Order of Merit

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SGA Tour Order of Merit

The SGA Tour Order of Merit (OOM) is the premier annual award for the best, most committed and most consistent SGA Tour player of the year. At the end of the year, the OOM winner is presented with the OOM Perpetual Trophy and prizes at the final event of the Tour season. The guiding principle for the OOM is to reward regular attendance and consistent performance in Tour events throughout the year. The point scoring format has been calibrated to reflect this and to foster a close race for the OOM title. Players receive entry points for each event they enter and the top 15 placing-getters at each event score placing points (15 for first, 14 for second, etc). Furthermore, only the top seven performances (placing points) by a player count towards their final points tally.

This structuring of the points system means that the more points a player accumulates, the harder it becomes for them to add to their tally. This means an early bolter will struggle to escape and the closer we get to the end of the season, the tighter the race will become. Hence, even players who join the Tour mid-season still have a chance of winning the OOM and/or qualifying for the Tour Championship if they can string together some solid, consistent performances.

In Club Championship rounds, points earned are increased by 33% – winners receive 20, 2nd receives 19, 3rd receives 18 etc.

The Tour Championship is contested in the final event of the year by the top 16 players (plus ties) in the Order of Merit. Hence, a player who may not be able to make up the ground late in the year to win the Order of Merit can still be in contention to qualify for the Tour Championship. The points system has been structured this way in the interests of keeping as many Tour players in contention for Tour Championship qualification for as long as possible.

All players who are paid-up SGA Tour Members by the third event retrospectively receive the OOM points they earned in the first three events. From that time, players only receive Order of Merit points when they are paid-up SGA Tour Members on the day of the event. If a golfer plays events and then subsequently joins as a Tour Member, they will not receive retrospective OOM placing points for the event(s) they played before joining.* The Tour Manager is ineligible to win the 4BBB Championship, the Order of Merit (OOM) and The Tour Championship.

Order of Merit Rules

  • Two entry points are awarded to each Tour member for entry in each event to reward regular attendance.
  • Placing points are awarded in ascending order from 15 – 1 to the top 15 place-getters in each event. Hence, 1st = 15 points, 2nd = 14 points and so on.
  • Players tied in a placing each receive the points for that place. E.g:
1st 15 points = 5th 11 points
= 2nd 14 points = 5th 11 points
= 2nd 14 points 7th 9 points
4th 12 points 8th 8 points
  • Placing points count for each player’s top seven performances throughout the year. Hence, player who scores placing points in more than seven events only receives the placing points for their best seven finishes. Entry points for all events are included in the player’s final tally.
  • In the four SGA Tour Mini-Majors playing 4BBB, the two members of the team receive the same number of points. Hence there are twice as many points available to win at the Mini-Majors because the top 30 Tour Members score placing points.
  • In the event of a tie for the Order of Merit title, there will be no countback and the tied players will share the award and the prize pool. Countbacks will be used to separate the prize pool for the minor places.
    • 1st tiebreaker: Whoever entered the most events
    • 2nd tiebreaker: Whoever scored points in the most events
    • 3rd tiebreaker: Most wins, then 2nds, then 3rds, etc.

Order of Merit Terms & Conditions

  • Only Tour members are eligible to accrue points. If a non-member places in an event, the points pass down to the next Tour member and so on.
  • Only results achieved as a member count – hence retrospective results from prior to joining do not count. The deadline for joining to receive placing points is the same day of the event.
  • SGA Tour Members must be entered in the competition on the day to qualify to receive OOM points for the event and/or to have scores included in the 4BBB Championship.
  • The OOM runs for a calendar year in SGA Tour events from January to December.
  • The SGA Tours in each State are separate and the OOMs in each state are separate competitions and points are not transferable from one Tour to another.
  • Only players with current and valid official handicaps are eligible to receive OOM points.
  • Players without official handicaps are still eligible to receive entry points if they are Tour members.
  • If there are less than 15 teams or competitors, the points are awarded down the last place only. Hence, with 13 teams competing at a Mini-Major, each player in the team that comes 13th receives 3 placing points (plus 2 points each for attendance).
  • Eligibility, points awarded, event results, prizes awarded, membership and OOM results are all at the sole discretion of Social Golf Australia.
  • Players enter and participate in events at their own risk.
  • Social Golf Australia reserves the right to amend, alter or revise the conditions of entry, the prize pool, membership status and event results without notice.

See the current OOM leaderboards for Victoria, and NSW.