The Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship is a full tuition and housing college scholarship for golf caddies that is renewable for up to four years. Since 1930, more than 10,000 outstanding young men and women caddies have attended some of the nation’s finest universities thanks to the Evans Scholarship.

The Evans Scholars Foundation owns and operates a Scholarship House at 14 universities across the nation, including Northwestern University, the University of Illinois and the University of Colorado. On each campus, the Scholars have earned a reputation for excellence in academics and community service.

The Program, sponsored by the Western Golf Association, is one of the largest privately funded scholarship programs in the nation and was the vision of Chicago golf amateur Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr.

Caddies must be nominated by their sponsoring country club. Applicants are evaluated and compete on four core criteria – caddie record, academics, financial need and character and leadership – for the limited number of available Evans Scholarships. More than 200 high school students earn the Evans Scholarship each year, and more than 800 Scholars are in school.  

In addition to being the sole charity of the BMW Championship, more than 100,000 golfers nationwide support the Program, making it one of golf’s favorite charities. Learn more at:

Living and working together provides Evans Scholars a unique opportunity to develop leadership and communication skills. Scholarship House living encourages a sense of responsibility that is largely responsible for the exceptional success of the Scholars at our 14 Scholarship Houses.

Evans Scholars are top students, with an average GPA of above a 3.2 and a graduation rate above 90 percent. An Evans Scholar is required to maintain excellent grades, participate in community service, respect fellow Scholar and perform regular housework.  They are promising change-makers on campus and future leaders in the workplace and in their communities.

That sense of community carries over after graduation, as well. The more than 9,000 Evans Scholars Alumni make up a vibrant network of successful men and women committed to the organization that sent them to school as well as helping the next generation of Scholars. They grow up to be successful teachers, doctors, lawyers and CEOs across the country and the world. Learn more at:

Chicago’s legendary amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr. is the founder of the Chick Evans Scholarships for golf caddies. He began caddying at Edgewater Golf Club at age 8 and grew into the nation’s top amateur golfer, earning his greatest fame in 1916 when he won both the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur.

As Evans’ fame grew, pressure mounted for him to turn professional, but he wasn’t interested in playing for money. He loved the game for its purity, tradition and sportsmanship. Still, he couldn’t avoid entering into agreements that brought money his way. To preserve his amateur status, Evans decided any such earnings should be placed in an escrow fund.

Influenced by his mother, he decided that he would finance college educations for needy caddies. That commitment grew from Evans’ own inability to complete his college education. From his Edgewater days, Evans knew there were many worthy young caddies who showed academic promise but whose families could not afford the costs of college. In 1928, Evans persuaded the Western Golf Association to oversee the trust fund, and in 1930, the first two Evans Scholars enrolled at Northwestern University. Chick Evans’ dream had become a reality.

Though Evans would go on to become a world-renowned amateur golfer – his winning performance in the 1916 U.S. Open was among the best of his generation – with a golfing career that lasted six decades, his biggest lifetime thrill was the success of the Evans Scholars Foundation and the young people who were able to benefit from his dream.

Founded in 1899, the  Western Golf Association conducts championships for professional and amateur golfers, promotes the use of caddies, and oversees the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards college scholarships to caddies with limited financial means.

The WGA is a driving force in the game, a respected charitable cause for thousands of supporters, and a distinguished leader in the nation’s golf community. It was established by 11 Chicago-area golf clubs for the purpose of hosting tournaments. Today, more than 400 member clubs, organizations and affiliations are part of the WGA. Since its founding, it has hosted more than 300 championships for professional and amateur golfers from throughout the United States and the world.

The WGA conducts two amateur championships, the Western Junior and the Western Amateur, and runs the BMW Championship, the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff events in the TOUR's FedExCup competition. The WGA also is conducting the 2013 Hotel Fitness Championship as part of the web.com TOUR Finals.

The WGA, headquartered in Golf, Illinois, champions education through golf in sponsoring the nationally acclaimed Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship Program. Established by famed amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr., the program provides full housing and tuition scholarships to deserving caddies across the country. Currently, more than 830 caddies are attending college on scholarship; there are more than 9,600 Evans Alumni across the country. Most Scholars attend one of the 14 universities where the Foundation owns and operates a Scholarship House. Learn more at: