Carolinas /  NC / SC Junior Rankings Explanation

Who can earn points?

Junior golfers 18 and under who have not started college, who are legal residents of the Carolinas and have played in a minimum of 5 rankings events.

Is there a minimum of events that have to be played?

Yes, juniors must play in a minimum of 5 events before being ranked.

What tournaments are used?

Any junior event conducted in NC and all states adjacent to NC or SC (GA, TN and VA) along with pre-set national junior and amateur events.
For a national event outside of the area listed above, the host organization must request that their event be used and each player must be
offered travel expense assistance.  If approved, the event results must be submitted to CGA/TYGA within 4 days of the end of the tournament.

Do you have to be a member of TYGA/CGA  to earn rankings points?

No, players are added to the rankings automatically after they earn points. 

How deep in the field are points awarded?

Each player who finishes a rankings event earns points. 

How are rankings determined?

Each players total points (49%) earned and tournament scoring differential (51%) are used to determine the rankings.

What is a player's tournament scoring differential?

We take the stroke average from the ranking events the player has played in and subtract the average course rating for the course and yardage played to give each player their differential.

Why the course rating?

The course rating is the "USGA's mark that indicates the playing difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer under normal course and weather conditions. 

The rating is based on yardage and other obstacles to the extent that they affect the scoring ability of a scratch golfer."*

What if a player withdrawals from an event?

Any injury or emergency withdrawal will not hurt the player.  However, any player who has more than 1 unjustified withdrawal after starting a rankings event will be deleted from the rankings.   

How are the points awarded?

Points are awarded in reverse order based on the size of the field.  Overall winner also receives 5 extra pints for winning.

Example:  It there are 10 players in an event

1st place    10 + 5 = 15 points

2nd place    9 points

3rd place    8 points

4th place    7 points

5th place    6 points

6th place    5 points

7th place    4 points

8th place    3 points

9th place    2 points

10th place  1 point

 

The corresponding points are then multiplied by the "event multiplier".

What is a multiplier?

The event multiplier gives us the chance to give more established events more points.  The multiplier is determined based on historical data of the size and strength of the field.

What about ties?

They are split, unless an on course playoff is held and then that playoff determines the finish.

Do all divisions receive points?

No, only the players who play from the longest yardage are awarded rankings points.

What if two or more divisions play from the longest yardage set of tee?

Then the divisions are merged into one overall division and points are then awarded for the overall and not the divisions.

What do the rankings reflect?

How well individual players have fared in the PAST 12 MONTHS in selected tournaments, unless they have graduated from high school, then they are deleted the September after they graduate from high school.

Is there a minimum amount of contestants in an event to be used for rankings?

Yes, there must be at least 15 boys or 6 girls playing from the longest set of tees in each event before the results can be used.

Can players "play up" a division to earn points?

That is up to the tournament committee for each rankings event.

Do you add events in mid-season?

Yes. A boys' tournament with 15 boys or a girls' tournament with 6 girls playing the longest set of tees in that event will be used. 

The multiplier for those events will be set after the results are received and evaluated based on the size and strength of the field.

Can the multiplier be adjusted after the competition?

While each event is judged on the previous years field,  the rankings committee reserves the right to adjust the multiplier. 

This may be done if the field is small, or the depth of the field is not as deep as it was in the past.

Does a round being canceled affect the multiplier?

Since the number of holes to be played does factor into determining the multiplier, the multiplier is reduced the percentage of holes that are canceled. 
For an example, if a 36-hole event with a 4 multiplier is shortened to 18-holes, the multiplier is reduced by 50% to a 2.

What if a round is shortened to 9 holes?

Rounds shortened to 9 holes will not be used for rankings. 

When 9 holes rounds are eliminated, the rankings results are based off all 18-hole rounds completed and may be different from the actual player finish position published by the tournament.

The multiplier will be adjusted as called for in the example above.

Why only individual events?

We do not use Four-Ball or team score events because results do not reflect the contribution of two players in all cases. In some cases, one player may "carry" the other.

Is it updated daily?

No. They are updated by the 5^th of each month, unless otherwise noted.

What about mistakes?

Unless catastrophic errors are found, mistakes are fixed for the next update.

Is there a maximum or minimum yardage to be played from?

No.  We do recommend that the boys play a yardage around 6700 yards and girls play a yardage around 5700 yards, but there is not a requirement.

Are juniors who have graduated from high school deleted?

Yes, juniors who have graduated are deleted in the September rankings after they have graduated from high school.

*USGA Handicap System, page 11, USGA Course Rating definition