Junior Golf Scoreboard, the go to authority for junior golfer rankings nationwide has made a major change to their formulas for determining player rankings. What JGS has introduced is an analytical/statistic based adjustment for determining any potential course rating adjustment for all courses hosting junior tournaments. The JGS formulas do not rely on course conditions; such as weather, playing conditions, pin placements, or green speeds. These are all subjective factors that although they do impact scoring, there is no specific value one can assign to each individual course condition. Recognizing that courses can play differently than when they were most recently rated, the CCA algorithm statistically and objectively determines whether play was affected, and if so, how the course rating should be adjusted (up or down).
Now JGS with its new CCA will be offering more consistent and accurate player rankings, for the benefit of the junior golfer and college coaches who frequently make an early evaluation of a player based solely on his/her JGS ranking. Thanks to the hard work of the JGS staff, their ranking system has become the most recognized in the sport. Their motivation to constantly improve upon their methodologies and mathematical formulas should be commended.
According to Mac Thayer, owner and founder of JGS, the new CCA methodology is totally statistics and data based:
“It objectively and numerically computes the expected performance of players in the field compared to how these players play each round. The system uses the middle range of players in the field at the start of the tournament, and these player’s scores are then used for this analysis, resulting in a CCA. It is all by the numbers as it should be, with no subjective input from tournament officials, players, parents or other outside influencers. As explained on the JGS website, a CCA can occur because of playing conditions of fairways, rough, greens and pin placements; weather conditions or simply that the course set-up differs from the set-up when the course was last rated by the USGA. But these subjective factors are not assigned a value in themselves, but rather the empirical scoring from each round; that may and usually is impacted by these playing conditions. We are tracking all rounds we have received since November 2020 to monitor the accuracy and effectiveness of the new CCA.”
Everyone should also be aware that course ratings can be reduced if the course proves to be playing significantly easier (statistically) than expected.
Most importantly these changes will be consistent from tournament to tournament, and player to player. This is key to understand as we all strive to improve the ranking system for the benefit of and integrity of junior golf. If you have any questions regarding the new CCA or would like to discuss any aspect of our ranking system, please call the office at 804-935-1800.
