When twins Pam and Putter Tungbenjapol first picked up a golf club at 14 – after an impromptu stop at a course by their father – hey had no idea it would lead to careers in golf rules officiating. Now both certified Level 3 referees, they’re a familiar duo on UAE fairways, working events for the Emirates Golf Federation.
When did you come to Dubai and how are you connected to the EGF?
Pam Tungbenjapol: We visited Abu Dhabi before but first came to Dubai for the UAE Cup last October. I got a message from our good friends asking if we wanted to be course set up referees for the events, we said yes and that was our first time working with the EGF.
How do your golf games differ?
Pam: My sister’s name, Putter, says it all. It has always been like that. She holes everything on the greens. I’m not as fortunate.
Even when we stopped playing for a long time. We played a few months ago. I hit a solid drive on a Par 5, my third shot landed in front of the green, then my caddie turned around for a second, I chunked it so bad that the ball barely moved, I chipped again and managed to hole the putt. My caddie was happy saying out loud that I got a par, I laughed so hard and told her I missed the first chip. That pretty much sums up my game.
Do you get time to play in the UAE and which courses do you find the most challenging?
Pam: Unfortunately, we haven’t had a chance to play many courses. We’ve been to a few courses in UAE for work and the most challenging I’ve seen has to be the Earth Course Jumeirah Golf Estates. It’s so long!
Do you both enjoy working together and do you ever disagree on a ruling?
Pam: We disagree on many things but it’s good to have someone working in the same field to discuss because you get to explore the different aspects. There’s no way that the rules in the book can covers every situation. Most of the time we need to apply the rules using our own judgment and base on how we interpret from the book. So it’s great to hear a different view.
How and when did you decided to become referees / rules officials?
Pam: Our younger brother is a professional golfer. He made a lot of small mistakes that caused him to lose a number of strokes, just because he didn’t know the rules. One day my mum came to me and said she saw an online invitation for level 1 rules exam and she thought we might be interested. We thought since our brother made so many mistakes, we might as well learn it so that we can help him avoid making the mistake again. After passing the exam, we really started to enjoy it and wanted to continue, so we registered for the level 2 right away. Luckily the level 2 was held just two months after and we passed with the top score in the class. Level 3 was a lot harder, and getting an exam spot was very challenging, as it is held only once a year at St.Andrew with a very limited places. Every few years they come to Asia or another part of the world and in 2019, we were lucky to get the spot in Vietnam. We studied hard and managed to pass the level 3 with distinction.
How long did it take and where did you study?
Pam: We studied the rules from the rules book on our own. It took us two months to prepare for the level 2 and get the top score. We went through the whole book more than seven times before that exam. Level 3 was harder. Golf rules is tough, you think you know it all but even a small act changes the whole story. Every time I see other referees giving a ruling on TV, I never judge their decision because I am not there. There’s no way I would know the whole story. You can’t stop studying, there’s always a new case that comes up and surprises us all.
What is the one rule you both would like to change?
Pam: I heard a lot of complaints, especially the one about playing from a divot on the fairway. But you have to see things from a rules perspective. If you could lift the ball from the divot, as a referee how would you define it as a divot hole? For example, how deep would it be in order to gain free relief?
Almost every year we have a new rules/clarification additions/changes because as time passes, we face so many new situations that need to be adapted and there’s no way we would be able to think through it all.
How would you both speed up the pace of play?
Pam: We need a strict Pace of Play policy to make the game fair for everyone.
Who are your golfing icons and why?
Pam: When I was young I used to be a big fan of Michelle Wie but right now we don’t really have one because we spend most of our time on the course watching them play, so it feels like we are working when I see them.
Favourite hole in the UAE and why?
Pam: I would say Yas Links. We never get to play or work there yet but we visited the course once and the view at hole 18 was stunning. I sat at the club restaurant next to the 18th green and felt like I could sit there all day.
If you could work at any PGA or LPGA event what would it be and why?
Pam: I’ve always been working in the men’s game, but it would be great to experience working at a LPGA event. If we get to work at any of PGA/LPGA, we would love to do both.
What would you give to youngsters who are looking to become golf referees / rules officials?
Pam: I’d encourage them to give it a try, you might end up liking it like I did. It can be challenging, but like any job, there’s a tough side and a rewarding side. Don’t be scared of making mistake because you will, for sure. If you don’t make mistakes, you learn nothing.
