New role for SA’s Trevor Immelman

Trevor Immelman, the 2008 Masters champion and golf broadcast analyst, will take over as chair of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) on April 10, its board announced Tuesday.

The OWGR said in a news release that the South African will continue in his role as lead golf analyst at CBS, where he has worked since 2019.

Immelman will succeed Englishman Peter Dawson, a former European Tour player who held the role since 2016, who is retiring.

“The Official World Golf Ranking has always been a huge part of my life and professional career,” Immelman said in the release. “Growing up in SA and falling in love with the game as a youngster, the ranking system was how I tracked and followed my favourite players and understood who the best players in the world were.

“Then, as I turned professional, my focus on the rankings intensified, as I knew being in the top 50 allowed me to play in the biggest tournaments around the world. I am extremely honoured to follow in the footsteps of Sir Michael Bonallack and Peter Dawson as chair, and I look forward to working closely with board members to ensure OWGR remains committed to its mission.”

Immelman, 45, won 11 times in his professional career, including on the PGA, European and Sunshine Tours. He defeated Tiger Woods by three strokes at the 2008 Masters for his only career Major title.

Immelman also captained the International team at the 2022 Presidents Cup, won by the US.

During Dawson’s tenure, the OWGR began grading players on eight more tours around the world, upping its total to 24.

In related news, the body also announced it will include the PGA Tour of Taiwan in the OWGR system effective week 1 of 2025. The OWGR said it will also use a new points distribution curve for tournaments with “low field ratings” to award a larger percentage of rankings points to the top finishers.

Field Level Media