3 McHenry County teens net 4-year college scholarships for caddying

Three McHenry County high school students received a four-year housing and tuition scholarship valued at about $120,000, for their work as golf caddies.

Jack Roberts of Crystal Lake, Gianna Patenaude of Lake in the Hills and Brogan Pivnicka of Woodstock received these scholarships for caddying, according to the Western Golf Association.

Roberts and Patenaude attend Crystal Lake South High School and Pivnicka attends Marian Central Catholic High School. The teens were three of 20 Chicago-area high school students to receive the Evans Scholarship, founded by Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr.

The students received their scholarship awards after a final selection interview conducted Nov. 20 at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, according to the WGA.

“Each of these deserving Evans scholars epitomizes what our program has been about since its creation in 1930,” WGA Chairman Frank Morley said. “Their dedication, hard work and sacrifice is humbling, and we are honored to be able to help them pursue their dreams.”

Roberts and Patenaude caddie at Crystal Lake Country Club, while Pivnicka caddies at Bull Valley Golf Club. They will begin college next fall as Evans scholars, with awarded universities to be finalized in the spring, according to the WGA.

The WGA, headquartered in Glenview, said this is the nation's largest privately funded scholarship program.

WGA directors, Evans scholars alumni and other program supporters interviewed each of the nominees during a selection meeting. Each caddie had a unique story to tell that reflected the scholarship’s four selection criteria: a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character, according to the WGA.

“These young men and women have shown excellence in the classroom and in their communities, as well as on the golf course,” WGA President and CEO John Kaczkowski said. “We welcome them to the Evans scholars family.”

The Olympia Fields Country Club selection meeting was one of more than 20 meetings the Evans Scholars Foundation will hold across the country through the spring.

A record 1,010 caddies are enrolled at 18 universities across the nation as Evans scholars, and more than 11,050 caddies have graduated as Evans scholars since the program was founded.

When the 2019-20 selection meeting process is completed by April, an estimated 285 caddies are expected to be awarded the scholarship.

Scholarship funds mostly are acquired through contributions from 32,500 golfers across the country who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program. Evans scholars alumni donate more than $14 million annually, with all proceeds from the BMW Championship, the penultimate PGA Tour Playoff event in the PGA Tour’s FedExCup competition, donated to the Evans Scholars Foundation. In 2020, the BMW Championship will be from Aug. 20 to 23 at Olympia Fields Country Club.

For information about the WGA and ESF, visit www.wgaesf.org.