Annual memorial golf tournament, Kambel Scrambel

The ninth annual Kambel Scrambel Golf Tournament will be held today and Saturday at the Cabinet View Golf Course.

The tournament was started in memory of Greg “Peach” Kambel, who died at age 46 from a massive heart attack in 2005.

All of the money raised from the event is awarded through scholarships to local high school seniors. So far, the Kambel Scrambel has raised almost $30,000 since it began.

In the application for the scholarship, students are not asked their GPA or what sports they participate in. They are not even asked their name. They are asked: what exemplifies how Greg Kambel lived his life? If you were told you had only one year to live, how would you live it? And what would you want to be remembered for?

Deb Kambel, Greg Kambel’s wife, said she and her two daughters discuss who the recipients should be.

“It all has to do with what is coming from the heart,” Deb Kambel said.

 Support for the scholarships has come from several local businesses and individuals, as well as the whiskey company, Maker’s Mark. All the money raised from the Kambel Scrambel is also put towards the scholarship.

The Kambel Scrambel costs $250 per team of five competitors. There is also a derby on Friday night, which costs $5 per person.

Paul Resch, who was among Greg Kembel’s best friends, said the format of the Kambel Scrambel tournament really exemplifies the type of person Greg Kambel was.

“When you put golf in a scramble scenario it is more about fun - there is no pressure,” Resch said. “The tournament is a celebration.”

In a scramble format, each player tees off on each hole. The best tee shot is selected, and all of the players shoot their second shot from that spot. This format is followed until the ball is holed.

Jeff Dooley, the director of golf at Cabinet View Golf Course, said this sort of event is more social.

“All people of all skill levels can come play,” Dooley said. “It is a lot more fun.”

This sort of fun, laid-back environment is exactly what Greg Kambel would have wanted, Resch said.

“It was just his flavor for life,” Resch said. “He took life to the fullest. He loved to have fun, and he was proficient at getting other people to have fun.”

The derby begins at 5:30 p.m. today, and the scramble starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. There are nearly 200 people signed up for the event.

Entry fees will also provide competitors with a lasgna dinner, a t-shirt, a cigar and a Logger Days button.