Each year, more than 900 deserving golf caddies from across the country attend college on the Chick Evans Scholarship. Supported by the Western Golf Association, the privately funded program provides full tuition and housing scholarships to leading universities across the country, including Miami University and Ohio State University.
The requirements to earn the Evans Scholarship are straightforward: earn good grades, have a strong caddie record, demonstrate financial need and display outstanding character. And with college tuitions on the rise, the need for scholarship opportunities for hard-working, academically successful teens continues to grow.
“In 2015, the Evans Scholars Program in Ohio was very strong overall,” said Joe Desch, lead WGA Director in the state of Ohio and an Evans Scholars Alum. “Fundraising for the Program across the state, and the country for the matter, has increased significantly in recent years, allowing us to expand the number of scholarships we can offer to caddies in Ohio. This is important because we’re also seeing an increase in applications from worthy students with significant financial need.”
There are currently 60 Evans Scholars enrolled at Miami University and 82 at OSU. The Program boasts 1,206 alumni from both universities.
How can other Cincinnati teens start working towards earning the Evans Scholarship? George Bryant, WGA Director and Evans Scholars alum, says that golf and country clubs with caddie programs are always looking for more students who are successful in the classroom and have the drive to work hard on the course. Once a prospective caddie reaches out to their local golf club directly, the application process and orientation begins. It’s best for students to begin caddying in late middle school or early high school.
For extra guidance on becoming a caddie, the WGA offers a training video, training manual and exam under the Caddie Resources tab on its website, www.wgaesf.org.
Caddying offers more than just a summer job for young men and women in Ohio. It offers exposure to successful role models (some of the community’s most successful people, who often mentor the young caddies), lifelong connections, new friends and life lessons about humility and respect, discipline, persistence and determination that can lead to a once-in-a-lifetime shot at a full college scholarship valued at more than $80,000 over four years.