RandA TO LAUNCH WOMEN'S WORLD AMATEUR RANKING

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R and A
The Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking will be launched by The R and A following the success of the Men’s Ranking, now in its fifth year. The Women’s Ranking will be published for the first time in February when a new World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) website for both the Men's and Women's rankings is unveiled.
The Men’s Ranking has grown in stature and today encompasses more than 1,800 counting events, ranking over 5,000 players representing 70 countries worldwide.
The launch of the Women’s Ranking follows an extensive period of testing by The R and A and will provide the women’s game with a way to compare amateur player performance in elite competition over a rolling 52-week period. The Women’s Ranking currently has a calendar of 1,350 counting events with over 3,100 ranked players.
“WAGR has been embraced by both amateur associations and Professional Tours alike in men’s golf, and we are delighted to be able to now offer this same service to the women’s game,” explained R and A Director, Mike Tate.

Gillian Kirkwood, Chairman of the Ladies Golf Union, said, “The LGU welcomes the Women’s Ranking as a very useful tool for the comparison of players, and believes it will become increasingly important around the world in informing decisions on team and field selection.”

Gonzaga Escauriaza, President of the European Golf Association, said, “The EGA welcomes the Women’s Ranking as a means for providing greater scope to our ladies’ European golf rankings as well as giving an incentive to our members who stage counting events and to the elite players who participate in them."

WAGR has become a weekly point of reference for players, championship organisers and golf fans alike and is supported by governing bodies and tournament administrators worldwide.


===============================================
EDITOR'S NOTEThe men's and women's 72-hole events in the inaugural Morocco international amateur championships at Agadir - October 18-19-20-21 - will both be recognised as counting for R and A world amateur rankings.
There is not a senior amateur world ranking system - yet! - but there is a 54-hole tournament for over-50 ladies and over-55 men as part of the Agadir programme.
Those players, males and females, whose handicaps are not low enough to gain entry to the Morocco international men's and women's amateur championships, or the seniors' event, are going to be catered for with a three-round Stableford event, also in Agadir that week.
If you want more details, E-mail Tournament Director Colin Farquharson at Colin@scottishgolfview.com