From Caddying to College
Local students are awarded the prestigious Evans Scholarship
Three local high school seniors shot for the green and made it. In this case, “the green” is not on the golf course but rather refers to money, which Downers Grove’s Colin Finn and Elmhurst’s Chloe Cummins and Matthew Hamblin have much more of for college, having recently received the Western Golf Association’s (WGA) Chick Evans Scholarship.
What is the Evans Scholarship, and who is eligible to receive it?
The Evans Scholarship provides full tuition and housing funding for students attending a qualifying four-year university. High school seniors and college freshmen may apply for the Scholarship after successfully completing a minimum of two years as a golf caddie and receiving a nomination from their sponsoring golf club.
In addition to having a strong caddie record, students must have a B-average through their junior year in high school, clearly demonstrate financial need, and consistently display outstanding character, integrity, and leadership to be eligible for the Scholarship.
Evans Scholars live together in a dedicated Evans Scholarship House or on a designated residence hall floor, so Scholarship applicants are expected to apply to one or more of the 24 Evans Scholarship universities, including the one(s) in their home state if applicable. Once accepted to their colleges, students awarded the Scholarship are matched with a partner college.
Most Evans Scholarship schools are in the Midwest, with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign boasting the greatest number of current and alumni Scholars. However, the Program has expanded to colleges across the nation, and a record 1,190 caddies are currently enrolled in college as Evans Scholars, with an estimated 360 more awarded the Evans Scholarship this year.
How did the Evans Scholarship originate?
The Scholarship was founded by Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., who was introduced to golf while caddying at Chicago’s Edgewater Golf Club in the late 1890s. Evans went on to become one of the nation’s top amateur golfers and was urged to turn professional, but he was not interested in golfing for money. To retain his amateur status, Evans put his golf earnings into an escrow fund, which he decided to use to finance education for hardworking caddies whose families could not afford college.
In 1928, Evans asked the WGA to oversee the fund, and the first round of Evans Scholarships was awarded in 1930, sending two caddies to Northwestern University. Until World War II, all Evans Scholars attended Northwestern, the site of the first Evans Scholarship House. When Evans’ original investment was exhausted, WGA Directors made contributions of their own to continue the Scholarship Program.
“Caddying made me so much more confident.”
— Matthew Hamblin, 2025 New Evans Scholar
How does the Evans Scholarship Program continue its impact today?
The WGA still runs the Evans Scholarship Foundation, which issued approximately $37 million in Scholarships this year. Evans Scholarships are funded by contributions from over 38,000 Par Club members across the country, proceeds from WGA championship golf tournaments, and donations from some of the more than 12,285 Evans Scholar alumni.
Cummins, Finn, and Hamblin all said receiving the Evans Scholarship has been “life-changing,” and working as a caddie has been invaluable.
Chloe Cummins
Cummins started caddying at River Forest Country Club at age 13 and is one of 11 caddies in her extended family. She said, “I swore up and down that I would never be a caddie – I’m not an outdoorsy person and I don’t like the heat – but I saw my cousins get up and work, making good money and some even got the Evans Scholarship, and I thought it sounded like a good gig!”
Matthew Hamblin
Hamblin began caddying at River Forest Country Club as a “shy freshman” along with friends who decided to try it out as a summer job. “Caddying made me so much more confident, opened many new doors, and helped me…make so many great connections,” he explained.
Colin Finn
Finn has caddied at Hinsdale Golf Club for three years and keeps coming back thanks to the “inclusive and supportive members” and the connections he has made with them. Finn also appreciates how flexible caddying is. He runs cross country and track for his school and said, “The Club made it very easy for me to work while having practice every day.”
Finn will attend the University of Illinois to study sports management, Hamblin the University of Iowa to major in finance and accounting, and Cummins either the University of Illinois or the University of Notre Dame on the biology/pre-med track.
How does one get started as a caddie?
No prior knowledge of golf is necessary to become a caddie. An orientation program trains new hires on caddying expectations, rules and regulations, and more.
Young men and women interested in caddying may check the club locator on the WGA website (wgaesf.org) to find a participating club.
