The USGA has announced two modifications to the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR® exemption criteria for amateur championships, effective immediately. The changes are an effort to better help players plan their schedules and notify exempt players of their place in the field in a more timely manner. 

The two changes are as follows:  

• Addition of a new WAGR exemption category that is determined at the release of entries. A breakdown of how many players are exempt in this category by championship is below. The wording will mirror the current WAGR exemption category. 
• Those who qualify for the WAGR Exemption Category for all amateur championships will be determined the Wednesday prior to the close of entries. For example, entries for the U.S. Women’s Amateur close on June 14; thus the top 25 players in WAGR will be determined from the Wednesday, June 7 ranking.

“Through our yearly evaluation process of exemptions across our amateur championships, we identified an opportunity that can simultaneously benefit our players while also improving the strength of field of our championships,” said Brent Paladino, senior director of Championship Administration for the USGA. “These changes ensure that we are giving top amateur players clarity on their exemption status as early as possible and provides exempt players with the time needed to confirm their place in the championship field.”