Finalists interviewed at Oak Park Country Club in River Grove, Illinois

RIVER GROVE, IL – Twenty Chicago-area students have been awarded the Evans Scholarship, a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies, following a final selection interview held at Oak Park Country Club in River Grove, Illinois, on Dec. 10.

Each caddie has a unique story to tell, reflecting 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 2020 as Evans Scholars, with awarded universities to be finalized this spring. The Evans Scholarship is valued at an estimated $120,000 over four years. Winners are listed below and are organized by hometown.

“Each of these deserving Evans Scholars epitomizes what our Program has been about since its creation in 1930,” said WGA Chairman Frank Morley. “Their dedication, hard work and sacrifice is humbling, and we are honored to be able to help them pursue their dreams.”

The selection meeting at Oak Park Country Club is one of more than 20 such meetings the Evans Scholars Foundation will hold across the country through the spring. When the 2019-20 selection meeting process is completed by April, an estimated 285 caddies are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

The Western Golf Association, headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, has supported the Chick Evans Scholarship Program through the Evans Scholars Foundation since 1930. One of golf’s favorite charities, it is the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

Currently, a record 1,010 caddies are enrolled in 18 universities across the nation as Evans Scholars, and more than 11,050 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr.

“These young men and women have shown excellence in the classroom and in their communities, as well as on the golf course,” said John Kaczkowski, WGA President and CEO. “We welcome them to the Evans Scholars family.”

Scholarship funds come mostly from contributions by 32,500 golfers across the country, who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program. Evans Scholars Alumni donate more than $14 million annually, and all proceeds from the BMW Championship, the penultimate PGA TOUR Playoff event in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup competition, are donated to the Evans Scholars Foundation.

 

Name

City

Sponsoring Club

High School Name

Kathryn Costello

Arlington Heights

Rolling Green Country Club

John Hersey High School

Tyler McMillin

Arlington Heights

Rolling Green Country Club

Prospect High School

Patrick Archacki

Chicago

Ridgemoor Country Club

Fenwick High School

Franklin Fisher

Chicago

Oak Park Country Club

St. Lawrence Seminary

Destiny Lara

Chicago

Oak Park Country Club

Northside College Prep

Daniel Llamas

Chicago

Ridgemoor Country Club

St. Patrick High School

Jose Pantaleon

Chicago

Riverside Golf Club

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

Elisabeth Paskali

Chicago

Oak Park Country Club

St. Ignatius College Prep

Moshay Turner

Chicago

River Forest Country Club

Holy Trinity High School

Guadalupe Vazquez

Chicago

La Grange Country Club

De La Salle Institute

Bronson Hultmark

Darien

La Grange Country Club

Hinsdale South High School

Evan Skarzynski

Genoa

Elgin Country Club

Genoa-Kingston High School

Cheyenne DeLong

Maple Park

Elgin Country Club

Central High School

Giovanni De La Torre

Melrose Park

River Forest Country Club

West Leyden High School

Brooklyn Kuhny

Naperville

Medinah Country Club

Naperville North High School

Maximilian Daley

Oak Park

Oak Park Country Club

Fenwick High School

Ronald Krewer

River Grove

Oak Park Country Club

Saint Patrick High School

Alex DeSimone

Roselle

Medinah Country Club

Lake Park High School

Matthew Steiner

Roselle

Medinah Country Club

Lake Park High School

Patrick Feldmeier

Western Springs

Chicago Highlands Club

Fenwick High School