Caddying offers more than just a summer job for young men and women in Ohio. It offers exposure to successful role models (some of the community’s most successful people, who often mentor the young caddies), lifelong connections, new friends and life lessons about humility and respect, discipline, persistence and determination that can lead to a once-in-a-lifetime shot at a full college scholarship valued at more than $80,000 over four years.
Each year, more than 900 deserving golf caddies across the country attend college on the Chick Evans Scholarship, one of the nation’s largest privately funded scholarship programs. Supported by the Western Golf Association, the Scholarship provides full tuition and housing at leading universities across the country, including Ohio State University and Miami University. The requirements are straightforward: earn good grades, have a strong caddie record, demonstrate financial need and display outstanding character.
With college tuitions on the rise, the need for scholarship opportunities like the Chick Evans Scholarship continues to grow.
“In 2015, the Evans Scholars Program in Ohio was very strong overall,” said Joe Desch, lead WGA Director in the state of Ohio and an Evans Scholars Alum. “Fundraising for the Program across the state, and the country for the matter, has increased significantly in recent years, allowing us to expand the number of scholarships we can offer to caddies in Ohio. This is important because we’re also seeing an increase in applications from worthy students with significant financial need.”
There are currently 60 Evans Scholars enrolled at Miami University and 82 at OSU. The Program boasts 1,206 alumni from both universities.
Eli Thompson, a current senior at Miami University, can attest to the role that caddying has played in driving his success both on and off the golf course.
Waking up at 6 a.m. to carry golf clubs for more than four miles in the hot sun can be tiring, and the days are long. But when a full tuition and housing scholarship is on the line, the hard work is worth the effort.
That is exactly what more than 10,000 high school caddies nationwide, including more than 1,000 from Ohio, have done in order to earn a once-in-a-lifetime shot at a full college scholarship.
Eli’s mom first heard about the Evans Scholarship from a friend at work and thought it sounded like a tremendous opportunity for her hard-working son. At that time, Eli was in middle school, but just a couple years later, he began caddying at Elyria Country Club. By that point, he had done his research and was well-versed about what he had to do in order to be eligible for the Evans Scholarship. He made it a personal goal to do whatever he could to obtain the Scholarship and take the financial burden of higher education off his family.
“I learned a lot from caddying, but above all else, it really helped me develop my communication skills and a strong work ethic,” Eli says. “It’s a different type of communication you have to learn as a caddie. It’s not often that you have to spend four or five hours talking with an adult you don’t know very well as a middle or high schooler. The job teaches you a lot about hard work and dedication too. While my friends would spend their summers in high school sleeping in late, I would wake up bright and early to go caddie.”
Eli’s dedication and persistence on and off the golf course paid off. During his senior year, he found out that he was awarded the Evans Scholarship and headed to Miami University that fall.
“It was a pretty stressful time as I waited to find out if I was awarded the Evans Scholarship,” he says. “I had already been accepted to Miami University, and as time went on, I was getting more worried that I may not get the Scholarship. I received the official letter from the WGA in March, and I still remember how incredible that day was for me and my entire family.”
How can other Northeast Ohio teens start working towards earning the Evans Scholarship? George Bryant, WGA Director and Evans Scholars alum, says that golf and country clubs with caddie programs are always looking for more students who are successful in the classroom and have the drive to work hard on the course. Once a prospective caddie reaches out to their local golf club directly, the application process and orientation begins. It’s best for students to begin caddying in late middle school or early high school.
For extra guidance on becoming a caddie, the WGA offers a training video, training manual and exam under the “Caddie Resources” tab on its website: www.wgaesf.org.
