New Evans Scholars will begin school this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Two student caddies from Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, N.Y., have been awarded the Long Island Evans Scholarship – a full housing and tuition college scholarship for deserving caddies – following selection interviews held Feb. 4 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J.

Twin sisters Sophia and Stella Travlos, of Franklin Square, N.Y., will begin college this fall as Long Island Evans Scholars, attending one of the Program’s 24 partner universities across the nation. Their awarded schools will be finalized this spring. The scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

The result of a partnership between the Western Golf Association’s (WGA) Evans Scholars Foundation (ESF) and the Long Island Caddie Scholarship Fund (LICSF), Long Island Evans Scholars are selected based on showing 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, Ill., oversees the Evans Scholars Program. Recently recognized as the Scholarship Provider of the Year by the National Scholarship Providers Association, the ESF is one of golf’s favorite charities and the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

In 2021, Sophia and Stella were introduced to Dave Kinsella, the caddie manager at Deepdale Golf Club, through the First Tee—Long Island chapter. Deepdale Golf Club was quick to embrace the Evans Scholars Program, and Sophia and Stella were hired as the first youth caddies to participate. They are also the first caddies from Deepdale Golf Club to be awarded the Long Island Evans Scholarship.

“Sophia and Stella arrived at Deepdale Golf Club with an incredible work ethic and deep love for the game of golf,” said Kinsella. “Our membership and staff are so proud of all they have accomplished, and we look forward to watching their continued success in college and beyond, thanks to this life-changing opportunity.”

Sophia and Stella are both seniors at H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square, where they are co-captains of the varsity golf team. They were inspired to try golf to spend more time with their dad, who, at the time, was fighting cancer.

“Miraculously, we were given the great news that my dad’s cancer was in remission, and our whole outlook towards life had changed,” Stella said. “To spend more time together, we thought: ‘What better way than taking up golf?’”

“Quickly, it became the focal point of our life,” Sophia said. “We would go to the range every day and swing for hours. Eventually, I was introduced to the First Tee program, where I was able to take formal lessons and grow my leadership skills by helping the younger kids.”

In college, both Sophia and Stella intend to study professional golf management. “Working at Deepdale Golf Club has encouraged my desire to pursue golf as a career path,” Stella continued. “Golf has changed my life, and I would love to give back to the game.”

"It has been my great pleasure to watch these incredible young women grow both personally and professionally,” said Deepdale Golf Club head professional Jeff Gschwind. “They are ready to take on the world and with the generosity of the Evans Scholarship, I have no doubt they will be a huge success."

Currently, a record 1,190 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities across the country as Evans Scholars – including 10 Long Island 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.

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 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 Sophia and Stella 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.

To learn more about the Long Island Caddie Scholarship Fund, visit longislandcaddiescholarship.org.