Top amateurs to receive leg-up at school

The world's top three amateur golfers will get a leg-up on the road to the professional ranks from later this year after the R&A revealed they will earn exemptions into the second stage of the European Tour Qualifying School.

With the continued growth of international amateur tournaments, the R&A established the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) in January of last year in a bid to gauge the "global eligibility standard for entry into the (British) Amateur Championship and as a service to amateur golf worldwide".

Just as the professional world rankings are updated on a weekly basis, so too are the amateur rankings. They record the playing performance for the world's top 1500 amateurs in 600 ranking events.

"The standard of play in the amateur game worldwide goes on improving and I am delighted that the R&A rankings have provided a means for this to be recognised by the European Tour in its qualifying process," said R&A chief executive Peter Dawson, noting the three highest ranked players at the end of week 34 (Sunday, August 24th) who have entered Qualifying School will be exempt into the second stage.

Keith Waters, the PGA European Tour's director of international policy, said: "We congratulate The R&A on developing an effective method of ranking the best amateurs around the world. The European Tour is happy to recognise the World Amateur Golf Ranking and welcomes the best amateur players to the Tour's Qualifying School."

The initiative is sure to provide a huge incentive to aspiring amateurs, not only from Ireland but all over the world. American Rickie Fowler is currently the top-ranked amateur in the world with Daniel Willett, his Britain and Ireland Walker Cup opponent from last September, in second.

Lurgan's Gareth Shaw is currently the highest ranked Irishman after climbing 10 places to 41 in the latest standings. Willett's Walker Cup team mate Jonathan Caldwell is 63rd while Irish Close champion Shane Lowry is 104th.

Before joining the paid ranks Holywood teenager Rory McIlroy briefly held the number one spot when he won the European Individual Amateur title to add to an already impressive list of amateur titles.