Rankings Update Presented by Rugiet - November 2026
Reno Reshuffles the Board: Casto and Ehlers Climb to World No. 1 as DiLeo Rockets 22 Spots
Three belts were handed out at Wildcreek Golf Course in Reno last month. Now we know what the 2026 World Long Drive Championship did to the world rankings.
This is the first official update since the Championship, and it’s a big one. A rookie champion jumped into the top five. Two divisions have new world No. 1s. And several players who came into Reno near the top found out how quickly one week can change a season.
Here’s how the board looks in all four divisions, and how it got this way.
Open Elite Division
A new champion, but a familiar name on top.
Colton Casto came into Reno ranked second and left as the Championship runner-up, which was enough to take the top spot back with 967.5 points. That gives him a 230 point lead over the field. He was the No. 1 seed on Championship Saturday and hit the longest drive of the event, a 452 in the quarterfinals, before falling to Nick DiLeo in the final.
He’s been at No. 1 before, and he’s one of the most consistent competitors in the Open Division.
Nick DiLeo has the biggest jump of the month. The 2026 Open Division Champion came to Reno ranked 27th and leaves at No. 5, up 22 spots. In his rookie season, he beat Bryce Verplank 448 to 445 in a quarterfinal decided by three yards, then won his semifinal and closed it out with a 421 in the final. DiLeo, who started this year as a rookie, now has a belt and a spot in the top five.
Sean Johnson moves up two spots to No. 2 after reaching the final eight. Reid Russell jumps 13 spots, from 21st to No. 8, after a semifinal run that ended against DiLeo. Russell and DiLeo are the two new names in the top 10.
Going the other way, Scottie Pearman drops from No. 1 to No. 3 after exiting in the second round, earlier than many expected. Reigning champion Zack Holton slips one spot to No. 4. Roni Shin holds at No. 7 after reaching the semifinals.
Senior Division
Ryan Ehlers is the new Senior World No. 1.
Ehlers came into Reno ranked second. He beat Chris Nolen 398 to 358 in the semifinals, then finished as runner-up, which moves him into the top spot with 650 points. He’s 50 points clear of the man who beat him in the final.
That man is Rob Oristaglio, the 2026 Senior World Champion, who climbs nine spots from 11th to No. 2. As the No. 4 seed, he beat top seed Kevin Shook 388 to 382 in the semifinals, then won the final 399 to 373. It’s his first World Championship belt, in his 25th year of competing.
Kevin Shook holds at No. 3. Former No. 1 Ryan Reisbeck exited in Reno earlier than expected and drops into a tie with Shook at No. 3. Chris Nolen jumps six spots, from 11th to No. 5, after his semifinal run.
Women's Division
Kelly Rudney holds the top spot, but the race just got a lot closer.
Rudney reached the semifinals in Reno, where she fell to the eventual champion. She stays at World No. 1 with 642.5 points. Her lead is now only 30 points, and the player chasing her is the one who beat her.
Abby Marting climbs seven spots, from ninth to No. 2. Last year, Rudney ended Marting’s championship run in the quarterfinals. This year, Marting beat her in the semifinals, then won the final with a 347 to take the belt.
Kyung Hyun Park jumps 10 spots, from 13th to No. 3, after a runner-up finish. Phillis Meti moves up two spots to No. 4 after reaching the semifinals. Sydney Merchant has one of the biggest jumps in the division, up 11 spots from 19th into a tie for No. 8 after making the final eight.
Monica Lieving, who wasn’t in the field in Reno, drops from No. 2 to No. 5.
Rise Division
Cameron Groom stays at No. 1 in the Rise rankings with 215 points, 45 ahead of No. 2 John Zook.
The biggest story is right behind them. Rookie Logan Schott moves up to No. 3, and he backed it up in Reno by holding his own against the Open Division field. He hit a 429 in the first round and reached the final 16.
Andrew Godbold has the biggest jump in the division, up three spots from 10th to No. 7.
Justin Rich and Landon Gentry also climb three spots each.
What's Next
Reno handed out three belts, crowned two new world No. 1s and moved players up and down the board in every division. Now the chase starts over.
The Women’s race is down to 30 points between Rudney and Marting. Ehlers has a 50 point lead over the Senior champion. And Casto sits on top of the Open Elite Division, with the reigning World Champion now in the top five behind him.
Broadcasts to Look Out For
Rumble in Reno, presented by Silver Legacy, Eldorado, Circus Circus - Reno, a Caesars Rewards Destination | ESPN2 | Sunday, November 15 | 10 PM ET
Eight of the best hitters in the world, two groups, one winner. In the King of the Hill format, the athletes are split into two groups of four, and the longest ball in each group earns a spot in the final. The two group winners then go head to head, and only one leaves as the Rumble in Reno champion. Tune in for big drives, close finishes and the atmosphere of a packed crowd.
2026 World Long Drive Championship | Golf Channel | Tuesday, December 1 | 9 PM ET
Relive the main event. The broadcast follows the final eight of the Open Division through the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final, with features on the Senior and Women’s Division finals and the moments each champion was crowned.
It also includes a look at the two showcases from Championship Saturday at Wildcreek Golf Course: the First Tee Northern Nevada Championship, a junior long drive competition, and the Special Olympics Golf Long Drive Championship, in partnership with Special Olympics North America. Both featured incredible athletes, and both crowned a champion.
The best hitters on the planet, the biggest moments of the year, and three new World Champions. You won’t want to miss it.
For full standings, visit worldlongdrive.com/wldrankings. Rankings are updated monthly. See you in December.
How the WLD Official World Ranking System Works:
The WLD Official World Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of long drive players. The rankings are based on a player's position in WLD sanctioned individual long drive competitions (i.e. not pairs or team events) over a "rolling" two-year period. New rankings are calculated after each event.
Ranking Points are maintained at full value for a 12-month period from the relevant Ranking Date on which they were awarded to place additional emphasis on recent performances. Ranking Points are then reduced by 50% for the remaining 12 months of the relevant Ranking Period.
At the conclusion of the 24 month period (104 weeks) of the relevant Ranking Period, points are removed from the player's tally.
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