Famed golf caddie scholarship comes to University of Iowa

IOWA CITY — Nearing a century after the Western Golf Association teamed up with accomplished amateur golfer Charles Evans Jr. to establish a scholarship program for young golf caddies, it has added the University of Iowa to its list of partner schools — unveiling an inaugural class of 10 UI Evans scholars for the upcoming fall.

The UI addition expands the tally of partnership institutions to 23 schools at which the Evans Scholars Foundation will cover full tuition and housing expenses for high-achieving caddies “with limited financial needs.”

To qualify for the acclaimed scholarship — which had a hand in inspiring the 1980s comedy “Caddyshack” — students must demonstrate a “strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need, and outstanding character,” according to the Illinois-based golf association.

In the 93 years since the scholarship started supporting students in 1930, 11,815 men and women have graduated as Evans scholars. A record 1,100 students currently are attending 22 universities nationally — a majority of which are in the Midwest, including the universities of Chicago, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Notre Dame and Wisconsin — with the goal of having 1,500 students on campuses by 2030.

Northwestern University, 100 years earlier in 1930, welcomed the programs first two scholars — caddies Harold Rink and Jim McGinnis. The University of Illinois was second to establish a “scholarship house” for the program — accumulating the most alumni over the years at 1,425, with 127 scholars there currently.

The UI addition to the list of higher education options for the caddie scholarship is part of the program’s efforts to expand both scholarship and youth caddie opportunities, according to Western Golf Association Chair Joe Desch.

“As we work to build and establish more youth caddie programs in the state of Iowa, this partnership is an important next step in our ability to provide additional opportunities to send students to world-class institutions like the University of Iowa on full college scholarships,” he said in a statement.

Given the scholarship covers four full years of tuition and housing, each one is valued at more than $125,000, according to Western Golf Association spokeswoman Amy Fuller. Most of the scholarship funds come from contributions by 36,000-plus supporting members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program.

Alumni scholars — who boast a 95 percent graduation rate — give more than $15 million annually.

At the UI, the new incoming group of 10 scholars will live together in Hillcrest Hall until the scholarship foundation establishes a house at the university, aimed at offering its scholars a “substance-free setting where students become confident leaders on and off campus, while studying in a safe, state-of-the-art living and learning environment.”

The UI Evans scholars house could open as soon as 2025, officials said.

“A unique component of the Evans Scholars Program is the positive community living experience provided to students in the scholarship houses,” according to a news release. “Scholarship house living teaches students valuable life skills in communication, leadership, mentoring, and provides a strong sense of community.”

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Although student scholarship applicants must have caddied “regularly and successfully” for at least two years — and be caddying when they apply — they don’t necessarily have to keep caddying in college.

“Caddying is most often a high school job for these kids (and simply a way for them to earn money and a college scholarship),” Fuller said. “Once in college, we encourage them to get internships in their fields of interest.”

In 2021, 860 youth caddies applied for the Evans Scholarship and 315 received one for the 2022-23 academic year. The average GPA of the most recent Evans Scholarship recipients is 3.7.

Victoria Revell, who caddied near her hometown of Homer Glen, Ill., is among the first crop of UI recipients — who met for the first time at an April 24 reception in Illinois, where nine of the 10 are from.

“It’s an honor to be an Evans scholar and to be able to make history as part of the first class,” she said. “I’m very excited to also have the opportunity in the future to live in the scholarship house.”

In addition to launching the UI Evans Scholarship program and house, the Western Golf Association is creating new youth caddie programs across the state — starting with one at the Davenport Country Club this summer.

“We believe caddying is the best summer job a young person can have because they learn so many valuable life skills, such as communication, networking, money management and commitment, Fuller said, adding, “Caddying is hard work. These students also get the unique opportunity to meet and learn from successful people (their golfers, who often enjoy the opportunity to spend 4.5 hours with a young person and mentor them).”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com