The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is set to host an amateur golf tournament at the Woodside Golf Course in Airdrie on July 24, which will see competitors teeing off at noon for a shot at a regional qualifier later this summer.
The tournament serves as a local qualifier for the RBC PGA Scramble, with 150 similar tournaments taking place across Canada. The winners of each qualifier then play in one of 12 regional events to try and win a spot in the national tournament.
The final PGA Scramble will take place at the prestigious Cabot Links golf course in Nova Scotia this October, where the 12 regional winners will battle for a national title.
“[It’s] an opportunity for all golfers to test their game against others in the community and have the chance to go on to win a regional and national championship,” said Cole Crawford, an RBC spokesperson.
All interested golfers are welcome to register, as long as they are over the age of 19 and have a registered Canada Golf Handicap. The handicap ensures a fair scoring system for all participants, making sure the casual hobby golfer has the same opportunity to win as an individual who plays the sport every weekend, or more competitively.
According to Crawford, to have an official Canada Golf Handicap, a golfer needs to track at least eight of their most recent games. That means those registering for the upcoming RBC tournament must have played and tracked eight rounds of golf before July 17, which is the application deadline.
“Each golfer has a way of measuring how their game stacks up against other golfers and make sure that it’s a level playing field for everyone involved,” Crawford added.
Registration closes on July 17 and can be completed at: bit.ly/3RqiE32. For Woodside Golf Course members, the entry is $40, while for non-members it is $100. The application fee includes use of a cart and lunch. RBC Avion cardholders receive a 50 per cent discount on registration fees.
The Woodside greens can accommodate 18 teams of four and teams can be diverse, although there will be one slot reserved in every regional match for an all-female team.
Featuring a shot-gun start, each team will begin at different holes. For instance, one team will start at hole five, while another will begin at hole 12.
The teams of four will use a scramble-style approach, meaning the golfer in each team who has hit the ball the farthest will mark the spot for the other teammates to hit their ball next from.
At the end of every hole, each team will have one stroke number. The team with the lowest stroke number will be the champions of the local qualifier and will move forward to play at the regional level.
Although it is a competition, Crawford said the goal is to engage as many local golfers as possible, even those who may not play the sport that often.
“The genesis of the program is just to provide RBC support of golf in Canada and they’re looking to a way to bring a fun local event to the grassroots,” he said.
