GLENVIEW, Ill. - Five student caddies from the state of Connecticut have been awarded the Metropolitan Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund (MGACSF) Evans Scholarship, a full housing and tuition college scholarship for deserving caddies, following a selection interview held at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, on Feb. 6.
The students will begin college this fall as MGACSF Evans Scholars, attending one of the Program’s 24 partner universities nationwide. Decisions on awarded schools will be finalized by March 15. The scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years. A list of winners can be found below.
The result of a partnership between the Western Golf Association’s (WGA) Evans Scholars Foundation and the MGACSF, MGACSF Evans Scholars are selected based on showing they have a strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need, and outstanding character. Candidates must meet the qualifications of both organizations to earn the scholarship.
The WGA, headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, has supported the Chick Evans Scholarship Program through the Evans Scholars Foundation since 1930. Known as one of golf’s favorite charities, it is the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.
Currently, a record 1,130 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities nationwide as Evans Scholars. More than 12,040 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930.
As the Evans Scholars Program continues to grow nationwide, more students from newer areas are being introduced to caddie and potentially earn a full college scholarship. Currently, there are 11 MGACSF Evans Scholars in school; a decade ago, there was one MGACSF Evans Scholar in school.
Selection meeting interviews for Evans Scholar finalists will continue nationwide through spring. When the 2023-24 selection meeting process is complete, an estimated 340 caddies from across the country are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.
“We are thrilled to welcome this new class to the Evans Scholars family,” said WGA Chairman Steve Colnitis. “Their dedication in the classroom, on the golf course, and in their community represents what our Program has been about since 1930.”
“It is an incredible achievement for these deserving recipients to be named MGACSF Evans Scholars. We are proud to be partnered with the Evans Scholars Foundation to continue providing need-based scholarships in our local community,” said John Connor, president of the MGA Caddie Scholarship Fund.
Funds for the Evans Scholarship come mostly from contributions by more than 38,500 supporters across the country, who belong to 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 Program. This year, the BMW Championship will be held from Aug. 20-25 at Castle Pines Golf Club in the Denver area.
The 2027 BMW Championship will be played at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey in August 2027. This will be the BMW Championship’s first visit to New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area and the event’s fifth stop on the East Coast since 2018. Since 2007, the BMW Championship has raised more than $50 million for caddie scholarships.
To learn more about the WGA and ESF, visit wgaesf.org. To learn more about the Metropolitan Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund, visit caddiescholarship.org.
Caddie, Hometown, Sponsoring Club, High School
Luis Cruz, Bridgeport, Brooklawn Country Club, Kolbe Cathedral High School
Alesia Rexhepaj, Fairfield, Brooklawn Country Club, Fairfield Warde High School
Violet McCann-Anthony, Greenwich, Greenwich Country Club, Greenwich Country Day School
Steven Lopez, Stamford, The Country Club of New Canaan, Stamford High School
Kaitlyn Smith, Stamford, Wee Burn Country Club, Stamford High School
About the Western Golf Association
The Western Golf Association conducts six national golf championships and sponsors the nationally acclaimed Evans Scholars Foundation. Headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, the organization was founded in 1899 by 11 Chicago-area golf clubs to promote their interests in golf. In addition to the BMW Championship on the PGA TOUR and the NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank on the Korn Ferry Tour, the WGA conducts four prestigious amateur championships, the Western Amateur, the Western Junior, and the Women’s Western Golf Association’s Amateur and Junior championships.
About the Evans Scholars Foundation
Established by the WGA and famed amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., the Evans Scholars Foundation provides full housing and tuition scholarships to high-achieving caddies across the country. Currently, a record 1,130 caddies are enrolled in 24 leading universities across the nation as Evans Scholars. The Program, which is supported by the WGA, is funded by contributions from more than 38,500 Par Club members, including Evans Scholars Alumni, as well as proceeds from the BMW Championship. Since the Program’s inception in 1930, more than 12,000 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars.
About the Metropolitan Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund
The MGA Caddie Scholarship Fund (MGACSF), formerly called the Westchester Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund, Inc. (WGACSF), is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational, nonprofit organization, that provides financial need-based scholarships to caddies and others who work in service to golf at local participating golf and country clubs throughout the following counties: Fairfield (CT), Bronx, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester (NY) Counties. It was founded in 1956 by renowned amateur golfer Willie Turnesa and his good friend Udo Reinach. Today, the Fund awards an average of 250 scholars a year, representing an annual one-year tuition commitment of $1.0 million. The MGA Caddie Scholarship Fund is one of the largest organizations of its kind in the country.
