A three-member delegation from the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) has been appointed to the newly formed World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) Advisory Group.

The group functions as a representative body that supplies expert insight, player and organisational perspectives, and strategic recommendations to support the ongoing development, maintenance and improvement of the rankings. Members act as regional and stakeholder liaisons, working to keep the system fair, transparent and accurately reflective of elite competitive performance.

Recommendations from the Advisory Group are presented to the WAGR Committee, which comprises leadership and staff from the United States Golf Association (USGA) and The R&A who manage the rankings on a daily basis.

The APGC’s representatives are Jun Nagashima of the Japan Golf Association, Gregg Thorpe of Golf New Zealand, and Won Ko of the Korea Golf Association.

Philip Hassall, Chairman of the APGC, said: “Given the size and diversity of the Confederation’s membership, it’s important that the APGC has a voice at the top table on important issues such as the world ranking, which affects all our member nations. Our thanks to Jun, Gregg and Won Ko for agreeing to represent the APGC on the Advisory Group and state the case for all our member nations.”

Nagashima, Manager of Athlete and Coach Development at the Japan Golf Association, added: “Our core purpose is to collect feedback, concerns, and recommendations regarding the WAGR system from our diverse regional stakeholders and relay them directly to the leadership of The R&A and the USGA. It’s imperative that the World Amateur Golf Ranking is fair, accurate and trusted globally, which is why we need to keep discussing this topic and hearing from APGC member nations if and when they have particular concerns about the WAGR system. It’s important to maintain open communication and collaboration among APGC member nations, as well as with the leadership at the USGA and The R&A.”

Organisations represented on the Advisory Group include the European Golf Association, Golf Great Britain & Ireland, Augusta National Golf Club, the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, Oceania, USGA Regional Affairs, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and several R&A regional and global staff roles covering the Middle East and India, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and the Global Golf Alliance.

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