What the newest group of recipients of the Eisenhower-Evans Caddie Scholarship lacks in number, it makes up for in impressive credentials.
Five Colorado caddies, including two from Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club in Holyoke, have been awarded E.E. Scholarships at the University of Colorado.
Two of the new scholarship recipients have recorded straight-A’s in high school, and three achieved scores of at least 29 on the ACT, which ranks them in the 94th percentile or higher among recent high school graduates. Three of the caddies have been members of the National Honor Society, and one is a full-time, straight-A student at Northeastern Junior College this school year despite still being a high school senior.
The five caddies who can start in the E.E. program in the fall semester are Daniel Bettinger (Regis Jesuit High School, caddied at Cherry Hills Country Club); Kyle Jerome (Lakewood High School and Montana State University, caddied at Lakewood Country Club); Burke Larsen (pictured, Brush High School, caddied at Ballyneal); Zach McCain (Denver East High School, caddied at Denver Country Club and with the First Tee of Denver); and Garrett Schumacher (Sterling High School, caddied at Ballyneal).
The full tuition and housing caddie scholarship is estimated to be worth more than $50,000 if renewed for four years.
The Eisenhower-Evans Scholarship is one of the flagship programs for both the CGA and CWGA, which co-sponsor it along with the Illinois-based Western Golf Association. Through CGA and CWGA bag-tag sales and Par Club contributions, Colorado donors fully fund the year-to-year scholarship costs at the CU Evans Scholars house.
All the recipients earned the scholarship based on four criteria: excellent caddie record for a minimum of two years, strong academic achievement, financial need, and outstanding character and integrity. And those selected usually make the most of their good fortune as 90 percent of incoming Evans Scholars nationally go on to graduate. The grade-point average for the program countrywide is 3.2.
In some cases, meeting the scholarship requirements isn’t easy. For instance, Larsen and Schumacher traveled 195 and 129 miles roundtrip, respectively, from their homes to caddie at Ballyneal, which is located in northeastern Colorado.
Evans Scholar applicants go through a several-months-long selection process, culminating with the finalists being interviewed by a 100-member selection committee in late February. Those chosen to receive the scholarship are notified by mail shortly thereafter.
The Evans Scholarship is one of the largest privately-funded scholarships in the country. It was established in 1930 by Charles “Chick” Evans, a former caddie who won a U.S. Open and two U.S. Amateurs. Over the years, the program has produced about 9,200 alumni, with 390 graduating from CU.
More than 40 Evans Scholars currently attend CU, with roughly one-quarter being women. The CU Evans Scholars house is one of 14 nationwide, with most being in the Midwest. At CU, the program is formally called the Eisenhower-Evans Scholarship as the CGA-founded Eisenhower Scholarship for junior golfers merged with the Evans Caddie Scholarship in the 1960s.
In excess of 800 Evans Scholars nationwide are in school at any given time, and typically more than 200 new scholarships are awarded each year.
