The Evans Cup of Colorado raises money for the Evans Scholarship for caddies, and Western Golf Association board member and director and state chairman Geoff “Duffy” Solich said he estimates that Monday’s event will net about $165,000 for the cause, a notable increase from last year.
The University of Colorado has been home to an Evans Scholars house since the 1960s, and many of the 59 current CU Evans Scholars (left) attended the festivities at DCC.
A total of 28 foursomes played at Denver Country Club, with 150 people attending the dinner.
Golf resort developer Mike Keiser, the founder and owner of Bandon Golf Resort in southern Oregon and a major supporter of the Evans Scholars, was the keynote speaker on Monday and also participated in a Sunday night dinner fundraising event. Keiser has been inducted into the WGA-administered Caddie Hall of Fame for promoting the use of caddies and their role in golf. He’s been a WGA director since 2007 and has played a key role in developing strategies have have substantially increased fundraising for the Evans Scholarship.
As Keiser said at his Hall of Fame induction in 2014, “Caddying is the best job a teenager can have. You learn about golf but you also learn a lot about life, what it takes to be successful and what it means to work hard.”
All in all, Monday proved another very successful gathering in support of the Evans Scholarship.
“It was a great event and having Mr. Keiser there made it very special,” Solich said in an email.
The Evans Cup of Colorado dates back to the early 1980s, when it was founded as the Par Club Tournament. The full tuition and housing Evans Scholarship is awarded to high-achieving caddies with limited financial means, The WGA, which adminsters the Evans Scholarship, has long partnered with the CGA in supporting the scholarship at CU.
All told nationwide, 985 Evans Scholars are currently enrolled at 18 universities.
The next Evans Cup of Colorado event is scheduled for Oct. 14, 2019 at Castle Pines Golf Club.
The Evans Cup of Colorado raises money for the Evans Scholarship for caddies, and Western Golf Association director and state chairman Geoff “Duffy” Solich said it’s hoped that Monday’s event will net about $140,000 for the cause.
The University of Colorado has been home to an Evans Scholars house since the 1960s, and many of the roughly 60 current CU Evans Scholars (left) attended the festivities at Cherry Hills.
About 112 golfers played in the tournament despite temperatures in the 40s, and 200 attended the dinner.
Highlighting that dinner was World Golf Hall of Famer and three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, who grew up in Boulder and played golf and football at CU. Irwin participated in a Q&A with TV sports personality/emcee Vic Lombardi, and he provided advice and encouragement to the current Evans Scholars.
Dale Douglass, like Irwin a former CU golfer who’s a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, was also in attendance as an honored guest.
“It was a great event,” Solich, himself a former CU Evans Scholar, said via email. “We had great sponsors; BMW continues to support our event, (and) we had a very lively auction. All the Scholars joined us for dinner and took the stage at the same time. Hale was fabulous (and) Cherry Hills did an amazing job hosting the event.”
The Evans Cup of Colorado dates back to the early 1980s, when it was founded as the Par Club Tournament. The full tuition and housing Evans Scholarship is awarded to high-achieving caddies with limited financial means, The WGA, which adminsters the Evans Scholarship, has long partnered with the CGA and CWGA in supporting the scholarship at CU.
About 180 people attended the dinner program and 116 golfers played in the tournament, which dates back to the early 1980s, which it was founded as the Par Club Tournament.
Forty-seven current University of Colorado Evans Scholars, who benefit from the Evans Cup of Colorado, helped out at Monday’s event, and some recent alums of the program also lended a hand. The CGA, a major supporter of the Evans Scholarship, had some of its staff assist as well.
Joe Ellis, the president and CEO of the Denver Broncos, was the keynote speaker at the dinner, doing a Q&A with local TV sports anchor Vic Lombardi.
The Broncos organization brought the Lombardi Trophy, awarded to the team for winning the Super Bowl in February, to the Evans Cup. Many of the attendees used the opportunity to have photos taken with the trophy, including the CU Evans Scholars (pictured).
The full tuition and housing Evans Scholarship is awarded to high-achieving caddies with limited financial means.
Joe Ellis, president and CEO of the Denver Broncos, will be the keynote speaker at the dinner program that follows the noon shotgun start. There will be photo opportunities with the Lombardi Trophy the Broncos won at the Super Bowl in February.
Current and former Evans Scholars are expected to be on hand during the day on Oct. 3. The full tuition and housing Evans Scholarship is awarded to high-achieving caddies with limited financial means. Proceeds from the Evans Cup of Colorado support the Evans Scholars Foundation.
A silent auction also will be held as part of the festivities.
The Oct. 3 tournament will be a qualifier for the 2017 BMW U.S. Final, with the top team finisher in the two-person best-ball format earning a spot in the event at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.
For pricing and registration information for the Evans Cup, including an option to attend the dinner program only, CLICK HERE.
For more information, contact Courtney Fields at 224-260-3788 or fields@wgaesf.org.