Full college scholarships awarded to nine New Jersey student caddies

Evans Scholars to begin school this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Nine caddies from the state of New Jersey have been awarded the Evans Scholarship — a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies — following selection meeting interviews held at Montclair Golf Club on Feb. 3.

The scholarships are the result of a partnership between the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars Foundation and the New Jersey Golf Caddie Scholarship Foundation. NJ Golf Evans Scholars are selected based on a strong caddie record, academic achievement, financial need and outstanding character. Candidates must meet the qualifications of both organizations to earn the scholarship.

The students will begin college in the fall of 2026 as Evans Scholars, with most expected to attend Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. Final university placements will be determined this spring. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

“The Evans Scholarship is built on the idea that opportunity follows effort, and New Jersey’s caddies continue to prove that every year,” said Andy Langan, Chairman of the Western Golf Association. “The work ethic, academic commitment and character that these students display are exactly why the partnership between the WGA and the New Jersey Golf Caddie Scholarship Foundation continues to make such a meaningful impact.”

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

“These awards reflect the dedication and resilience shown by New Jersey’s caddies both on the course and in the classroom,” said David Cronheim, President of the New Jersey Golf Caddie Scholarship Foundation. “Through our continued partnership with the Evans Scholars Foundation, we are proud to help open doors to higher education for students who have earned this opportunity through hard work and character.”

Currently, a record 1,260 caddies are enrolled at 27 universities nationwide as Evans Scholars, including 42 at Rutgers University. More than 12,575 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded in 1930 by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr.

As the Evans Scholars Program continues to grow nationwide, more students from the East Coast, including throughout New Jersey, are being offered an opportunity to caddie and potentially earn a full college scholarship. Through the WGA’s Caddie Scholar Prep initiative, program leaders are intentionally recruiting and mentoring qualified students across the state and introducing them to caddying at local clubs. 

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 receive 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 96 percent are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduating.

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, and in 2027 the championship will return to New Jersey at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City.

Listed below are the newly awarded NJ Golf Evans Scholars.