PRIORITY BASED ENTRY PRIMER

The PKBGT Priority Based Entry system exists to create a registration method for Championship & top level national events that guarantees the strongest fields for these events. For each tournament that uses the PKBGT Priority system, a players ranking on the following systems will be considered:

• PKBGT Performance Index
• National Junior Golf Scoreboard (JGS)
• The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR)

Why Does This System Exist?

The PKBGT offers competitions at many steps on the developmental process, and for players at the top end of this progression, ranking development is a crucial component to their progress. By creating the highest strength of field, we ensure that our players are being recognized on the national stage for their accomplishments.

In addition, the Priority Based Entry system guarantees players who have earned a higher ranking are rewarded with access to the top tournaments the PKBGT has to offer.

What Events Does This Apply To?

The PKBGT Priority Entry system applies to the majority of the Bell National schedule, most all divisions at PKBGT Championship events and select Prep Preview & Futures National events.

PKBGT Invitationals or National Championship events may use seperate/additional criteria. Make sure to read the Priority Entry section on each specific tournament page for detailed instructions on the criteria used. For example, the PKBGT Tour Championship each August is an earned entry event based off the PKBGT Order of Merit standings.

On the PKBGT schedule, events that are not first-come, first-served will be labeled with the following icons:

How Does This System Work?

For each division utilizing PKBGT Priority Based Entry, the following procedure will be utilized:

• APPLY TO PLAY: At the opening of registration, all players will be eligible to apply for the Waitlist for their PKBGT Classification (1, 2 or 3). Players will be listed as “Waitlisted” on the tournament page and will not be required to pay any fee at this time.
• DIRECT ENTRY: Each tournament will also list certain “Direct Entry” criteria in which, if your player meets this criterion, they can register directly into the tournament in their appropriate division. For example, the 2025 PKBGT Masters is a Bell National Direct Entry 75 event, meaning players inside the PKBGT Performance Index Top 75 or inside the Top 1,000 nationally on the Junior Golf Scoreboard are automatically accepted into the field until the maximum field size is reached for that division.
• PRIORITY DEADLINE: A Priority Commitment Deadline will be listed in the “Schedule” section of the event which identifies the deadline to apply to participate in the event (example: 2025 PKBGT Masters). The days following this deadline, the official field for the event will be set and all players who have applied will know if they have earned entry into this specific tournament.
• HOW ARE PLAYERS CHOSEN?: The highest division in the tournament will be processed first. If a Bell National field is in the event, all PKBGT Class 1 players will be considered for the field using the PKBGT Priority Entry formula to fill the allotted slots for the Bell National division. If a Prep Preview field is part of the event, all Class 1 players who do not gain access to the Bell National field will be combined with all Class 2 waitlisted players to be considered for the Prep Preview field. Once the Prep Preview field is full, all remaining Class 2 players and all Class 3 waitlisted players would be considered for a Futures National field.
• HOW DO I CLAIM MY SPOT IF INVITED?: Players who are accepted will be emailed an official invitation with a ~48 hour deadline to register and pay to claim their spot (you must be logged in to your Shotstat account to see the invitation active). Players will decline spots which will allow additional players to fill the spots in the field which will require a few days for this process to complete.
• WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM NOT SELECTED?: Once the tournament is full, all players in the field will be emailed. Players who are not selected for any field will remain on their respective waiting list should a withdrawal occur from the tournament.
• HOW ARE THE WAITING LIST MAINTAINED?: At the time of any withdrawal, the eligible player with the highest priority will be promoted/invited to participate. For example, if a player withdraws from the Bell National field, the replacement player may be in the Prep Preview field or on the Class 1 waiting list. Once the event reaches the official registration deadline listed on the tournament page, a fixed promotion/invitation list will be posted on the tournament page.
• WHAT IF THE DIVISION IS NOT FULL BY THE PRIORITY DEADLINE?: If the field does not reach capacity by the commitment deadline, the field will revert to first come, first serve until the field is full or the registration deadline is reached