The second year of the Australian Amateur Ranking Systems has recently concluded, with Australia s best men, women, junior and senior golfers decided over the results of various counting events during the last 12 months. The Boys Ranking System was won by Queenslander Cameron Smith for the second year running whilst the Girls Ranking System was won by 14-year old Su-Hyun Oh from Victoria. Smith won two ranking events, and finished top 5 in another four, while Oh also won two events and finished top 6 in three others. The Men’sRanking System was won by Victorian and Australian Eisenhower Trophy Team Member Kieran Pratt, while Srixon Australian Amateur Champion Stacey Keating won the Women’s Ranking System. In addition to the National Championship, Keating won the Victorian Stroke Play, Victorian Amateur, Dunes Medal and Western Australian 72-hole, as well as finishing top 10 in another 4 ranking events. Pratt claimed 4 ranking titles, those being the Lake Macquarie Amateur, Dunes Medal, and the Victorian Medal and Victorian Amateur, as well as top 10 finishes in the Srixon Australian Stroke Play Championship and Australian Amateur Championship and the Riversdale Cup. The Men’sand Women’s Senior Rankings, for players aged 55 years and over, saw Australian Men’sSenior Amateur Champion Stefan Albinski take out the men’s title while Queenlander Josie Ryan won the women’s for the first time. In addition to the National title, Albinski won 4 state titles including the Victorian Seniors, Tasmanian Seniors, West Australian Seniors and Northern Territory Seniors. Ryan finished Runner-up in the Australian Women’s Amateur Championship and finished first in all 3 Queensland ranking events. The Systems were highly competitive and continue to provide vast interest for amateur golfers of all ages and genders. Over 3,500 players across Australia competed in at least one Ranking Event over the six categories. The Systems are provided as a service to Australian golf as well as to achieve the following objectives: To replace the use of handicaps as the primary entry standard for national amateur championships. This will provide a fairer and better outcome for players, and Golf Australia encourages all other domestic operators of elite amateur events to consider adopting the same improved procedure. To be used as a supporting tool for team selection. To increase participation in the events which count towards a player s Ranking Average. Each System is points-based, and operates over a 12-month rolling period. All National Championships and each State s Amateur Championships in the respective Systems count towards a player s average, in addition to various other major events nominated by the States, including those which have been National Ranking Events in the past. Players points are determined by their finishing positions in each event and the events themselves are weighted with the events traditionally attracting the strongest fields being awarded the most points. For further information: Australian Women&aposs Rankings System Australian Men&aposs Rankings System Australian Boys&apos Rankings System Australian Girls&apos Rankings System
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