Former Masters Champion Named New Chairman of Official World Golf Ranking

Changes are coming to the OWGR, and a familiar face is getting a top job.

Immelman will be the OWGR's third chairman since 2004. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Official World Golf Ranking has announced some notable changes.

Former Masters champion and current CBS golf analyst Trevor Immelman has been named the organization's third chairman since 2004.

"The Official World Golf Ranking has always been a huge part of my life and professional career," Immelman said in a statement. "Growing up in South Africa and falling in love with the game as a youngster, the ranking system was how I tracked and followed my favorite players and understood who the best players in the world were."

Immelman, 45, won 11 times worldwide including the Masters in 2008. His highest spot in the OWGR was No. 12, which he reached in 2006. He's been the lead golf analyst on CBS since 2023.

The OWGR will also introduce a new point "distribution curve" for tournaments with a low field rating and will award more points to winners of those events. The OWGR has also added the PGA Tour of Taiwan.

The OWGR has been a particularly charged topic since the launch of LIV Golf in 2022, as LIV golfers do not receive OWGR points for their results in the new league. LIV applied to be recognized by the OWGR but ultimately withdrew its application last year. Immelman's appointment does not indicate that LIV Golf should expect the OWGR to change its stance anytime soon, as he previously shared his thoughts on X.

If I were going to start a pro golf tour, and I decided that I wanted my tour to have world ranking points available for the players, I’d probably at the outset make sure that my tour did whatever the world ranking organization required in order to comply.

— Trevor Immelman (@TrevorImmelman) October 12, 2023

Peter Dawson, the outgoing chairman, has held the role since 2016 and spearheaded an overhaul to the rankings system in 2022.