The Sentry Tournament is a curtain-raiser for the PGA Tour 2024 season! It will feature the winners of the previous years’ tournaments and the top 50 placeholders in the FedEx Cup standings. However, the 2024 edition of the tournament will have a different feel to it, as it will be one of the eight Signature Events, with no cut after 36 holes.

All the signature events will have smaller fields, higher purses, and more FedEx Cup points, but they will also be affected by the recent changes announced by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). As per recent changes announced by OWGR for the limited field, no cut events, the top finishers in those events will be awarded a greater percentage of points. 

The winner will be awarded approximately 21 percent of the total points, which is approximately 3–4 percent higher than what was being awarded earlier. Ranking points will no longer be distributed to players finishing in the bottom 15 percent of the final standings for these events that do not have a cut.

“Adjustments to the Ranking are made after careful consideration, and we are confident that today’s updates will better position the OWGR for the future,” stated Official World Golf Ranking Chairman Peter Dawson. But why were these changes needed?

Well, when the organization conducted an analysis, they realized that the standard distribution curve did not properly reflect performances in fields of 80 players or less. For full field events, the organization awards around 17-18% of the field rating to the winner. Now, to reflect performances more accurately with 80 players or less, a new model was needed that awards about 21% to the winner in its base calculation. Events using the new system can expect to see an increase in win points between 16-24%.

The tournament that is to be held at Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii, will have a field of 59 players who will compete for the expected $15 million purse and 700 FedEx Cup points for the winner. However, the OWGR points will be different from the previous editions of the tournament.

How will 2024 OWGR points differ from previous-year points?

In 2023, Jon Rahm won the event and earned 37.67530 OWGR points. On the other hand, runner-up Collin Morikawa won 22.60518 points. Notably, Chad Ramey, who finished last, received 1.39398. But this year, it is not going to happen. Under the new OWGR system, the point distribution will be more skewed towards the top finishers, and they will benefit the most from the proposed change. The players in the bottom 15 percent of the field will not receive any points and will suffer the consequences of the new changes.

Also read: As OWGR Undergoes Another Overhaul, Does It Offer a Glimmer of Hope for LIV Golf?

The new OWGR system will create more incentives for players to perform well in the Signature Events, as they will have more opportunities to gain ranking points and qualify for the majors and other elite tournaments. However, it will also create more pressure for players who are in the bubble of the OWGR cutoffs, as they will have fewer chances to earn points and improve their ranking. The Sentry Tournament of Champions will be a test case for how the new system will affect the PGA Tour season and the players’ careers.

These changes went into effect on January 1, 2024. However, OWGR will continue to monitor how things pan out and will have to make further changes is necessary.