GolfNewsRI

The World Amateur Golf Rankings, known as WAGR, are making much needed changes to its points system for the 2023. 

For, at least, the last few years, if not longer, the WAGR points system has been a detriment to amateur golf at a local level – the Rhode Island Amateur, for example. 

Over the last several years, Patrick Welch, Davis Chatfield, and Andrew O’Leary in 2022 skipped the Rhode Island Am because the tournament isn’t ranked high enough from a strength of field standpoint, meaning if they won it, they wouldn’t get any reasonable amount of points, and if they didn’t win, their WAGR ranking would drop significantly. 

“In 2020, I came in second place in the State Am and my ranking fell a significant amount because I lost to someone ranked behind me and it (the rankings) expects me to win. I’m not sure what would happen to the ranking if I even won, I don’t know if it would go up or down or what,” said Notre Dame star Andrew O’Leary on GolfNewsRI’s RI Amateur Series podcast in 2021. 

Two-time RI Stroke Play champion Mike Hamilton also weighed in, “So for example, last year at the Northeast Amateur, I got the same amount of points for finishing last as I did for finishing second in the RI Am this year.” 

This is not just a Rhode Island problem, this happens at State Ams across the country. 

WAGR is noticing the trend. 

Changes Coming 

Earlier this month, WAGR announced changes for 2023 to try and keep amateurs at home and playing in their local state ams. 

“The WAGR Committee has become increasingly concerned that players throughout the rankings have become very selective by forgoing local low Power events and focusing only on regional, national and international high Power events. This reflects a progression that has always taken place, but only recently has protecting their ranking or average been used as the rationale,” writes WAGR in their announcement. 

WAGR goes on to say that starting in 2023, the “formula will be modified to reduce points awarded position by position closer to last place.”

Basically, if a player goes and plays in these big tournaments (Northeast Ams, Western Ams etc..) they better play well. 

While the changes are not all the way there, it is certainly a step in the right direction.

“As you can see, the incentive to play the State Ams won’t get better for points, but when you’re also not guaranteed major points for just showing up (at big tournaments), it may incentivize guys to play,” Hamilton added. 

“I think it is a good change because I think golf is better when people are playing in their regions. At the end of the day, there are plenty of great players in this local area and I think WAGR disproportionately rewards players who play in those top tournaments. They’re good, but they aren’t that much better than people around here,” said O’Leary in an interview with GolfNewsRI earlier this month. 

The 2019 RI Amateur Champ added, “People playing in the Northeast Amateur and the Rhode Island Amateur, maybe there is a slight difference, but it is not that big. WAGR treats that like it’s plus five handicaps and 20 handicaps, and that is just not the case.” 

RI Won’t See Benefits

Unfortunately for Rhode Island golf fans, we won’t really see any of the benefits of these changes, at least not immediately.

Chatfield is a pro and will be on the Korn Ferry Tour in just a few weeks, Welch no longer lives in Rhode Island, and will be a pro shortly after graduating Oklahoma. 

Perhaps O’Leary returns for one more run at the Rhode Island Amateur this summer, but that would be about it. 

Either way, how this develops across the country will be something to keep an eye on.