On Monday, the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking (WWGR) announced a number of new updates that are slated to take effect on January 5, 2026.
The changes include Rankings points being awarded to all players who make a cut in a WWGR tournament, regardless of the strength of field. That hasn’t always been the case. Previously, a tournament’s assigned strength of field determined the number of players who would receive Rankings points. The change means that players competing on tours with a lower strength of field will now receive points when they make the cut.
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Strength of field will also move to a more linear format for points distribution. Previously, tournament fields were assigned a strength of field number, and points were distributed to those fields across a range. (For example, tournaments assigned a strength of field of 154 would receive the same points distribution as all tournaments with a strength of field ranging from 151-160.) Now, the number assigned to a tournament’s strength of field will correspond directly to a unique points distribution.
Additionally, the WWGR recognized the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT) — a U.S.-based developmental tour that will stage 13 tournaments between April and September — to 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 Professional Golf Association (LPGA)
-Epson Tour (EPSON)
-Thai Ladies Professional Golf Association (THAILPGA)
-Women’s Professional Golf Association Tour of Australasia (WPGAA)
The R&A, which administers the AIG Women’s Open, and the USGA, which conducts the U.S. Women’s Open, are also recognized by the WWGR.
The ANNIKA WAPT provides a direct path to the Epson Tour, which is turn is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour. The top two finishers in each ANNIKA WAPT tournament receive exemptions into select Epson Tour events, and the top finishers on the ANNIKA WAPT season-ending Order of Merit also earn exemptions into the Qualifying Stage of LPGA Q-Series. Each year, the top 15 performers on the Epson Tour earn 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.
