First caddie from Belle Meade earns Evans Scholarship

Will begin college as an Evans Scholar this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – A youth caddie from Belle Meade Country Club in Belle Meade, Tennessee, has been awarded the Evans Scholarship, a prestigious full housing and tuition college grant for caddies, following a selection meeting interview held Dec. 20.

Christian Windham of Franklin will begin college this fall as an Evans Scholar, where he plans to study environmental science. Windham is the first caddie from the Nashville area to be awarded the Evans Scholarship. His choice of college will be finalized by spring.

“I am the youngest caddie at the course. My time at Belle Meade has developed and honed my confidence and communication skills,” he says. “Caddying taught me the value of quality in my work.”

Currently, Windham is a senior at Battle Ground Academy, where he is heavily involved in theater. He has caddied at Belle Meade for four years, after encouragement from his aunt and uncle.

Evans Scholars are selected based on displaying a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

“The membership at Belle Meade Country Club is extremely happy for Christian and thankful for our strong connection with the Evans Scholars Foundation,” says Belle Meade Country Club’s Head Golf Professional Oliver Peacock.

Evans Scholars selection meeting interviews will continue nationwide through spring. When the 2022-23 selection meeting process is complete, an estimated 325 caddies are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

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 1,100 caddies are enrolled at 22 universities across the nation as Evans Scholars, and more than 11,800 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr.

“These young students represent what our Program has been about since 1930,” said WGA President and CEO John Kaczkowski. “We are proud to welcome them to the Evans Scholars family.”

Chick Evans played a prominent role in the history of Belle Meade Country Club, which was chartered in 1901 as Nashville Golf and Country Club. In 1919, Belle Meade hosted a pair of exhibition matches between Evans and his rival Bobby Jones – the only two men to win both the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur in the same year. In 1955, 65-year-old Evans helped steer the first USGA National Senior Golf Championship to Belle Meade.

Scholarship funds come mostly from contributions by nearly 36,000 supporters across the country, who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program. Evans Scholars Alumni donate more than $15 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 2023, the BMW Championship will be held at Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois, from Aug. 17-20.