Dubai: Two Dubai-based officials will tackle the biggest roles of their golfing careers when some of the world's greatest players tee up at the Earth course, Jumeirah Golf Estates for the 2011 Dubai World Championship this week.
Although Barney Coleman from England and Canadian Buddy Morin are no strangers to the world of golfing rules and regulations, the pair will be on the biggest stage of all when they take on the roles of European Tour Guest Referees for the likes of World Number One Luke Donald and 2011 Major winners Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Charl Schwartzel.
"I've worked as a referee at the past three Omega Dubai Desert Classics and four Omega Dubai Ladies Masters as well as a European Senior Tour event," said 32 year-old Coleman, Golf Services Manager at Emirates Golf Club.
"I worked at the PGA for just over three years mainly as a tournament administrator for national events and the PGA Europro Tour, while during my final year I refereed a number of events having passed the R&A Rules Examination."
Like Coleman, 54-year-old Morin has a wealth of experience to draw upon. "After refreshing my study of the Rules of Golf at the R&A Referee School in St. Andrews and at the USGA Rules Workshop in Far Hills, New Jersey, I was a referee at the Egyptian Open on the Challenge Tour and at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters," he said.
"This year, I was also a referee at both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, while from 2009-2010 I was Chief Marshal at the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World."
Working at the grand finale of the 2011 Race to Dubai, with the endorsement of the Emirates Golf Federation, gives both men a chance to be part of golfing history as Luke Donald aims to become the first player to top the money lists in both Europe and America.
