based on the difficulty of the competition.

Olympic Golf

For professional golfers wishing to qualify for the Olympics, OWGR rankings are an essential piece of the puzzle. Specifically, the top 15 OWGR-ranked players are automatically eligible to compete in the Olympics, with a maximum of four players per country represented.

Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup

Both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup selections also rely on OWGR rankings to form teams. Top-ranked players tend to be the first to secure spots in these events. From there, any remaining spots can be filled by so-called captain’s picks, which also tend to go to higher-ranking players.

Ranking Thresholds: What They Mean in Practice

What’s considered a good OWGR ranking, and what kinds of events might a professional golfer qualify for with a certain ranking? The table below outlines the cutoff ranges for different golf tournaments and other events, ranking from the Masters and U.S. Open to the Olympic Games.

OWGR Cutoff Range	Tournament Entry Opportunities
Top 50	Reserved for majors (e.g., the Masters, the Open, and WGC)
Top 60–100	U.S. Open and PGA Championship (via discretionary entry)
Top 64	WGC Match Play entry
Olympics Top 15	Automatic Olympic qualification (subject to per-country limits)
Team Competitions	Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup (OWGRs are one of several selection factors)

Current Trends and Controversies Around OWGR

Despite its longstanding use in professional golf, the OWGR system is far from perfect and not without controversy.

LIV Golf’s Exclusion From OWGR

One of the main reasons for recent controversy regarding the OWGR system is the fact that LIV events do not qualify for OWGR points. In addressing this LIV Golf/OWGR debate, the OWGR board has insisted that LIV events cannot qualify due to their smaller fields and no-cut format — but the inability for players (like Dustin Johnson) to earn OWGR points from LIV events has drastically affected professional rankings since LIV debuted in 2022.

Advocacy for Inclusion and Reform

LIV has repeatedly pushed back on the OWGR board’s decision not to consider its events in world rankings — with players like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm advocating for new systems that would align with OWGR standards, including additional regulations and moving away from a team-based format.

Broader Criticism of OWGR’s Relevance

Along with criticism over OWGR’s handling of LIV Golf events, the system has also been controversial for its two-year model, which is thought by some to lag behind real form. Certain professional golfers have even advocated for the use of strokes-gained metrics for a more inclusive system, citing that the current rolling system is inherently flawed.

What Keiser University College of Golf Students Should Know

Considering a career in golf? Understanding how OWGR rankings work is essential for any aspiring golf professional (whether you decide to compete or not). In many ways, this system can guide career strategy — especially for players looking to qualify for tournaments. With the robust knowledge of OWGR gained from a program at Keiser University College of Golf, graduates can enter their golf careers with greater confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions About the World Golf Rankings

Who are the current top 10 golfers in the OWGR?

The top 10 golfers in the OWGR as of October 7, 2025, are:

Scottie Scheffler
Rory McIlroy
Russel Henley
Xander Schaufele
Tommy Fleetwood
Justin Thomas
J.J. Spaun
Robert Macintyre
Collin Morikawa
Harris English

Are there separate OWGR lists for men and women in golf?

OWGR rankings only apply to men’s professional golf. Professional female golfers are instead ranked under the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings (WWGR).

Where can I find historical or archived OWGR rankings from past years?

You can find previous years’ OWGR data on the official OWGR Archive page, which offers data for the Top 300 golfers dating back to 1986.

Where can I find the current OWGR rankings for men’s professional golf?

The most up-to-date rankings are always available on the OWGR website.

Can I look up individual player profiles and rankings using the OWGR site?

The OWGR website allows you to click on an individual golfer and explore their most recent tour performances, events, finishing position, and other details in a comprehensive player profile. You can also use the search bar at the top of the page to search for a specific player’s stats.

Is there a golf amateur world ranking?

Yes, the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) system is used for this purpose. This system includes both male and female players in the World Amateur Rankings in golf.

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