The WPT Rankings are not based on the quality or skill of the players involved, but rather rewards and showcases those professionals and amateurs who have achieved success in a given calendar year in the most competitive polo tournaments around the world. Not all polo tournaments are used in the calculation of the points earned by a player and therefore there is no implied representation by the WPT as to the skill and/or qualifications of the players listed; or NOT listed as the case may be.

During 2008, the Masters Series and Grand Prix sections have been added

The Masters section includes only the Argentine Triple Crown tournaments. This is the only section of the WPT rankings that gives points to teams as opposed to individual players. It is an annual ranking (January through December). Each January, teams start with zero points and their total at the end of December is compared, the team with the most points being the winner.
The Grand Prix section is an annual individual player ranking system for both professional and amateur players but only awards points to tournament winners.

WPT CHANGES FOR 2009

(a) The Masters Series (points to the teams) will include the following tournaments, because the teams usually stay the same for them:
USA CV Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup, US Open
UK The Queen's Cup, The Gold Cup

(b) The Grand Slam category will include Sotogrande's Gold Cup (which has moved up from the WPT Cup category). This is due to the improvements to the grounds and facilities at Santa Maria Polo Club in Sotogrande. The points awarded to the players have thus increased from 90 to 120 for the winners.

(c) The WPT Championship Cup is the new name for what in 2008 was called the Polo Masters. The name has been changed in order to prevent confusion with the new Masters Series section. The Sotogrande Silver Cup now moves up to this section. The CV Whitney and Prince of Wales tournaments will now move to the WPT Cup section.

(d) The WPT Cup changes are as follows:
Camara de Diputados now gets 100 points (up from 90 points in 2008)
CV Whitney now gets 70 points (down from 100 because of category change)
Prince of Wales gets 60 points (no change to points but change of category)

(e) The WPT Challenge Cup changes are as follows:
Royal Windsor Cup now gets 60 points (up from 50 points)
Deauville Silver Cup returns after a two year absence and gets 40 points
French Open now gets 40 points (down from 50 points)
America Cup returns after two years and gets 40 points
Scapa Trophy returns after two years and gets 40 points
The following 13 tournaments have been removed from the rankings:
Araucaria Open; Argentine Open Under 21; Balfour Cup; Copa Arelauquen;
Diamond Cup; Flag Day Cup; Indian Empire Shield; John Miles Cup; Mitre Cup; President Cup; Province Cup; USPA Monty Waterbury Cup

(f) Snow Polo Tour has one addition for 2009, Courcheval. Points as follows for the winners:
St Moritz 150
Moscow 100
Aspen 100
Courcheval 100
Cortina D'Ampezzo 100

WHAT IS THE WORLD POLO TOUR (WPT)?

The World Polo Tour (WPT) is the international ranking of Polo Players. Each player is ranked according to their performance, during the course of the year, in the main tournaments around the world. The system came about as the result of the urge, by players and club managers, to create a circuit that reflects the best Polo in the World. The WPT has been operating since 2002, ranking both players and tournaments, adjusting each year to include new developments and tournaments. Both amateur and professional players follow it continuously, turning it into an exciting activity. The information is gathered through the website ( www.worldpolotour.com), including the points obtained by each player, as well as the results of the different tournaments that make up the WPT.

In 2008 there were four levels of the main ranking; Grand Slam, Championship Cup, WPT Cup and Challenge Cup. The Masters Series and Grand Prix Series are sub-levels that were added in 2008. The Snow Polo sub-level has existed since 2004.

In order to determine the category of each tournament, several aspects are taken into consideration; the handicap of the tournament, the place, the organization, the amount of teams entered, the level of players participating and the amount of spectators attending the tournament final.

The list of tournaments is reviewed every year in order to reflect the reality of the International Circuit.

The Masters Series includes the three most important Open Championships in the world: the Triple Crown of the Argentine Open, the Hurlingham Open and the Tortugas Open in Argentina. This is the only section of the WPT rankings that gives points to a team as opposed to individual players. It is an annual ranking.

The Grand Prix section is an annual individual player ranking system for both professionals and amateurs but only awards points to the tournament winners.

Snow Polo also has its own space within WPT. Players participating in this category obtain extra points in three of the tournaments comprised within this category: the Cartier World Cup on Snow, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, the most important and prestigious polo tournament played on snow, the Moscow Tournament (Russia) and Aspen Tournament (US). On the other hand, the Cartier World Polo Cup on Snow is the only tournament that adds points in both rankings, that is to say, the general and the snow category.

SCORING SYSTEM AND RANKINGS

Regardless of the position achieved with their teams in each tournament, all players participating in competitions which make up the different categories will be awarded points individually. According to their position, points will be awarded to winners, finalist, semi-finalists and the rest of the players. The Palermo Argentine Open is the tournament that awards the highest amount of points, distributed as follows: the winner: 350 points; finalist: 150; the rest of the players: 50 points.

Besides the overall scoreboard, all players participating in snow polo tournaments are ranked independently within the Snow Ranking, which means they compete to be the best in each category. All players adding points, both professional and amateur, appear within the general ranking but also appear in their own separate rankings as professional and amateur players.