The Governing Board of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) announces today that it has increased the minimum points levels for the Asian Tour, Nationwide Tour and European Challenge Tour effective from January 1, 2006.

The changes were ratified by the Board during The Open Championship at St Andrews, and mean that the minimum points levels for winners on the Asian Tour and the Nationwide Tour in the United States have been increased from three to seven points and winners on the Challenge Tour from three to six points.

Additionally, winners of the flagship event on the Nationwide Tour - the Nationwide Tour Championship – will receive ten points, on a par with the winner of the Asian Tour’s flagship tournament, the Volvo Masters of Asia.

The Board agreed to another recommendation, also effective from January 1, that in any limited field events with less than 30 qualified players, Ranking points awarded to last place – or first round losers in match play events of less than 30 qualified players – are capped to a maximum of 2.40 (1.2 x 2), which is approximately the value of 50th place on the OWGR. In this way, there will be no advantage or disadvantage given to those players attempting to qualify for Major Championships and World Golf Championships.