The Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking releases new score updates
On Monday, the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking (WWGR) announced a slew of new updates scheduled to take effect on January 5, 2026.
The changes include the Rankings points awarded to all players who qualify in WWGR tournaments, regardless of field strength. It wasn’t always like that. Previously, the power allocated to the tournament determined the number of players who would receive points in the Rankings. This change means that players competing on tour with lower strengths will now receive points after making the cut.
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The strength of the field will also transfer to the more linear format of the point distribution. Previously, tournament fields were assigned by field number, and points were distributed across that field. (For example, tournaments assigned a field strength of 154 will receive the same point allocation as all tournaments with a field strength of 151-160.) Now, the number assigned to a tournament field strength will correspond directly to the unique point distribution.
Additionally, WWGR welcomed the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT) – a US-based promotional tour that will include 13 tournaments between April and September – into the Rankings starting in 2026, making it the 13th tour to be included in the Rankings. The other 12 tours are:
-China Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour (CLPGA)
-Chinese Taipei Ladies Professional Golf Association (TLPGA)
-Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA)
-Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association Step Up Tour (JSU)
-Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA)
-Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Dream Tour (KDT)
-Ladies European Tour (LET)
-Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS)
-Ladies Golf Association (LPGA)
-Epson Tour (EPSON)
-Thai Ladies Professional Golf Association (THAILPGA)
-Women’s Professional Golf Association Tour of Australasia (WPGAA)
The IR&A, which runs the AIG Women’s Open, and the USGA, which runs the US Women’s Open, are also recognized by WWGR.
The ANNIKA WAPT provides direct access to the Epson Tour, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour. The top two finishers in each ANNIKA WAPT tournament earn exemptions to select Epson Tour events, while the top finishers in the season-ending ANNIKA WAPT Order of Merit also earn exemptions to the LPGA Q-Series Qualifying Stage. Each year, the top 15 players on the Epson Tour receive LPGA Tour cards for the following season.
The ANNIKA WAPT season will begin with the Lake Charles Championship at L’Auberge in Louisiana on April 8, 2026.
Golf.com Editor
As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of women’s varsity golfers, Jessica knows how to beat everyone on the golf course. He can make it through the office, too, where he is more responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s first Style Issue, which began in February 2018. His original interview series, “A Round With,” which began in November 2015, and appeared as a video both in GOLF magazine.
