Blakey on Tour, Vol. 1

Three weeks is a long time to be working on tour, but traveling the world to run golf tournaments, and be a part of LIV Golf - one of the world’s top golf entertainment vehicles, is where my focus lies. Whilst it is a dream job, it’s still a job.

My role is within the competition management team, and focus on the pace of play, and rulings required by players during the tournament. Our competition management team comprises administrators that look after the players, providing services, such as tickets and accreditation, also information usually hotels available, transport, and copies of the Local Rules. We also have a setup team who work with the course superintendent setting up teeing areas, placement of the holes on the greens, and where the lines for out of bounds and penalty areas are drawn. And the referees, who monitor the players between tee off and the final putt for rulings required, and pace of play. Media, staging, and hospitality (the outside-the-ropes stuff) are contracted out, and this week in Saudi looked after by IMG.

2022 was my first experience in Saudi Arabia, and in 2023 my third visit and second involvement in the Saudi International played at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club just 90 minutes drive north of Jeddah. The tournament is the flagship event on the Asian Tour and kicks the season off. It is packed with highly ranked golfers - even if their ranking isn’t where it should be under the currently biased system. Harold Varner 3 is back to defend after that amazing putt on the 72nd hole last year. 

Also, Brooks Koepka, who won the LIV Golf League event here in October is back, along with most, if not all of the LIV Golf Leaguers, which is in their contract. It is a great opportunity for the lower-ranked Asian Tour player to play the tournament of their life, possibly changing their story, which is a big part of why I love being a part of these tournaments.

You may be wondering about the extensive travel commitments and how I manage it all, which is a huge part of this job. It’s essential to be prepared, and realise that airlines have the final say. When you take off and when you land is all I control, also what I have packed, and making myself comfortable enough to sleep to get my body tuned in to the local time.

My suitcase contains the usual: shoes - casual, dressy and golf-specific (not the spiked pair, but golf looking), shirts - polos with logos, belted khakis, and maybe one sweater, bathroom staples, and Cancer Council sunscreen, due to being out in the sun for so many hours each day! I also receive tournament polos on each trip, so have to make sure there’s room in the bag to bring them home too. On the odd occasion, I have deliberately left clothes behind, owning 73 polos is more than I would need in a lifetime! Finally technology and Rules material, mobile phone cable, laptop and cable, power banks (for traveling and in case the golf cart doesn’t have USB capabilities), universal power plug, microphone for podcasting, tripod for podcasting and content creation, Rules of Golf books (2023 and I still refer to the 2018 model - but you can also get 2023 version on the mobile phone), stopwatches, pencils, tees, and essential sunglasses.

I arrived at Jeddah around 4:15 am, and after disembarking make my way through customs (Saudi tourist visa arranged prior), to the baggage carousel, and through the final immigration check. First stop purchase a sim card, essential for communication with the partner back home, and then find the International transport booth. The driver is polite, and traveling 130km per hour along the freeway helps me to get to my accommodation around 6:20 am. Managing a nap in the car, I quickly freshen up when I arrive and make my way out to the course for my first visit that week.

Whilst doing a lap of the course, I am looking for potential Rules situations. With high-level players, you can almost guarantee they won’t land a ball within 100m off the tee (when driver is in hand), but alternatively, they still manage to hit a few bad shots offline and behind greens, so it is important all contentious areas are marked, and all referees agree how to treat situations that may arise. We’re also looking at course playability, i.e. is it setup long enough to challenge, are the greens running at an acceptable speed, and what the course condition is.

The players have experienced some of the most manicured courses in the world, and they have high expectations for the presentation. The course super does their absolute best to meet these expectations, but golf is an outdoor sport, and weather of course plays a huge part.

Wednesday is usually Pro-Am day, which means a select group of players get to play 18 holes with important dignitaries, sponsors, and local business people (a great opportunity for AWGN members to make use of for their business networking!), whilst the referees use Wednesday to finalise Local Rules and discuss potential issues.

The first round starts early Thursday, and the tournament gets underway. With regard to the pace of play, if a group loses time and position they are told almost immediately that they need to make up time. Some players respond well, while others don’t even acknowledge a referee is there. It is only when the stopwatch comes out that a hated glimpse is sent our way, and we follow the group by going inside the ropes and being very visible to the players. The pace of play is important, to get the rounds finished for TV coverage, and the enjoyment of the fans and sponsors, as well as making sure the staff has fair work hours… although typically a working day is close to 14 hours during tournament week.

Regarding the important rulings, we rely on the radio and a sharp eye to get to the player as quickly as possible. If a player hits their ball offline, they will be looking for some type of free relief if possible, often just asking the question and arguing their case, so it is important to be firm with your decision whether there is or isn’t free relief available. The other thing that pops up more often than it should, is raking bunkers, yes even the professionals are sometimes lax when it comes to bunkers, and if that offending player is found (caddies belong to players) they are issued with a USD$500 fine. 

I’ve written this halfway through the Saudi International, of which we have a couple of days left. Abraham Ancer shot a magnificent 63 (-7), but did get to play in the most benign conditions. The wind was gusting up to 50km per hour, and managed to give me a free exfoliation. Hopefully, the wind quietens down and it’s more pleasant over the weekend. After this I’m off to Oman, then Qatar, and then home. My next tournament after that is in Thailand in March. I will endeavour to keep you updated on all my tournament experiences, and you will gain a different perspective on working on a LIV Golf Tour