USGA SUPPORTS R AND A WORLD AMATEUR RANKINGS

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R AND A
Phoenix, Arizona: The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced its support of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) at its Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The R and A and USGA are excited to engage in a partnership that promotes the Ranking as a global standard in amateur golf.
Starting this season, the USGA will use the World Amateur Golf Ranking as one of its exemption categories for its men’s amateur championships. Beginning in 2012, the USGA anticipates using the new Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking as one means of gaining entry into its women’s amateur championships. The WAGR is already used as the entry standard for numerous championships around the world, including the (British) Amateur Championship and European Amateur Championship.
Earlier this week, The R and A announced the introduction of the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking. It complements an already well established men's ranking, which encompasses more than 1,800 counting events and ranks more than 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 more than 3,100 ranked players from 50 countries.
A new World Amateur Golf Ranking website will be launched later this month under authority of both partner organisations. While the physical operation of the WAGR will remain in St Andrews, The R and A and the USGA will jointly exercise committee oversight of WAGR system administration.
The Ranking 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.
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Note from Colin Farquharson

The inaugural Moroccan international amateur championships from October 18 to 21 over The Ocean Course, pictured right, at Agadir - featuring 72-hole men's and women's individual tournaments for low-handicap players - will be recognised as counting for men's and women's World Rankings.
The Moroccan international amateur championships will also include 54-hole individual tournaments at Golf du Soleil, Agadir for senior men (over 55 years) and senior women (over 50 years) but there is no indication of Senior WAGR on the horizon yet!
The prize vouchers will be exactly the same in the senior championships as they are in the 72-hole men's and women's championships.
A third Agadir venue - The Dunes - at the Moroccan championships will provide an opportunity to players whose handicaps are not low enough to make them eligible to enter the aforementioned championships to play a 54-hole Stableford tournament.
All the details, including how to enter, are available on the Menara Travel website: www.morocco4golf.com/
E-mail Colin@scottishgolfview.com if you have any queries.

 +The Moroccan international amateur championships are not to be confused with another event, the 2nd Morocco Golf Festival, being held over five courses at Marrakech, the previous week - October 8 to 15. Details of that are available by clocking on the appropriate wording at the top of the left hand column on the Home Page of this website.

Colin Farquharson is Tournament Director of both events.

There is, of course, nothing to stop anyone or any group playing in the Marrakech event and then making the short trip to the seaside and Agadir, for the following week's attractions.

Play golf in Africa for a week (or two) - Brag about it for a year!