Uncategorized

Cabot Cape Breton Set for RBC PGA Scramble National Finals

The trip of a lifetime is back.

80 amateurs from across the country who managed to claw their way through local and regional qualifiers are joined by 20 PGA of Canada Professionals, who comprise the 20 teams looking to claim the title of RBC PGA Scramble National Champions.Read more

by Wayne MacPhee

PGA of Canada Selects RBC Avion Visa as the Official Credit Card of the 2021 RBC PGA Scramble

Today, The PGA of Canada announced that RBC Avion Visa is now the Official Credit Card of the 2021 RBC PGA Scramble, the largest amateur team championship in Canada. National events will take place across 140 golf facilities around the country, culminating with the Regional Finals and a bucket-list National Championship in early October.Read more

by Wayne MacPhee

RBC PGA Scramble Announces 2021 Regional Final Host Locations and Program Updates and Highlights

The PGA of Canada is pleased to announce that some of Canada’s top venues have been secured as host sites for the 2021 RBC PGA Scramble Regional Finals.Read more

by Wayne MacPhee

PGA of Canada Announces New National Agreement with Golf Avenue

(Acton, ON) - The PGA of Canada is pleased to announce a renewed and enhanced national partnership with Golf Avenue, the Quebec-based global retail trade-in giant.Read more

by Wayne MacPhee

B.C.'s Team Talking Rock captures 2020 national title

Canada's greatest series of golf events came to close this week with Team Talking Rock from Chase, B.C., becoming the 2020 national champions.

As a result of the national final being cancelled due to COVID-19, finalists from coast-to-coast were competing for titles in their own region as well as the overall title, awarded to the team with the greatest score differential*.

The winning squad—Cole Bryant, Lee Bryant, Mike Hughston, Joe Saunders and PGA of Canada professional Nathan Grieve—from Talking Rock Golf Course sat atop the Canada-wide leaderboard with a score differential of -19.14 after their regional final win at Tower Ranch Golf Club on Aug. 18.

Their score proved to be strong enough to fend off winners from the subsequent nine regional finals, including runner-up Team Crimson Ridge from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., who finished just 0.91 back.

“To come out on top of almost 11,000 players is pretty incredible,” said Team Talking Rock's Cole Bryant. “We didn’t expect to win heading into our local qualifier but after playing well there, we sort of thought we found something as a team.”

And find ‘something,’ they certainly did.

Team Talking Rock's bogey-free round at Tower Ranch featured five eagles and twelve birdies en route to a net 23.7-under-par finish.

Winning groups from each regional final took home an online shopping credit with Titleist and FootJoy and a custom-leather keepsake from Lincoln and Dormie Workshop.

On top of their shopping spree prize, Team Talking Rock was awarded a VIP RBC Canadian Open experience including airfare, accommodations and tickets to next year’s PGA Tour event at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Etobicoke, Ont.

A special Prairie category was also created this year in response to provincial health restrictions on fivesomes in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Team Deer Valley—Brendon Canaday, Devon Dicus, Darcy Rask and Dylan Smith—emerged as Prairie champions after firing a net 51.5 at Wascana Country Club as an all-amateur team.

The RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company saw record-breaking participation in 2020 despite a delayed start to the season. Nearly 11,000 players teed up at over 140 local qualifying events across Canada. Female participation, in particular, grew 73 per cent year-over-year following the creation of an all-female spot at each regional final.

Over 1,300 players enjoyed an enhanced regional final experience that featured more than $150,000 worth of prizes and gifts, hole-in-one contests for $10,000, special video messages from #TEAMRBC players, and more.

The program also raised $4,350 toward The Frontline Fund, which supports Canadian healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19.

“We are amazed and humbled by the turnout,” said PGA of Canada CEO Kevin Thistle. "To provide golfers with a fun, competitive outlet during a year like this brings great joy to our team. None of it would have been possible without the support of our fantastic partners and participants, who made this season a success against all odds."

To view the final leaderboard, CLICK HERE.

*Score differentials were used to compare results across 11 regional finals and calculated using the following formula: (113 / course slope) x (net score - course rating). 

by 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.

by Wayne MacPhee

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.”

by Wayne MacPhee

NEW PROGRAM UPDATES FOR 2020

by Wayne MacPhee

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

by Wayne MacPhee

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.

by Wayne MacPhee