Five Philadelphia-area caddies earn full scholarships to college

New Platt Evans Scholars will begin school this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Five students from the Philadelphia area were recently named recipients of the Platt Evans Scholarship – a full housing and tuition college grant awarded to golf caddies – following a selection meeting held Feb. 5 at Baltimore Country Club in Baltimore, Md.

The result of a partnership between the Western Golf Association’s (WGA) Evans Scholars Foundation (ESF) and the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust, Platt Evans Scholars are chosen based on showing a strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need and outstanding character. This marks the 12th year of the partnership between the ESF and the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust.

The students, whose names are listed below, will begin college this fall as Platt Evans Scholars at one of the Program’s 24 partner universities across the nation. Most are expected to attend Penn State University in State College, Penn. Decisions on awarded universities will be finalized by spring. The scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

“We are proud to partner with the Evans Scholars Foundation to support a new class of Platt Evans Scholars,” said Jeffrey Mitzak, Chairman of J. Wood Platt. “We are confident that each student will impact their college campuses in a unique way starting this fall.  We are excited to watch their respective stories unfold."

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

Currently, a record 1,190 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities across the country as Evans Scholars – including 14 Platt Evans Scholars and 42 students living at the Platt Evans Scholarship House at Penn State. 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.

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.

“Our partnership continues to change the lives of students from the Philadelphia area 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 this exceptional group 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 ESF. In 2025, the BMW Championship will be held at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, Md., from Aug. 12-17.

Listed below are the newly awarded Platt Evans Scholars.