Jane Witkoski will begin school as an Evans Scholar this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – A student caddie from Rochester, New York, has been awarded the Evans Scholarship, a prestigious full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies, following a selection meeting interview held on Dec. 18.

Jane Witkoski, a senior at Chesterton Academy of Rochester who has caddied at Oak Hill Country Club for the past three years, will begin college in the fall of 2026 as an Evans Scholar, with her awarded university to be announced this spring. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

To qualify for the Evans Scholarship, each student must meet the Program’s four selection criteria and show a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character.

The Western Golf Association (WGA), headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, oversees the Evans Scholars Program, one of golf’s favorite charities and the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

Witkoski is a part of Oak Hill Country Club’s Caddie and Leadership Academy, which was founded by Patrick M. Bailey, who serves as a WGA Director and is an Evans Scholar Alum. 

“Jane represents the kind of student this program was created to support,” said Bailey. “Her work ethic, leadership and commitment to her education have made a strong impression at Oak Hill, and our membership is proud to celebrate her earning the Evans Scholarship.”

Currently, a record 1,260 caddies are enrolled at 27 universities across the country as Evans Scholars. More than 12,575 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930

Selection meeting interviews will continue nationwide through spring. By the end of the 2025–26 selection process, an estimated 380 caddies from across the country are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

Witkoski, of Rochester, is the youngest of five children and plans to study economics or political science in college, with the goal of pursuing a career in law. She has earned regular requests from members at Oak Hill Country Club and is actively involved in leadership roles at her school and in her community.

“Caddying taught me that service means giving your best effort to others every day,” Witkoski says. “Working at Oak Hill helped me grow as a leader and prepared me to take on challenges in the classroom and beyond.”

Funds for the Evans Scholarship come mostly from contributions by more than 43,500 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 2026, the BMW Championship will be held at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, from Aug. 18-23.