At this year’s 153rd (British) Open Championship (July 17-20), which was contested on the Dunluce Links at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, one of the ‘small cogs in the big wheel’ was longtime LPGA rules official Mitch Moon, who is a resident and native of the Midwest – specifically in the small town of West Branch, Iowa.
At The Open, Moon worked as a walking referee. His job for the four rounds of the 72-hole tournament was to walk with a group of golfers and be present in case of any potential rules issues, questions, or concerns. At LPGA Tour events, Moon is one of seven rules officials on-site who is stationed in a golf cart on the golf course, ready to respond to a rules issue, at any given moment. But, at The Open, he was one of many walking rules officials, er referees.
“At The Open, there is always a walking referee with every group of players,” said Moon, who was joined at The Open by his wife Lindsey who walked in the gallery. “It’s the only major in golf – men or women — that does it anymore.”
While Moon has worked at a number of major championships in women’s golf – including last year’s AIG Women’s Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews – this will be his first Open Championship on the men’s side. It’s worth noting that he worked as a rules official at the 2022 PGA Championship at the Southern Hills CC in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
As an on-course referee, he was in constant contact with tournament officials via a portable radio/walkie talkie, just in case he needed assistance with a crowd-control issue or a medical issue/injury to a player, caddy, or a spectator.
As with any major event in sports, one of the keys to attending the event is securing a comfortable and convenient place to spend the night. Moon and his wife stayed at the Roe Valley Resort, which was about a 30-minute drive from Royal Portrush.
“Because of the time demands at a major championship, our accommodations were simply a place to shower, relax and get some rest in preparation for the next day,” said Moon.
During his four rounds at The Open, the players which he monitored were Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, and Min Woo Lee during the first round followed by 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke, Davis Riley, and Lucas Herbert during the second round. After the 36-hole cut, the groups were reduced to two balls, as is the terminology at The Open. During Saturday’s third round, Moon monitored the play of two Americans, former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and Jason Kokrak. And, during the fourth round, he was with former U.S. Open and Masters champion Jon Rahm and Aksay Bhatia in Game 16.
In four rounds, he had a total of four rulings. In addition to the four competitive rounds, Moon walked the entire course on two other occasions earlier in the week. Each round represented a seven-mile walk which meant he walked roughly 42 miles during The Open Championship week.
Just like the players, he had to be prepared for any kind of weather while on the golf course.
“I always wore my rain gear or ‘waterproofs,’ as they say in Great Britain and Ireland,” said Moon. “I was ready for any kind of weather.”
When asked if he tipped his hat to the crowd when walking down the 18th fairway during each round, Moon didn’t hesitate to answer that question.
“Always!” said Moon.
At the conclusion of the fourth round, Mitch had nothing but words of praise for the experience as an on-course walking referee at The Open Championship.
“It was amazing – great weather, great golf, an incredible experience,” said Moon.
No decision has been made if Moon will represent the LPGA Tour at the 154th Open Championship which will be held at England’s Royal Birkdale Golf Club in mid-July of next year.
“I’d welcome the chance to work at next year’s Open Championship,” said Moon.
The very next week, Moon returned to his regular duties as an LPGA Rules official, where he was in attendance at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open which was held at the Dundonald Links in Gailes, Ayrshire, Scotland (July 24-27).
