First student from Coachella Valley earns full college scholarship for caddying

New Evans Scholar will begin school this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – The first student from the Coachella Valley area has been awarded an Evans Scholarship — a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies — following a selection meeting interview held Feb. 12 at Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert, Calif.

Camilla Regalado of Indio will begin college this fall as an Evans Scholar. She’ll attend one of the Program’s 24 partner universities nationwide, with her awarded university to be finalized this spring. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

To qualify, students 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, 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 (ESF) is one of golf’s favorite charities and the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

“Everyone at The Quarry at La Quinta is proud of what Camilla has accomplished over her 3.5 years here,” said Frank Linquist, the club’s Director of Golf. “We have watched her grow in so many ways and can’t wait to hear about her future endeavors. She is certainly deserving of the Evans Scholarship. Her work ethic and attitude are to be admired at such a young age, and we’re so excited that her hard work has paid off with this life-changing opportunity to go to college.”

Currently, a record 1,190 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities across the country as Evans Scholars. 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.

Regalado, a senior at Xavier College Prep, is the first youth caddie from the Coachella Valley area to earn the Evans Scholarship. As the Evans Scholars Program continues to grow nationwide, more students from newer areas, including Los Angeles, San Franisco and Palm Springs, are being introduced to the opportunity to caddie and potentially earn a full college scholarship. In the Coachella Valley area, new youth caddie programs have emerged at clubs including Ironwood Country Club and Marrakesh Country Club, both in Palm Desert.

‘We’re so excited to have our first ever Evans Scholar from the Valley,” said Greg Trapani, a member of the WGA Board of Governors and a member at Ironwood. “Camilla is the first but will not be the last caddie from the Valley to earn this scholarship. In recent years, we have been working diligently to launch youth caddie programs at local clubs, including Ironwood Country Club and Marrakesh Country Club. The First Tee-Coachella Valley chapter has been a great partner in this effort, which provides important work opportunities to high school students who have financial need. We already are seeing the benefits for students and golfers because of these new programs, and we strongly encourage other local clubs to consider launching a youth caddie program, as well.”

Regalado, whose parents immigrated from Mexico, was introduced to the game of golf by her dad, who worked at a local club. Eventually joining the First Tee–Coachella Valley, she began playing the game and caddying at The Quarry at La Quinta. She plans to study human physiology in college.

“I now realize that my parents’ work ethic was all because of their goal for me to break the cycle,” she said. “It is my hope to become a physician assistant, which was inspired by the many nights I spent with my mom as she worked towards earning her bachelor’s degree, taking countless anatomy classes. My dream of going to college is now possible because of caddying and earning the Evans Scholarship.”

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.

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.

“Since our founding, our Program has changed the lives of young 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 Camilla to the Evans Scholars family.”

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, Md., from Aug. 12-17.