Wayne MacPhee
Notice to Players
Thanks to a strong handicap framework, the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company is proudly able to provide a platform for golfers of all abilities and ages to compete. It’s the very reason we have witnessed everyone from newcomers to scratch players find enjoyment and success at our events.
We want to assure you that our team has proactive measures in place to mitigate dishonest behaviour. We work closely with Golf Canada to monitor player handicaps, checking for scoring irregularities in advance of each event. When possible, we also encourage clubs to utilize 8-somes and volunteer scorers to assist with on-course vetting.
In the event that an individual or team is suspected of unethical behaviour, be it through handicap manipulation, inaccurate score reporting or other means, we investigate the issue and determine the proper course of action, through immediate disqualification and/or up-to a 5-year playing suspension from any RBC PGA Scramble event. Additionally, we notify the player’s home club for further corrective action, where applicable. These measures are used to protect the field and ensure that all participants have a fair competitive opportunity.
Since launching the program in 2016, we are pleased to share that the vast majority of qualifiers have progressed without issue. Honesty, integrity and fairness are integral components of the game and we have seen these values reflected time and time again by participants. We have, however, issued the maximum suspension in a few cases, particularly this year.
We designed the program with the intention of creating a fun, professional-like competition accessible to golfers of all skill levels. For this to be possible, we must continue to have a zero-tolerance policy with respect to any unauthorized activity that provides an unfair advantage.
Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.
BLAZING START FOR THE RBC PGA SCRAMBLE
Powered by SCOREGolf
The second Saturday in June probably wasn’t the best time for Steve Grass to be readying his golf club for its first tournament of 2020 and its first time hosting an RBC PGA Scramble local qualifier. There was the COVID-19 pandemic, yes, but that wasn’t the primary distraction for the club manager at The Nest Golf Club at Friday Harbour, a newish Doug Carrick design east of Barrie, Ont., near Lake Simcoe.
Grass and his wife had welcomed their third child into the world just nine days earlier, which meant his mind was racing in a million different directions. A newborn, a global virus, safety protocols, and a 22-team event filled with golfers desperate for competition and some sort of normalcy. Grass called Brittany Mullin, operations manager for the RBC PGA Scramble, and expressed his angst. “What do I need to do?” he asked her. “What do I need to have ready?”
Mullin quickly put Grass at ease. Just check each participant in, she told him, and be sure to collect their course fee. The PGA of Canada will take care of the rest. And by and large, that’s exactly what happened.
“The hardest thing for us, because we offered a food coupon, was to try to keep up with the food orders,” Grass laughed.
After much deliberation given the global health crisis under which the world now lives, the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company kicked off for 2020 on June 13 at both The Nest at Friday Harbour and Minnedosa Golf and Country Club in Western Manitoba. The event is following the precautions taken by golf courses throughout Canada to ensure player safety, and has mandated staggered tee times rather than shotgun starts to avoid large gatherings as well as online scoring to reduce touchpoints. Also new for this year is a charitable donation option to The Frontline Fund for entrants, enhanced scoring vetting via the new World Handicap System, reduced yardage for female players, the guarantee of an all-female team at regional finals where possible, and prizing from new sponsor Titleist and FootJoy. A list of local qualifying sites, which includes another public outing at The Nest as well as one for members only, can be found here. To date, a whopping 3,370 Canadians have signed up at 128 courses. June events, in fact, are averaging 70 players per event, a higher total than in past years.
“We had such a good response, we said, ‘Hey, why not? Let’s host another one,’” stated Grass. “We recognize that this is basically the hottest golf tournament maybe in North America. It’s definitely got some chops behind it. You look at how the PGA runs it, they basically do everything for you. It’s a no-brainer for a facility like us to take an afternoon where, I wouldn’t say we wouldn’t be busy, but basically be guaranteed revenue, which is awesome. In a year where a lot of golf tournaments are cut, opportunities like this, let’s call it more of a golf outing with tee times, makes a lot of sense for us. It’s an easy day for our team. It’s a busy day, but it’s an easy day for us to facilitate and there is lots of buzz around the event.”
Like Grass, Patrick Law, head professional at Minnedosa G&CC, was keen to get in on the action after following the progress of the popular event from afar. However, when the novel coronavirus hit he wasn’t sure what kind of response his club would get.
“Part of me thought it would be tough to get the minimum number teams to sign up and another part of me thought people are anxious to get into some kind of organized event and get golfing and out and socializing a little bit too,” explained Law. “There were two sides of me that were on both extremes of what to expect.”
As it turned out, Law had nothing to worry about. Minnedosa hosted 19 teams, some coming from the Winnipeg area two hours away. It was one of those squads that ultimately prevailed with a 13-under-par total for an adjusted score of 18.5 under.
“We knew we had a good chance. We figured it would take 12 to 14 under to win it. We shot 13 and the wind was just howling, gusting up to 50 km,” said Jacques Remillard, noting his winning squad of himself, Joel Messner, Eric Trudeau and Alex Sabourin — all men in their mid-20s — played Minnedosa for the first time the day before and spent the night in Brandon. “And the back nine at Minnedosa is kind of like a links style. And we didn’t have a good front nine and the back nine, when we hopped on that links style, we knew we needed to have a big back nine and we rifled off seven birdies in a row. Coming off of that, we thought, at 13 under we have a good shot here.”
Remillard noted how well everything was run by Law at Minnedosa and how safe the day was. His team were conscious of physically distancing on the course and had a system for reading putts whereby one player would stand behind the hole and the other two behind the player putting but six feet apart. Minnedosa utilized cart dividers to allow for multiple riders, while other places, like The Nest at Friday Harbour, have mandated single-rider carts.
Remillard’s crew now moves on to the regional qualifier at Winnipeg’s private Elmhurst Golf and Country Club, though the ultimate goal of advancing to the national final at Cabot Links in Inverness, N.S., may have to remain a dream even if the team is successful at Elmhurst. Given COVID-19 and current provincial border closures in Atlantic Canada, a decision has not yet been made on conducting the nationals. The PGA continues to monitor the situation and has three different plans in place.
“Right away I was like, ‘I want to play in this so bad,’” Remillard said about the carrot of Cabot Links. “It’s not about winning, but I’ve always wanted to play Cabot since they opened that course.’”
Back in Ontario, Patrick Lee also has his eyes on a possible trip to Cape Breton, but for he and his team of Steven Sung, Alvin Yeung and Timothy Chu, it would be a return voyage. The quartet, which finished second at The Nest at Friday Harbour tournament to advance to the regional qualifier at Summit Golf and Country Club, made its way to nationals two years ago.
“To us, this is our major,” said Lee, 45, explaining that his group played a lot of golf together at the old Mandarin Golf and Country Club (now Upper Unionville Golf Club) before children came along. “We don’t golf very much anymore, but when we do this is the event we gear up to.”
Lee and his team, which carded a remarkable gross score of 56 and still lost to the squad of Jeff Beedham, Joey Chua, Richerd Kivioja and Bill Commu, were dining at Bonefish restaurant at Friday Harbour Resort and monitoring live scoring back at The Nest when they realized they had advanced. This is the third straight year they have entered the RBC PGA Scramble.
“We had heard the return trip (to Cabot Links) is always the hardest and we experienced that last year,” stated Lee.
As for the event on the whole, Minnedosa G&CC’s Law gave it the ultimate compliment upon a successful first foray and summed up the way most people in the golf industry feel at the moment.
“I think it’s everything that’s great about golf. It’s everything golf should work towards,” Law said, noting he’s already carving out a spot in the club’s 2021 calendar for another local qualifier. “It’s fun, it has a competitive nature to it for those who are into that, but if you want to just go have fun it includes golfers of all skill levels, genders, ages. It’s inclusive of everything and brings everybody into the equation with the handicap system. "
“At the end of the day I’m pretty happy to be doing these events in these times rather than complaining about what we can’t do.”
NEW PROGRAM UPDATES FOR 2020
After months of anticipation, the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company is nearly underway, with the first of 120+ local qualifying events kicking off this weekend.
We are thrilled to share that even with a delayed start to the season, there are already 1,100 players (and counting) registered and eager to participate in Canada's greatest series of golf events.
New updates for the upcoming season include:
NEW WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM
- Enhanced score-vetting system to provide a more accurate representation of scoring ability
- Built-in limits on how much an index can increase in short periods of time
- New procedure to determine playing handicaps and adjustments for calculating new scores
MORE WAYS TO QUALIFY
- FULL Regional Final fields - each regional final will have 18 teams. If there are less than 18 teams that qualify through local qualifiers, an alternate list will be used based on score differentials from each local qualifier within that region
- Guaranteed spot for an ALL-FEMALE team in each Regional Final (for those that competed in a local qualifier). If an all-female team does not qualify through their local qualifier, the qualifying spot will go to the team with the lowest differential from all local qualifiers in that region
- To see the list of Regional Final venues confirmed for 2020, CLICK HERE.
NEW SAFETY PROTOCOLS
- All events will follow a tee-time format to avoid group gatherings
- Online registration and scoring will be used to minimize touchpoints
- Players are asked to maintain physical distancing of 6+ feet at all times, refrain from touching or sharing equipment and follow the protocols set forth by their respective provincial government and host facility. Safety is a shared responsibility.
- See Responsible Golf Guidelines here.
PLAYER PERKS
- Titleist & FootJoy joined as new partners this year and will be enhancing the prizing experience for participants throughout the competition
- GOLFTV has returned as a supporting partner of the program and will once again be offering participants complimentary access to world-class live and on-demand golf content with registration.
NEW YARDAGE POLICY FOR FEMALE PLAYERS
- Females yardages will now be set to 86-88% of the yardage used for male players (previously 90%)
NEW CHARITABLE PARTNER
In support of Canadian healthcare workers fighting COVID-19, we have added a charitable donation option to The Frontline Fund within the registration form. 100% of the money raised will go toward this charity.
To find a local qualifier near you, visit www.rbcpgascramble.com/local-qualifiers/
NATIONAL FINAL UPDATE
The team at the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company is hard at work to deliver another year of exciting golf events across the country.
Our plan is still to provide the golf trip of a lifetime to Cabot Cape Breton for teams that qualify beyond the first two stages of the competition, however, there is a possibility that this could be impacted by ongoing COVID-19 developments. With the safety and well being of participants guiding our decision-making process, we wanted to provide players with a transparent plan should the National Final be impacted in any way.
Plan A: The National Final goes ahead as planned at Cabot Cape Breton, Oct. 4-6, 2020.
Plan B: The National Final goes ahead but with a reduced field to accommodate provincial restrictions on group gatherings.
Plan C: If we are unable to host the National Final at Cabot Cape Breton due to COVID-19 restrictions, players can anticipate an enhanced Regional Final experience, which would include:
- A variety of gifting and prizes from new sponsors Titleist & FootJoy
- A set of Titleist irons for each person on the winning team at every Regional Final
Should we have to resort to Plan C, one overall winning team would be determined by comparing score differentials across each Regional Final, with the champions taking home:
- A full set of Titleist clubs and bag for each player (total approx. value $8,000)
- 2021 RBC Canadian Open VIP Experience (total approx. value $4,000)
Please note: A decision as to whether the National Final will proceed as planned will be announced no later than the first week of August. Backup plans are subject to change.
We appreciate your ongoing understanding and flexibility as we navigate the 'new normal' together. While things may look a little different this year, we are excited to provide a platform for camaraderie, competition and fun!
To find a local qualifier in your area, CLICK HERE.
Questions?
Contact Brittany Mullin
Manager, RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company
E: brittany@pgaofcanada.com
T: 519-853-5450 ext. 222
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR THE RBC PGA SCRAMBLE PRESENTED BY THE LINCOLN MOTOR COMPANY
After months of anticipation, the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company is pleased to announce that registration is officially open!
While golf may look a little different in 2020, our team, sponsors and host venues remain committed to providing an exciting, safe platform for golf-lovers across Canada. Your continued understanding and flexibility are much appreciated as we navigate these ever-evolving changes together.
Please note the following important updates for the upcoming season:
REGISTRATION
- Registration is now open for all provinces except Nova Scotia, who is yet to announce a reopening date for golf courses;
- In support of Canadian healthcare workers fighting COVID-19, we have added a charitable donation option to The Frontline Fund within the registration form. 100% of the money raised will go toward this charity.
LOCAL QUALIFIERS - BEGIN IN JUNE
- There are over 115 registered clubs eagerly awaiting to host golfers from coast-to-coast. To view qualifiers in your area, click here.
- For the foreseeable future, all local qualifiers will be conducted as tee-time events and played as foursomes to avoid group gatherings;
- Our foremost priority continues to be the health and safety of players and staff. New rules, policies and procedures to accommodate physical distancing will be shared shortly;
- There will be limited signage at local qualifying events to minimize touchpoints for host venues;
REGIONAL FINALS
- To see the full list of Regional Final venues, click here.
NATIONAL FINAL
- Our plan is to still provide the golf trip of a lifetime to Cabot Cape Breton for teams that qualify beyond the first two stages of the competition;
- Should ongoing COVID-19 developments impact this in any way, we will do everything possible to provide the experience participants have come to expect of the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company. This may mean fewer teams at the National Final or an enhanced experience at the Regional Finals. We will continue to follow directions from public health authorities and provide more information in the coming weeks.
Here's to a great, albeit different, golf season ahead!
Click HERE to register.
Frontline Fund page-01
As of 2020, participants in the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company will have an opportunity to support frontline worker initiatives across the country. When registering for any Local Qualifier, there will be an option to include a donation for The Frontline Fund.Read more
RBC PGA SCRAMBLE: COVID-19 UPDATE
The RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor has been carefully monitoring government health recommendations amid the growing concern of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Our foremost priority is ensuring the safety and well-being of members and participants.
We are working diligently with our partners, PGA of Canada professionals, and golf facilities across the country to develop a sensible plan, and we remain optimistic that the program will continue with a few minor adjustments to the overall schedule.
Please note the following changes:
COURSE REGISTRATION
Given the uncertainty courses are facing around opening, we have extended the course registration deadline to April 27.
Courses looking to register can do so here.
PLAYER REGISTRATION
Originally slated to open April 1, player registration has been postponed to May 1.
LOCAL QUALIFIERS
Local qualifiers will commence as of June 1.
Clubs scheduled to host local qualifying events in April and May have been contacted and asked to reschedule for later in the season.
Please visit www.rbcpgascramble.com/local-qualifiers/ to view the latest schedule of events.
REGIONAL FINALS
No changes at this time.
NATIONAL FINAL
No changes at this time.
For the past five years, the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company has proudly provided a platform for thousands of golfers from coast-to-coast to unite over a shared passion for the game.
We assure you that we remain committed to delivering another remarkable year of fun-filled golf events across Canada.
Our team will continue to follow COVID-19 developments and provide regular updates as necessary.
We wish you nothing but good health during these difficult times.
Questions? Please contact:
Brittany Mullin
Operations Manager, RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company
E: brittany@pgaofcanada.com
T: 519-853-5450 ext. 222
CABOT LINKS TO HOST 2020 NATIONAL FINAL OF THE RBC PGA SCRAMBLE PRESENTED BY THE LINCOLN MOTOR COMPANY
The country’s most prestigious golf destination, Cabot Links, will play host – for the fourth year in a row – to the National Final of the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company, October 4–6, 2020.
“The experience at Cabot Links over the past three years has been nothing short of first-class for participants,” said Mark Patterson, president of the PGA of Canada. “We are ecstatic to provide the opportunity for amateurs and PGA of Canada professionals across the country to embark on the golf journey of a lifetime to Cabot Links once again.”
In 2019, the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company saw thousands of golfers of all abilities compete at over 150 events nationwide, with hopes of ultimately advancing to the 54-hole national championship at Cabot Links. Played as a 5-person Ambrose scramble, the National Final provides amateurs and accompanying PGA of Canada professionals the pinnacle golfing experience, with two rounds played at Cabot Links and one at Cabot Cliffs. Additional gifting, activations and experiences provided by sponsors round out an already spectacular national event.
“Cabot Links is thrilled to welcome back the RBC PGA Scramble National Final presented by The Lincoln Motor Company,” said Andrew Alkenbrack, the resort's general manager. “Every year, we look forward to seeing the pure joy on player’s faces as they step off the bus. It reminds us of how truly special this place is and what a great event this is for golf in Canada. We are thrilled to be a part of it.”
In 2018, Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links ranked No. 1 and No. 4, respectively, in SCOREGolf’s Top 100 Golf Courses in Canada and No. 9 and No. 43 in the World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses by Golf Digest.
“For anyone who has previously been to Cabot Links, things around here will look a little different next year,” said Alkenbrack. “We are working on a new clubhouse, a 10-hole par 3 course and a few more surprises.”
Our incredible list of 2020 Regional Final venues will be announced at the end of this month. Player registration is slated to open April 2020.
To learn more about the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company, visit www.rbcpgascramble.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
THE CARMAN CLOSES IT OUT AT CABOT LINKS
A year removed from finishing dead last in a local qualifying event in Manitoba, the team from The Carman Golf and Curling Club is now the best in the country, winning the 2019 RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company National Final.
“Honestly, we’re probably about as surprised as anyone,” said the team from Carman about the national championship Tuesday at Cabot Links. “We came here this week with literally zero expectations. Our goal was to embrace the Cabot Links experience and we just happened to play really well, too.
At 59.4-under-par through three rounds (two at Cabot Links and one at Cabot Cliffs), they certainly played well. The four amateurs—Jared Aubin, Josh McCharles, Brett Maloney and Bobby McNair—and PGA of Canada professional Dean North dominated the championship from start to finish, winning by an astounding 6.9 shots over the second place team from The Landings of Kingston, Ont.
Ottawa’s Rideau View Golf and Country Club rounded out the top three with a cumulative net-score of -51.4.
For the full final RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company leaderboard, CLICK HERE.
Taking place Oct 6-8 at the world-renowned Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs, the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company National Final sees 21 teams—comprised of four amateur golfers and one PGA of Canada professional—playing in a 54-hole national championship.
“Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs are without a doubt the most amazing two-golf course experience in Canada, if not the entire world,” Carman said about the week’s host venues. “And it’s not just the golf courses that are amazing this week, either,” they admitted, adding, “we’ve been treated like tour players from the second we got here. There’s not enough we can say about how great having RBC, The Lincoln Motor Company and The Glenlivet as partners in this championship.”
Cabot Cliffs ranked No. 1, while Cabot Links ranked No. 4 on SCOREGolf’s 2018 Best Golf Courses in Canada list. Cabot Cliffs also debuted 19th on the World’s Top 100 Courses list by Golf Digest.
“We here at Cabot were thrilled to host the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company National Final,” said Cabot Links’ General Manager Andrew Alkenbrack. “I feel our team put on a fantastic show over the past number of days for all of the amateurs and PGA of Canada professionals from around the country. I know our team will have incredible memories of this experience and I do hope that our guests for this very special event will feel the same.”
Located in Inverness, N.S., Cabot Links is Canada’s first and only authentic links golf resort. Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the picturesque town of Inverness, the Cabot Links course represents a dramatic departure from the typical golf excursion. With six holes playing directly alongside the water and every hole offers an ocean view, Cabot Links is where traditional links-land golf comes to life against the spectacular Nova Scotia landscape.
The Cabot Cliffs course, designed by the decorated team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is the newest addition to Cabot. Exquisitely carved out of the breathtaking Cape Breton landscape, with postcard-worthy panoramas vying for your attention and every hole calling out to the sea, it is links-land golf at its best.
The RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company National Final promises to be a golf trip of a lifetime and includes numerous receptions, an authentic east coast kitchen party, hole-in-one shootout, glow-in-dark golf, unique scotch tastings, prizing, meals, activations and much more.
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and golf media personality Bob Weeks will be on-site during championship week as an honorary starter for the final round at Cabot Links, as well as host emcee for the championship's closing ceremonies. PGA TOUR player Ben Silverman will also be on hand at Cabot, adding to the overall atmosphere and experience of the event.
Those not playing in the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada presented by the Lincoln Motor Company National Final can relive all the action throughout the week at Cabot Links through social media. Watch on Facebook Live with multiple live streams—which include player interviews, behind-the-scene looks, drone flyovers and closing ceremonies, and more. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram as well for great social content.
To learn more about the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company, CLICK HERE
RBC PGA SCRAMBLE PRESENTED BY THE LINCOLN MOTOR COMPANY LOCAL QUALIFIERS PLAYER REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company Local Qualifiers Player Registration is NOW OPEN!
With more than 150 Local Qualifiers across the country, you're bound to find a venue (or a couple) to tee it up at.
SIGN UP TODAY BY CLICKING HERE
Local Qualifiers provide an opportunity for you and three friends to play a fun round of golf at your club or a course that you have wanted to play but never had the chance, all in an attempt to progress through the stages to the extravagant RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company National Final at Cabot Links this October.
For more information about the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company of Canada, please contact Brittany Mullin at brittany@pgaofcanada.com
scramble_lb from PGA of Canada on Vimeo.