Six students from Oregon earn full college scholarships for caddying

New Evans Scholars will begin school this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Six students from the state of Oregon have been awarded the Evans Scholarship — a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies — following selection meeting interviews held at Eastmoreland Golf Course in Portland, Ore., on Feb. 18.

Each caddie has a unique story that reflects the scholarship’s four selection criteria: a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character.

They will begin college in the fall of 2025 as Evans Scholars, with awarded universities to be finalized this spring. Most are expected to attend the University of Oregon in Eugene. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years. Those awarded are listed below.

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.

Currently, a record 1,190 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities across the country as Evans Scholars – including 27 at the University of Oregon. 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.

“We are so proud of the academic, caddie and leadership achievements of these outstanding students,” said WGA Director and Oregon State Chair Dan Harmon. “We remain dedicated to growing youth caddie opportunities throughout Oregon to help more promising young people in their pursuit of a high-quality education.”

As the Evans Scholars Program continues to grow nationwide, more students from newer areas, including the Pacific Northwest, are being introduced to the opportunity to caddie and earn a full college scholarship. In recent years, for example, club leaders at Gearheart Golf Links in Gearheart, Ore., have revitalized their youth caddie program, helping to create summer job opportunities for local youth.

Madden Wunderlich, of Seaside, and Calvin Olson, of Warrenton, are the second and third caddies from the program to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

Olson, a senior at Warrenton High School, will be the first in his family to attend college, where he intends to study sports management. With encouragement from his uncle, he continued caddying in pursuit of the Evans Scholarship. “I consider my uncle my mentor, and he helped me realize the benefit of a college education,” Olson said. “I stuck with caddying to put my family's path in a better direction and to be a role model to my sister.”

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 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 this exceptional group 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.

Below is a full list of recent winners, with awarded universities to be finalized by spring.