House dedication kicks off BMW Championship week

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The Western Golf Association (WGA) and Evans Scholars Foundation (ESF) officially kicked off BMW Championship week with the dedication of the new Caves Valley Evans Scholars Scholarship House on Monday, Aug. 11, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland.

Maryland Evans Scholars and their families joined leaders from the WGA/ESF, the university, Caves Valley Golf Club and BMW for the event. House tours took place at the new site, at 4603 College Ave., and a program and reception were held at the Stamp Student Union on campus.

The 10,000-square-foot Evans Scholarship House features two levels of space for studying and recreation. In addition to featuring a state-of-the-art living and learning environment, the facility has the capacity to house 38 Scholars.

“This Scholarship House represents a tremendous opportunity not only for this first group of Evans Scholars who will attend Maryland this fall, but for generations of promising young caddies to come,” said WGA Chairman Steve Colnitis. “Today marks the beginning of the next bright chapter for the Evans Scholars at the University of Maryland.”

The establishment of the chapter was made possible by gifts from the Caves Valley Golf Club Foundation, as well as the support of other contributing groups, including the university and BMW. The University of Maryland became the ESF’s 21st partner university in 2021 as part of an ongoing expansion by the WGA/ESF to grow the Evans Scholars Program in the East.

Gary Attman, Chairman of the Caves Valley Golf Club Foundation, expressed his appreciation for the generosity from the Caves Valley members and their commitment to supporting young caddies with a fully renovated home and a four-year tuition and housing scholarship to the University of Maryland. The partnership between the WGA, Caves Valley and the university was “a long time coming, but well worth the wait,” he said.

In the last five years, WGA leaders have been working hard to build strong relationships with clubs and supporters across the East. In 2011, just one Evans Scholar from the East was enrolled in school; this fall, the ESF will welcome 151 Evans Scholars from the East – including 21 who will attend Maryland this fall.

“Behind each of those numbers is a young life forever changed,” Colnitis said. “It is truly special to see all the growth that is happening in Maryland and throughout the East.”

During the program, which was emceed by sports broadcaster and Maryland Alum Jimmy Roberts, guests also heard from UMD Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice and Ilka Horstmeier, a member of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

"The BMW Group believes that sports and education form the foundation for equal opportunities and social participation—and the Evans Scholars Foundation is a marvelous initiative working precisely in this direction,” said Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, People and Places. “The empowering force of education is the key to a self-determined future. We are proud of our longstanding partnership with the WGA and of the great impact that the BMW Championship makes in the lives of so many young Scholars.”

Varada Maulkhan, a recent graduate who was part of the inaugural class of Evans Scholars to attend UMD, also spoke on her experience. She will serve as the chapter’s GRA this fall, while living in the new Scholarship House.

“I can’t describe what an honor it was to be one of the first two Evans Scholars to attend the University of Maryland,” Maulkhan said. “Over the years, we have started new traditions and built a community. I became the first chapter president. We have worked to build a strong foundation for future Scholars, and it has come with ups and downs, but I will always cherish these memories.” 

This fall, a record 1,260 Evans Scholars will be enrolled at 27 leading universities nationwide, including 21 Scholars at UMD. There are nearly 13,000 Evans Scholars Alumni since the Program began in 1930.

The 2025 BMW Championship, a PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoff event run by the WGA, is being played this week at Caves Valley Golf Club from Aug. 12-17. All profits from the BMW Championship benefit the ESF, and since 2007, the tournament has raised more than $60 million and helped award more than 4,000 full tuition and housing college scholarships for caddies.