Second caddie from Desert Forest Golf Club awarded Evans Scholarship

Glenview, Ill. – A student who caddied at Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree, Arizona, has been awarded the Evans Scholarship, a prestigious full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies, following an online selection interview held Dec. 21.

Each caddie has a unique story that reflects the scholarship’s four selection criteria: a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $120,000 over four years.

Jeremy Dreher of Phoenix, Arizona, will begin college this fall as an Evans Scholar at a partner university. He hopes to attend the University of Colorado in Boulder and plans to study business. He currently is a senior at Moon Valley High School and is the second caddie from Desert Forest to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

“My dad introduced me to caddying,” Dreher said. “After my first loop, I fell in love immediately. Caddying taught me how to talk to people, and not just talk to them, but to converse and make friends with anyone I encountered.”

Jeremy is more than deserving of the honor, said Vic Capadona, a WGA Director and Past President of Desert Forest Golf Club. “Jeremy is a terrific caddie and student, both on and off the course,” he said. “I’m proud that he is the second Desert Forest caddie to join the Evans Scholars family. The momentum and excitement around youth caddying in the area continues to build and grow. We hope this serves as inspiration for other clubs to establish youth caddie programs, both in the Phoenix area and throughout the Southwest.”

The Evans Scholars selection interviews will continue to be held with applicants nationwide through spring. When the 2021-22 selection meeting process is complete, an estimated 315 caddies are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

“Jeremy joins an exceptional incoming class of New Scholar caddies from around the nation,” said WGA Chairman Joe Desch. “They all represent what the Evans Scholars Program has been about since 1930.”

The Western Golf Association, headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, has supported the Chick Evans Scholarship Program through the Evans Scholars Foundation since 1930. Known as one of golf’s favorite charities, it is the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

Currently, a record 1,070 caddies are enrolled at 21 universities across the nation as Evans Scholars, and more than 11,500 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr.

“These young students have each shown excellence in the classroom, in their communities and on the golf course,” said WGA President and CEO John Kaczkowski. “We are proud to welcome them to the Evans Scholars family.”

Scholarship funds come mostly from contributions by nearly 35,000 supporters across the country, who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program. Evans Scholars Alumni donate more than $17 million annually, and all proceeds from the BMW Championship, the penultimate PGA TOUR Playoff event in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup competition, are donated to the Evans Scholars Foundation. In 2022, the BMW Championship will be held at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, from Aug. 16-21.