6th January 2016

The following tables review the current World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR™) and the Scratch Players World Amateur Rankings (SPWAR) of the Top 40 Great British & Irish (GB&I) men’s amateur golfers.

These tables highlight the significant progress that a number of GB&I players made last year.  Craig Howie (SCO), Alex Gleeson (IRE), Robert MacIntyre (SCO), Alfie Plant (ENG), Bradley Moore (ENG), Scott Gregory (ENG) and Jimmy Allan (ENG) all stand out and are clearly ones to watch this year, along with the more established and familiar names.

This first table analyses the 2015 year end WAGR™ rankings and the movements seen during the year.  Ireland’s Cormac Sharvin ended the year as the highest ranked GB&I player.

This table analyses the 2015 year end SPWAR rankings and the movements seen during the year.  England’s Sam Horsfield ended the year as the highest ranked GB&I player.

It is always interesting to look at the difference between the player rankings attributed by the WAGR™ and the SPWAR.  You will see some players appear on one of the two lists above but not the other.  The explanation for the difference normally lies in the different periods covered by the respective rankings.  The WAGR™ covers a rolling 52 week period whilst the SPWAR rates players over a longer 2 year period.  The table below shows the difference between the two rankings at the end of 2015.

I started to produce a Combined Ranking last year to create a new ranking based on both of the above lists.  To achieve this I simply use an average of each player’s WAGR™ and SPWAR ranking.  The table below analyses the 2015 year end Combined Ranking and the movements seen during the year.

As we look ahead to 2016 the Combined Ranking Top 40 is made up of 15 English players, 13 Scottish, 11 Irish and 1 from Wales.

Finally, here is the full analysis showing all of the above information in one spreadsheet.  I have used my Combined Ranking to list the players here.

Notes

1. The WAGR™ was established by the R&A and is now managed by R&A Championships Ltd in St. Andrews.  It uses a rolling 52 week period as the basis for it’s ranking and is updated every Wednesday at 12 noon GMT.  The WAGR™ is the most quoted due to the legitimacy given to it by the support of the R&A and USGA (who accepted it in February 2011).  Unfortunately the current WAGR™ ranking includes three players who have turned Pro.  They have been removed from the above analysis as has Daniel Young (SCO), who will be turning pro on Monday 11th January.

2. The SPWAR was established by and is still managed by Fred Solomon in San Francisco. It uses a longer 2 year period for its listing with points depreciated over time.  It is the preferred ranking of most amateur golf events in the United States.  For what it is worth I believe it is the best and most accurate ranking.  This is due to the inclusion of many more events and its almost daily updating (or at the conclusion of an amateur event).

3. Both the WAGR™ and the SPWAR were launched in January 2007.  The SPWAR beat the WAGR by 10 days.

ME.

Copyright © 2016, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.