Buffalo-area student caddie earns full college scholarship

Devin Goldstein will begin school as an Evans Scholar this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – A Buffalo-area student caddie has been awarded the Evans Scholarship – a prestigious full housing and tuition grant offered to golf caddies – following a selection interview held Dec. 19.

Devin Goldstein of Getzville, who caddies at the Country Club of Buffalo in Buffalo. N.Y., will begin college in the fall of 2025 as an Evans Scholar, with his awarded university to be announced this spring. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

To qualify for the Evans Scholarship, each student must meet the Program’s four selection criteria and show a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character.

The Western Golf Association (WGA), headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, oversees the Evans Scholars Program. Recently recognized as the Scholarship Provider of the Year by the National Scholarship Providers Association, the Evans Scholars Foundation (ESF) is one of golf’s favorite charities and the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

Goldstein, a senior at Williamsville North High School, intends to study business with hopes of becoming an entrepreneur. “I was eager to caddie because it is a great way to explore opportunities toward my business-related goals,” he says. “At a young age, caddying at the prestigious Country Club of Buffalo provided me the chance to network with successful professionals who share their insights.”

Currently, a record 1,190 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities across the country as Evans Scholars – including two from the Country Club of Buffalo. More than 12,285 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930.

“Devin is a fine young man who has been an excellent and dedicated caddie throughout his high school years,” said Peter Marlette, a WGA Director and member at the Country Club of Buffalo. “We are excited to have him become an Evans Scholar, and we wish him all the best on what we know will be a successful college career and beyond.”

Evans Scholar selection meeting interviews will continue nationwide through the winter. When the 2024-25 selection meeting process is complete, an estimated 360 caddies from across the country are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

“Since our founding, our Program has changed the lives of caddies who have proven their dedication in the classroom, on the golf course and in their communities,” said WGA Chairman Steve Colnitis. “We are proud to welcome Devin to the Evans Scholars family.”

Evans Scholars have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 and a 98 percent graduation rate. An estimated 40 percent are first-generation college students, and 95 percent are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduating.

Funds for the Evans Scholarship come mostly from contributions by more than 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, benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. In 2025, the BMW Championship will be held at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, Maryland, from Aug. 12-17.