USAGA Rankings for Adaptive Golfers
Purpose
Create a Ranking Systems for United States golfers with disabilities compiled from tournaments run by USAGA and its Member Organizations. USAGA agrees with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) that athletes with disabilities within a sport should be classified based on their disability impairment to promote fair and equitable competition and avoid the “threat of one-sided and predictable competitions, in which the least-impaired athletes always win.” As a result, USAGA follows “para-sport” protocol by classifying its golfers “by the degree of activity limitation resulting from the impairment,” and has identified and defined 15 different sport classes by which golfers with disabilities are ranked.
The USAGA Golf Ranking System (USAGR™), which comprises a men’s and women’s gross ranking for golfers with disabilities in the USA, is offered and developed from actual performance at USAGA accredited tournaments following specific incorporation of USAGA standards for their sport class and in compliance with USAGA tournament guidelines. Each year, the USAGA honors Top Performers - honoring the top-2 ranked players in each of 15 sport classes, along with the top 2 highest-ranked eligible women and the top 2 highest-ranked eligible players in the Senior &Junior divisions.
Locations
Events must be held specifically for golfers with disabilities on a golf course with an official USGA/R&A Course and Slope Rating. Certification of international events is possible since a universal worldwide handicapping system that directly correlates to USAGR™ was recently adopted.
Participation
Each sanctioned event must be operated by USAGA or an affiliated Member Organization of USAGA. Non-member organizations may have their events sanctioned by USAGA’s Competition Ranking Committee (“CRC”) upon signing up for membership.
Exemptions
In the future, this ranking system can be used to create valuable “exemption” status to the season-ending USAGA Championship.
USAGR™ Ranking Standards
The first posted Competitive Score Rating (CSR) for every player to start each new season will be the previous year’s overall rating for that player.
For every four (4) competitive score ratings (CSRs) earned, the worst rating is removed from the overall rating calculation.
Each player needs 4 posted scores from the collection of annual accredited events before he or she can be eligible for exemptions.
Having Your Event Ranked
Please contact Jonathan Snyder at jsnyder@usaga.org, to obtain the necessary documents introducing USAGA Ranking and Competition Standards and event accreditation. Mr. Snyder will be able to answer any questions about USAGR™ requirements.
Player Classification by Disability Type (Sport Class)
In accordance with eligibility standards recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), USAGA will classify golfers with disabilities based upon the following definitions:
Golfers with lower limb impairments
Sport Class G1
The golfers have an impairment affecting one leg, for example an amputation above the knee. They may use a prosthesis or golf on one leg.
Sport Class G2
Golfers in this sport class include those with impairments in the lower parts of one leg, but with less impact on golfing compared to G1. Typical examples are amputations above the ankle or loss of muscle control in one leg or leg length difference.
Sport Class G3
This sport class includes golfers with an impairment in both legs, such as muscle weakness in both legs or double amputation.
Golfers with arm impairments
Sport Class G4
The golfers in this sport class have impairments affecting one arm and either 1) do not use any golf aide or adaptive device to connect to the club, or 2) do not intentionally use the impaired arm when initiating a stroke through striking the ball. At the initiation of the stroke through striking of the ball, there can only be one intentional point of contact on the club. All golfers in this category, must play every stroke during a round of golf with one arm - any aid from an artificial appliance, prosthetic, or part of the impaired arm is not allowed. This category includes limb deficiency, impaired passive range of motion and impaired muscle power related to the arm.
Sport Class G5
The golfers in this sport class have impairments affecting one arm and either 1) use a golf aide or adaptive device to connect to the club or 2) use the impaired arm at any time in the swing between when initiating a stroke through striking the ball. At the initiation of the stroke through striking the ball, this class is allowed to have two points of intentional contact on the club while striking the ball for any stroke during a round of golf. This category includes limb deficiency, impaired passive range of motion and impaired muscle power related to the arm.
Sport Class G6
This sport class is designated for athletes with impairments in both arms that prohibit them full use of the golf club. Golfers, for example, have missing hands or cannot grip firmly the club properly. Therefore, you may see them using an adaptive golf tool.
Golfers with combined impairments in arms and legs
Sport Class G7
This sport class is designed for golfers who have an impairment in arms and legs. Some of the G7 golfers have mild coordination problems in all extremities. Others have amputations affecting at one arm and one leg.
Sport Class G8
Athletes with Neurological Conditions and Coordination Impairments. Abnormal increase in muscle tension and a reduced ability of a muscle to stretch, lack of co-ordination of muscle movements, unbalanced, involuntary movements and a difficulty in maintaining a symmetrical posture due to a neurological condition, such as cerebral palsy, brain injury or multiple sclerosis.
Seated Golfers
All seated-golfers that have an impairment affecting their body in which they use a Para-mobile device to compete. They are allocated different sport classes depending on their trunk control, which is very important for golf.
Sport Class G9
Golfers have an impairment that limits their leg and trunk function. They would be unable to sit without supporting himself or herself with the arms, for example due to paraplegia.
Sport Class G10
Golfers in this sport class have near to normal trunk control.
Golfers with Visual Impairments
Sport Class G11
These athletes have a very low visual acuity and/or no light perception.
Sport Class G12
Athletes have a higher visual acuity/ higher than athletes competing in the G11 sport class & a visual acuity higher than 20/600 with some light perception.
Sport Class G13
Athletes have the least severe visual impairment eligible for Paralympic sport. They have the highest visual acuity and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees radius.
To ensure safety all G11 & G12 golfers must use a caddy, while a G13 may use a caddy.
Short In Stature
Sport Class G14
Athletes with short stature compete in this sport class.
Intellectual Disabilities
Sport Class G15
Athletes with an Intellectual disability which has certain limitations in cognitive functioning and skills, including communication, social and self-care skills. Level 5 Special Olympics North America golf athletes. Examples- Athletes with Downs Syndrome/ Autism.
Please note that the above-listed sport classes specifically define which sport class each player is classified within as it relates to USAGR rankings. These sport classes do not necessarily define, or mandate in any way, how an individual accredited event may decide to organize its players into divisions or different tee box locations for competition and/or award purposes. Divisions and tee box locations may vary at individual accredited events and decisions pertaining to this are of the sole discretion of the Tournament Director, Organizer, and/or Event Planning Committee. Variations in divisions and tee box locations at individual events have no bearing on USAGR ratings or rankings by sport class.
Events Accredited for USAGR Rankings
Please visit out Adaptive Tournaments page for a complete list of accredited tournaments.
How does the USAGR™ ranking system work?
USAGR™ ranks players based on the scores they shoot while participating in accredited tournaments for golfers with disabilities. Each score posted receives a Competitive Score Rating (CSR) that is calculated by applying a course difficulty factor (based on the USGA Course Rating and Slope for the tee box played) to the score posted.
A detailed explanation of the entire system can be found in the USAGA Ranking and Competition Standards.