“It was kind of intimidating when you get there and there’s not another woman in sight. But everyone was nice and pleasant. I have no complaints about how we were treated. It was a special experience. You get treated like kings and queens.”
Indeed, Elbardawil even got a chance to chat briefly with The King, Arnold Palmer.
As Austin noted, officiating at the Masters “is a nice little perk. The Masters attracts the top rules officials in the world. People travel a very long way to be there. It’s pretty neat.”
Last year’s Masters was actually the first time Austin had officiated in a tournament, though she’s an accomplished player. Members of the USGA Executive Committee are traditionally invited to officiate at Augusta, and 2007 was Austin’s first year on that committee.
“It was fairly humbling last year,” she said. “When I received the invitation, I stared at it, and said ‘Of course I will.’ But that was the first time I had ever officiated. My expertise is not in officiating, though I’m quickly becoming knowledgeable. Robin has a lot more experience; she’s much more seasoned.
“It actually can be a little bit frightening out there. You think you know the rules, but you say to yourself, ‘Let’s test it with an actual ruling.’ But at all these tournaments there are rules rovers. You can just get on the radio (for a second opinion). There’s always backup, so that’s a nice comfort.”
Though officiating at the Masters is relatively new for both Austin and Elbardawil, both have busy years planned in terms of working major international tournaments. Elbardawil will also be a rules official at the U.S. Open, the U.S. Women’s Open and two USGA events in Colorado: the U.S. Amateur Publinks in Aurora July 14-19, and the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado Springs July 31-Aug. 3.
“This will be the most I’ve done in one season since there are two in Colorado,” said the former Furman University golfer. “I kept my schedule open. It’ll be a pretty packed year.”
In addition to the Masters, Austin plans to work the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Publinks and U.S. Amateur — and possibly more, depending on whether she qualifies herself as a competitor in some women’s events.
Elbardawil has served as a rules official for every U.S. Women’s Open since 2001, and the last two U.S. Opens. But starting a four-year term on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee this year helped open the door to the Masters appointment.
Elbardawil has been executive director of the CWGA since 1992 and has always been “pretty good with rules.” But she’s gained a higher profile in that regard by attending the USGA and PGA rules of golf workshop each winter, when she takes a three-hour rules exam. By virtue of scoring well on those tests, Elbardawil continues to draw officiating assignments for major championships.
Austin is likewise rules-certified by virtue of scoring well on the USGA/PGA exam.
At the Masters, Elbardawil worked the par-4 fifth hole at Augusta on Thursday of tournament week, the par-4 eighth on Friday (with Austin) and the par-4 first on Saturday. She said her rulings were “pretty basic and the players were very pleasant.” Likewise, Austin said she had a “very simple, quiet week.”
Elbardawil had to brush up a little on temporary immovable obstruction rulings since she doesn’t encounter that much in state tournaments. In addition, the Masters has a local rule treating balls that lodge in indentations made by portable chairs as imbedded balls. Austin made one such imbedded-ball ruling regarding Padraig Harrington.
All in all, “It was a lot of fun,” Elbardawil said. “It was a great experience.”
