Why did the Hero World Challenge give more ranking points than the Australian Open?

The Hero World Challenge awarded more Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points due to its specific point allocation structure, which proved more generous than the Australian Open's system, despite the latter being an official event.

How did Rory McIlroy's Australian Open performance affect his OWGR points?

Rory McIlroy received 1.9 OWGR points for his 14th-place finish at the Australian Open, which was less than some players who finished lower at the Hero World Challenge.

Home / Sports / Golf's Strange Ranking Twist: Minor Event Outscores Major Open

Golf's Strange Ranking Twist: Minor Event Outscores Major Open

Q: Who won the Hero World Challenge and the Australian Open last week?

Hideki Matsuyama won the Hero World Challenge in a playoff, while Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen claimed victory at the Australian Open.

9 Dec

•

Summary

Hero World Challenge offered more ranking points than Australian Open.
Hideki Matsuyama won Hero World Challenge, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen won Australian Open.
Billy Horschel earned more points finishing 15th than Rory McIlroy tied for 14th.

Golf's Strange Ranking Twist: Minor Event Outscores Major Open

The recent golf calendar saw the Hero World Challenge and the Australian Open capture significant attention. Unconventionally, the Hero World Challenge, despite being a non-official event, provided more OWGR points than the Australian Open. This anomaly has raised eyebrows within the golfing community.

Hideki Matsuyama emerged victorious at the Hero World Challenge after a tense playoff against Alex Noren. Concurrently, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen secured a one-shot victory at the Australian Open. Both tournaments concluded last week, just prior to December 9, 2025.

The disparity in points is notable: Billy Horschel gained 2.34871 points for 15th place at Albany, while Rory McIlroy earned only 1.9 points for a higher 14th-place finish in a larger field at Royal Melbourne. This suggests a re-evaluation of the ranking point distribution might be warranted.