Nevada Golf has developed a strong reputation for having quality rules officials, including three Northern Region officials who got the call to work national USGA tournaments in 2026. The Northern Region officials worked the following events:
Richard LaPierre officiated the USGA Four-Ball Championship at Desert Mountain Resort in Carefree, Arizona, May 16–20, 2026.
Derik Mooberry officiated the USGA Girls Championship, played at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, North Carolina, July 13–18.
LaPierre and Mooberry are part of the Nevada Golf Northern Region rules team led by Cameron MacGregor, PGA, the Nevada Golf Northern Region executive director. MacGregor was on the USGA Four-Ball Championship Rules Committee and also worked the USGA Four-Ball Championship at Desert Mountain.
“Both Derik and Richard are excellent rules officials, and I am amazed at their commitment,” MacGregor said. “They travel to distant events to work and volunteer at their own expense, which at times can be considerable. We, like all of the golf associations, are blessed with people like Derik and Richard who give back to the game of golf with their energy, experience and expertise. Again, they are simply amazing with their dedication.”
MacGregor appreciates what it means to be an official at top events throughout the country.
“The first thing I think of when officiating at a national championship is the excitement of being among the very best players in the nation,” MacGregor said. “It is an honor and a tremendous responsibility to contribute to the game at its highest level. Above all, it’s about giving back to the game.”
Mooberry was thrilled to be part of the prestigious junior event and watch some of the best juniors in the world.
“As a rules official, it was an honor and privilege to be there because these girls are fantastic players, and many will be stars at the highest collegiate and professional levels in the near future,” Mooberry said. “It was fantastic to officiate a tournament with some of the most experienced rules professionals in the country. The Old Chatham course and staff provided the perfect venue. My favorite part of the event was being able to walk with the players as the rules official during their individual matches. Two of the matches I worked had four-hole swings back and forth, which made them highly entertaining to watch and officiate.”
LaPierre has now seen a USGA national event from both sides—as a player and now as an official. He qualified for the 2007 U.S. Senior Open at Whistling Straits prior to becoming a rules official. His first national USGA event as a rules official was the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur at Martis Camp Club in Truckee, California. He ended up being the walking scorer for future PGA Tour star Scottie Scheffler.
“The Rules of Golf are complicated, and I view the role of a rules official as helping players avoid penalties for breaking rules they don’t know,” LaPierre said. “There was one unfortunate incident at the recent Four-Ball where a player properly marked and lifted his ball in play off the putting green because it was interfering with play—no problem. However, he then tossed the ball to his caddie, who caught it in a towel and cleaned it, resulting in a one-stroke penalty for cleaning the ball when not permitted. His partner made par on the hole, which was the score that counted for the side. Sometimes the penalty doesn’t fit the crime.”
LaPierre cherishes his time as an official, even with the significant commitment made by him and the other officials.
“Most people do not realize that being a USGA Committee member is a volunteer position—I joke that we work for food and clothing,” LaPierre said. “We pay our expenses to travel to tournament sites, spend many hours studying the Rules of Golf, take the 100-question comprehensive exam and attend rules workshops to become qualified to officiate. The score on the exam determines your eligibility to serve on the rules committee for one of the national USGA events, most of which are amateur tournaments, such as the Four-Ball conducted recently at Desert Mountain.”
Thank you to ALL of the Nevada Golf rules officials! In addition to the Northern Region team, four Southern Region rules officials were part of the rules team at the U.S. Women’s Open and other national events.
