Before delving into the math, a history lesson is in order. The World Ranking began in 1986 when the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was looking for a way to determine British Open exemptions in an era of international growth. The stage was set for the ranking to hit prime time three years ago, when the world's five biggest tours decided to start a series of events bringing together the globe's top players. The World Ranking was ready and waiting, and with sanctioning by the five tours and four majors it became the Official World Golf Ranking. It's not simple, but it's not rocket science.
Players receive points based on their finish in each tournament.
Majors are worth 50 points to the winner, with everyone who makes the cut earning at least one point. The weakest tournament awards six points for the winner, down to one point for ninth place. Points for each player are accumulated over a two-year rolling period, with points from the most recent 52 weeks doubled. As one would expect, U.S. events generally award the most points. A typical U.S. tournament gives 25 to 30 points to the winner, a European event 17 to 20 points, an Australian or Japanese event about 10 points, and a South African event single digits.