The Masters Reflects Global Growth of Golf

The world ranking system has helped open up major championships to more international players over the past 40 years.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 7:50pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented, multi-angled view of a golf tournament scene, with sharp planes of emerald, azure, and gold conveying the dynamic energy and international scope of the sport.The world ranking system has fueled greater global diversity and representation in major golf championships like the Masters.Augusta Today

The Masters tournament this year features a field of 91 golfers from 23 different countries, a significant increase from the 88 players from 11 countries that competed when the world ranking system was first introduced 40 years ago in 1986. The world ranking has played a key role in expanding access to major championships for international golfers, helping to break down barriers that previously limited their participation.

Why it matters

The growing global diversity of the Masters field reflects the broader internationalization of professional golf over the past four decades, driven in large part by the introduction and evolution of the world ranking system. This has helped elevate the sport's profile worldwide and provided more opportunities for top players from outside the United States to compete at the highest levels.

The details

When the 'Sony Ranking' was first introduced in 1986, it was dominated by European players like Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros and Sandy Lyle, who at the time had limited access to tournaments like the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship. The world ranking system helped open up these major events to a wider pool of international talent, contributing to a shift in the demographics of winners. From 1926 to 1993, only three foreign-born players had won the U.S. Open, but since 1994, 13 of the last 32 champions have been international players.

  • The 'Sony Ranking' was introduced on April 6, 1986.
  • The world ranking system became the 'Official World Golf Ranking' in 1997 when major tours and the four majors formed a governing board.
  • This year's Masters tournament is being held from April 6-9, 2026.

The players

Bernhard Langer

A two-time Masters champion from Germany who was the world's top-ranked player when the ranking system was introduced in 1986.

Seve Ballesteros

A Spanish golfer who won five major championships in the 1980s prior to the world ranking system.

Sandy Lyle

A Scottish golfer who was one of the top-ranked players in the world when the ranking system began.

Tom Watson

An American golfer who was the highest-ranked player from the United States when the world ranking system debuted.

Jack Nicklaus

The legendary American golfer who won his sixth Masters title in 1986, the year the world ranking system was introduced.

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What they’re saying

“It was time to have something like that because international golfers were excluded from tournaments like the Masters, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship.”

— Bernhard Langer, Two-time Masters champion

“That helped open it up, especially in the majors, to some international golfers who Americans never heard of or didn't know much about.”

— Bernhard Langer, Two-time Masters champion

What’s next

The 2026 Masters tournament will continue to showcase the global reach of professional golf, with players from around the world competing for the coveted green jacket.

The takeaway

The introduction and evolution of the world ranking system over the past 40 years has been a key driver in the globalization of professional golf, helping to open up access to major championships for international players and contributing to a more diverse field of champions at the highest levels of the sport.