Glenview, IL – Three students have been awarded the Westchester Evans Scholarship, a prestigious full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies, following a final selection interview held online on Feb 9.
The result of a partnership between the Western Golf Association’s (WGA) Evans Scholars Foundation and the Westchester Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund, Westchester Evans Scholars are chosen based on a strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need and outstanding character. Candidates must meet the qualifications of both organizations in order to earn the scholarship. The Evans Scholarship is valued at an estimated $120,000 over four years.
James McCann-Anthony of Greenwich, Connecticut, caddied at Greenwich Country Club and is a senior at Fordham Prep in the Bronx. He’ll begin college this fall as a Westchester Evans Scholar at The University of Notre Dame, where he plans to study finance.
James said that caddying has had a hugely positive impact in his life. “I am grateful for all the doors caddying has opened to me, all the people it has brought me in contact with, and most importantly, the opportunity to do work I love,” he said.
Anthony Contey of Mahwah, New Jersey, caddied at Quaker Ridge Golf Course in Scarsdale, New York, and is a senior at Mahwah High School. He’ll begin college this fall as a Westchester Evans Scholar at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he plans to study finance and economics.
Anthony said the members at Quaker Ridge have inspired him. “I see the level of success many members have attained, and I hope that going to college will help me achieve a similar level of success,” he said. “My true goal is to be successful, thanks to the tools I have learned from caddying.”
Grace Zona of New Milford, Connecticut, caddied at Quaker Ridge Golf Course in Scarsdale, New York, and is a senior at New Milford High School. She’ll begin college this fall as a Westchester Evans Scholar at Purdue University, where she plans to study environmental engineering.
Grace credits her outgoing personality to her experience as a caddie, saying, “From caddying, I’ve grown out of my shell and met so many new people and have gotten over my shyness around people. I became more confident in myself and my abilities.”
The selection meeting held via Zoom was one of more than 20 such meetings the Evans Scholars Foundation is holding virtually across the country through the spring. When the 2020-21 selection meeting process is completed by April, 300 caddies nationwide are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.
The Western Golf Association, headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, has supported the Chick Evans Scholarship Program through the Evans Scholars Foundation since 1930. One of golf’s favorite charities, it is the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.
“These deserving students have shown dedication, hard work and sacrifice, and we are honored to help them pursue their dreams of a college education,” said WGA Chairman Kevin Buggy.
“It is great to see caddies from our area reaping the benefits of our new partnership with the Evans Scholars Foundation,” said Alan Nahoum, President of the Westchester Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund. “Our fund has been helping to finance the education of local students in need for more than 60 years. With our collaboration with ESF, we now have the opportunity to offer qualified candidates a full scholarship to top schools around the country. It is a great marriage of golf and social purpose.”
Currently, a record 1,045 caddies are enrolled in 19 universities across the nation as Evans Scholars, and more than 11,320 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr.
Scholarship funds come mostly from contributions by 32,500 golfers across the country, who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program. Evans Scholars Alumni donate more than $15 million annually, and all proceeds from the BMW Championship, the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff events in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup competition, are donated to the Evans Scholars Foundation. In 2021, the BMW Championship will be held at Caves Valley Golf Club from Aug. 23-29.
To learn more about the WGA and ESF, visit www.wgaesf.org.