Student leaders recognized during WGA Annual Meeting

GLENVIEW, Illinois – Evans Scholars from The Ohio State University and the University of Oregon were named the Program’s most outstanding graduating seniors during the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation’s Annual Meeting for volunteer leadership, held Monday, June 30, at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois.

Michael Fluhr of Ohio State and Lilly Varner of Oregon were both honored as the 2025 Evans Scholars of the Year, the most prestigious title a student can earn within the Evans Scholars Program.

Michael Fluhr is from Belmar, New Jersey, and caddied at Spring Lake Golf Club in Spring Lake, New Jersey. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in business administration and earned a 3.9 GPA. Fluhr served as vice president of New Scholars and as a two-term president of the Ohio State Evans Scholars chapter. Fluhr will begin his career this fall as an external audit associate at PwC in Florham Park, New Jersey.

He says, “The Evans Scholarship has been a true blessing for me and my family. I am so grateful for the lifelong friendships and career opportunities I have developed through this program. My time as an Evans Scholar has molded me into the person I am today. Thank you for this incredible opportunity that has forever changed my life.”

Lilly Varner is from Gold Beach, Oregon, and caddied at Rose City Golf Course in Portland, Oregon, as a participant in the EAGLE Caddie Program. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in political science and earned a 4.0 GPA. Varner served as vice president of community engagement and president of the Oregon Evans Scholars chapter, as well as doing a summer internship with the WGA Caddie Academy. Varner plans to pursue a law degree and will serve as a Graduate Resident Advisor at the Oregon Evans Scholars chapter this fall.

She says, “This scholarship has completely changed my life and given me something I value most – a home. Being an Evans Scholar means being part of a community that not only supports me but also challenges me to grow. This award serves not as a finish line but as motivation to keep growing and giving back.”

“Our Evans Scholars of the Year demonstrated tremendous academic excellence and leadership in both their Scholarship Houses and within their communities,” said WGA President and CEO John Kaczkowski. “We are extremely proud of how Michael and Lilly have represented the Evans Scholars Program and look forward to supporting them in the next step of their journeys.”

Evans Scholars are caddies who have earned a full, four-year tuition and housing grant based on their strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need and outstanding character. The Evans Scholars Program has been run by the Western Golf Association since its founding in 1930. In the 2024-25 academic year, a record 1,190 caddies were enrolled at 24 partner universities nationwide as Evans Scholars, and more than 12,500 caddies have graduated since the program began.