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Trevor Immelman named chairman of Official World Golf Ranking

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Trevor Immelman named chairman of Official World Golf Ranking

Trevor Immelman has added another prominent title in the golf world.

The lead golf analyst for CBS Sports and past Masters champion has been appointed chairman of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), beginning April 10.

Immelman, who won the 2008 Masters, will succeed Peter Dawson CBE, who has held the role since 2016, and become the third person to hold the position after Sir Michael Bonallack first took on the duties in 2004.

“The Official World Golf Ranking has always been a huge part of my life and professional career. Growing up in South Africa and falling in love with the game as a youngster, the ranking system was how I tracked and followed my favorite players and understood who the best players in the world were,” Immelman said in a press release on Tuesday. “Then, as I turned professional, my focus on the rankings intensified, as I knew being in the top 50 allowed me to play in the biggest tournaments around the world. I am extremely honored to follow in the footsteps of Sir Michael Bonallack and Peter Dawson as chairman, and I look forward to working closely with board members to ensure OWGR remains committed to its mission.”

The relevance of the OWGR has been under attack in recent years as LIV golf events haven’t received any points. As several prominent LIV players have plummeted in the ranking, the OWGR’s accuracy has been called into question as well as whether it should remain a measuring stick, especially its use for handing out exemptions into the majors.

After turning professional in 1999, Immelman enjoyed a successful international playing career, reaching a career high of 12th on the OWGR in 2006. The 45-year-old captained the International Team at the Presidents Cup in 2022. After joining the CBS commentary team in 2019, he was named as the network’s lead golf analyst in 2023 and will continue in that role.  

The Governing Board of the OWGR on Tuesday also announced the following: 

  • Starting this week, tournament fields that have Low Field Ratings will use a new points distribution curve that awards a greater percentage of available points to top finishers in those tournaments.  Although there is no change to the total amount of points awarded for these tournaments, a steeper points distribution curve gives 50 percent more points to the winner of low field rating tournaments, with a 26 percent overall increase in points to the top five. This will enable additional upward movement in the Ranking for the best performing players in these low field rating tournaments. For more information on this change, please see the FAQs by clicking here.
  • The inclusion of the PGA Tour of Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) into the OWGR system effective this week. The PGA Tour of Taiwan has worked continuously with the OWGR over the last 20 months, providing requested documentation and making necessary adjustments to further adhere to long-standing OWGR Eligibility and Format Criteria.
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