Kenya’s ‘golf guru’ walks the talk at The Open

Golfers around the world agree that The Open Championship is the greatest golf tournament of all time, and that the Claret Jug is one of the most prestigious silverware in golf.

This year’s ‘Open’ started earlier this week and runs until Sunday at the Royal Birkdale, Merseyside, just north of Liverpool.

This is the 10th time this club is hosting The Open.

While no Kenyan has ever qualified to play at The Open, this year, a Kenyan is walking the fairways of the Royal Birkdale course.

But instead of golf clubs in his hands, he has a rule book, a pair of binoculars and, perhaps, a pen and clip board.

Kenya is represented at The Open by the foremost golf rules guru, Vincent Wang’ombe.

In April 2017, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) of Scotland, hosts of The Open Championship, sent Wang’ombe an invitation to officiate at the 146th edition of The Open, a most prestigious and honourable role.

Wang’ombe is enjoying the opportunity to mingle freely with not only the top golf referees in the world, but also the top golf professional players who will turn to him for ‘rulings’ at the Royal Birkdale.

Earlier in the year, Wang’ombe was invited to officiate at the Ras Al Khaimah Open, a European Challenge Tour event that takes place in October in the United Arab Emirates.

At this year’s Barclays Kenya Open, the European Challenge Tour tournament director, Paul Carrigill, requested Wang’ombe to take up the important role of setting up the back nine (holes 10 to 18).

This role meant it was Wang’ombe who decided what tee and pin positions the golf professionals encountered on the back nine during the Kenya Open.

According to Carrigill, this was the first time a Kenyan had been entrusted with this responsibility on the European Challenge Tour.

Wang’ombe started playing golf at Mucheru’s pitch and putt golf course at Karen.

“In 2004, I visited Mucheru’s facility at Karen, and I would drive there and hit golf balls around that public facility,” he recalls in an interview with the Daily Nation before departure to The Open.

“A year later, my father, who had abandoned golf for over a decade, took me to the Thika Sports Club course and guided me through my first golf round,” Wang’ombe said.

“That round was significant for both of us: My dad returned to golf, and he still plays as often as he can, and the rule book he gave me that day set me off on this officiating path. Perhaps I didn’t know it then, but looking back now, that was the defining moment.”

Wang’ombe confesses he is a far better referee.

“My golf game is average, when I break 90, I celebrate for weeks, it is a tough game.

“Perhaps that is why I escaped to the Rules Book! Over the last 12 years, I have religiously read the Rules of Golf, I have read the Decisions Book, I have attended workshops and classes and I have taught at many seminars and every day I have learn new things.

“The rules of golf are dynamic, because golf courses are not like football fields. There are all many of bushes and ant hills and so on, making the permutation of scenarios infinite!” he added.

“In 2013, I was Vice Golf Captain at Limuru and I made it my duty to officiate during club nights.

“I started conducting Rules Quizzes, just five questions every club night and that informed the members and myself.”

Wang’ombe sat for the R&A Level Rules School in 2013 and passed, and this enabled him to referee at the 2014 ladies Africa Amateur Championship Trophy (AACT) that was held at Muthaiga Golf Club.

“I made my first refereeing blunder at that event. I informed a player from Cameroon that she could not clean her ball when she lifted it from a GUR and on the 11th hole I denied a lady from Tunisia free relief for tractor marks as it was not in the Local Rules,” he said. “On counter checking the Rules book, I realized my mistakes and promptly apologized to the ladies, needless to say, I got a serious tongue lashing and I almost quit!”

In 2015, Wang’ombe travelled to the home of golf, the R&A Golf Club at St Andrews, Scotland, to attend the Tournament Administration and Refereeing School (TARS) which is the R&A Level 3 Rules School.

He passed and was invited to referee at the Kenya Open Golf Championship.

In the same year, he was invited to serve on the board of Kenya Golf Union, bringing on board a wealth of experience. Last year, Wang’ombe was requested to chair the Kenya Unified Handicapping Committee, a position he holds to date.

He also attended the TARS in South Africa and attained a 80 per cent pass mark, opening the possibility of officiating at European Tour events.

“One of the more experienced Tour referees suggested that I travel to SA and strive for a better pass mark at the TARS, I’m glad I did, because without that pass mark I would not be eligible to officiate at The Open Championship this year,” he added.

“It has been a long journey to get to this point, and I’m thankful to the KGU, the KLGU the KOGL and the European Tour who have facilitated my officiating journey.”

Are there downsides to being a golf rules guru?

“Absolutely. At one point, no-one at Limuru wanted to play golf with me.

“They were afraid I would keep penalizing them. But I have since learnt to be tolerant and to separate my role as a golfer and my role as a referee.

“However, I never shy away from politely and diplomatically correcting a fellow golfer, sometimes long after the round.

“When I’m playing my role as ref, then there is no compromise! The rules are what they are.”

At Royal Birkdale this week, Wang’ombe is playing his most prestigious refereeing role yet.

“I will be armed with my Rule Book and I will not shy from opening it when the professionals try and introduce rules bonoko!”

Best of luck Vincent Wang’ombe, aka Sensei!