The formula for the Rolex Women's World Golf Ranking is changing as of this week to accommodate a quartet of up-and-coming or developmental tours to allow them to award more world ranking points to more players in their fields.
Beginning with this week, four tours – the China Ladies Professional Golf Association TOUR (CLPGA Tour), Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS), Symetra Tour and the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association (TLPGA) – will receive a bonus strength of field of 6 points for all tournaments that are not co-sanctioned with a tour which receives the minimum strength of field of 50.
The tours receiving the minimum strength of field are the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Ladies European Tour (LET), Ladies Professional Golf Association of Japan (JLPGA), Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) and Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG). This minimum field strength acknowledges the depth and talent on these tours and ensures a minimum rating regardless of the players in their fields.
These six bonus strength-of-field points will allow these four tours to increase the number of points awarded to the winner and the number of players receiving any points. For example, a tournament with a natural strength of field of 15, will receive a bonus of six points for a total strength of field of 21. That would mean the tournament would go from giving the winner 3 points and giving points to the top 20 and ties to giving the winner 4 points and giving points to the top 27 and ties.
The Rolex Rankings are determined based on a formula nearly identical to that of the Official World Golf Rankings. Players are ranked based on average points accumulated on a rolling 104-week schedule, with points distributed to players based on their finishes in ranked events. The number of points and number of players awarded points are based on the strength of field and home tour ranking points, which awards bonus points to fields based on the number of top players from the hosting tour are in a given field. The points players earn hold their full value for 13 weeks before deprecating in 91 equal parts over the next 91 weeks.
