Five student caddies from Connecticut awarded full college scholarships

New Scholars selected following interview at Winged Foot Golf Club

GLENVIEW, IL – Five student caddies from the state of Connecticut have been awarded the Metropolitan Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund (MGACSF) Evans Scholarship, a full housing and tuition college scholarship for deserving caddies, following a selection interview held at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, on Feb. 6.

The students will begin college this fall as MGACSF Evans Scholars, attending one of the Program’s 24 partner universities nationwide. Decisions on awarded schools will be finalized by March 15. The scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years. A list of winners can be found below.

The result of a partnership between the Western Golf Association’s (WGA) Evans Scholars Foundation and the MGACSF, MGACSF Evans Scholars are selected based on showing they have a strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need and outstanding character. Candidates must meet the qualifications of both organizations to earn the scholarship.

The WGA, 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 1,130 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities nationwide as Evans Scholars. More than 12,040 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930.

As the Evans Scholars Program continues to grow nationwide, more students from newer areas are being introduced to caddie and potentially earn a full college scholarship. Currently, there are 11 MGACSF Evans Scholars in school; a decade ago, there was one MGACSF Evans Scholar in school.

Selection meeting interviews for Evans Scholar finalists will continue nationwide through spring. When the 2023-24 selection meeting process is complete, an estimated 340 caddies from across the country are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

“We are thrilled to welcome this new class to the Evans Scholars family,” said WGA Chairman Steve Colnitis. “Their dedication in the classroom, on the golf course and in their community represents what our Program has been about since 1930.”

"It is an incredible achievement for these deserving recipients to be named MGACSF Evans Scholars,” says John Connor, president of the MGACSF Scholarship Fund. “We are proud to be partnered with the Evans Scholars Foundation to continue providing need-based scholarships in our local community."

Funds for the Evans Scholarship come mostly from contributions by more than 38,500 supporters across the country, who belong to 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, benefit the Program. This year, the BMW Championship will be held from Aug. 20-25 at Castle Pines Golf Club in the Denver area.

The 2027 BMW Championship will be played at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey in August 2027. This will be the BMW Championship’s first visit to New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area and the event’s fifth stop on the East Coast since 2018. Since 2007, the BMW Championship has raised more than $50 million for caddie scholarships.