FJT Ranked Tournaments
World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) - ranks elite 54-hole+ events. FJT majors and state championships ranked by WAGR.
Junior Golf Scoreboard - ranks all FJT stroke play tournaments (at least 36-holes must be completed).
Golfweek/Sagarin - ranks ten 16-18 age division FJT stroke play tournaments.
Attention Players
- Use the same name, city, and graduation year when entering tournaments. Example: if you use Michael at one event and Mike at another, you will have two separate rankings. This hurts your ranking. If you have two or more rankings with WAGR, Golfweek, or Junior Golf Scoreboard, contact them to have your rankings merged.
- Check your rankings frequently to ensure recent tournaments results have been submitted and are correct.
Many junior golfers and parents ask which ranking system is better or which one matters the most. There are several ways to answer that question but to do so requires some of understanding of how they work. The table below summarizes the three systems.
World Amateur Golf Ranking |
Junior Golf Scoreboard
|
GolfWeek/Saragin
|
|
| Basic Methodology |
Complex. See their website for info. | Golfers' scores. Scoring differential vs. the USGA course rating and strength of field in each event. | Head-to-head competition. Won/loss record vs. other players in the rankings, strength of field. Scores not used. |
| Basic Approach |
Players who participate in elite amateur events. | Every player, every time they play, every event possible. | Players who participate in selected events, not every time a player competes |
| Period Covered |
Rolling one year (last 365 days) | Rolling one year (last 365 days) | Rolling one year (last 365 days) |
| Tournaments Required |
1 or more events | 4 within last 365 days | 5 within last 365 days |
| Tournaments Used |
Elite amateur events (54-hole min.) | All results sent in (over 2,500) | Selected list of events (approx. 250 tournaments) |
| Foreign Tournaments |
Yes | Yes | No |
| Players Ranked |
10,500+ players | 9,035 Boys 3,633 Girls |
1,202 Boys 698 Girls |
| Data Available |
Tournament results and scores | Tournament results Players scores Rankings by gender, state, and graduation year |
Rankings by gender, state, and graduation year |
| Used in AJGA Performance Based Entry System? |
No | Yes | Yes |
| Used by National Tournaments to Select Fields? |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Strengths |
Ranks every player, every time. Can compare against college players. | Ranks every player, every time | Focuses on older elite players |
| Weaknesses |
Doesn't include 36-hole events | Weather can affect scoring (system does partially account for bad weather) | Players under 14 often excluded. If a player is not competing against top players, it is hard to be ranked well |
| College Coaches |
Used by most college programs to find undiscovered players, but 6th or 7th in importance when assessing talent | Top 30 of the 292 NCAA Division I programs uses consistently, but 6th or 7th in importance when assessing talent |
As the table above illustrates, there are many differences between the three systems. In this sport, each system is used in a variety of ways. Golfweek has been around longer and does many different rankings as part of their effort to cover the golf world whereas Junior Golf Scoreboard focuses entirely on junior golf. It should be noted that at the elite levels of play, the three systems have virtually the same players as the best players in their system.
So the answer of which is best is a matter of perspective. The one thing in common all three systems is that it is virtually impossible for a player to manage their way up the rankings by not playing or over selecting events. As is always true, practicing, playing, getting better, and shooting lower scores is the real goal. The rest will take care of itself.
