NA’s Holt awarded one of 21 Evans Scholarships for caddies

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

Followingin the footsteps of her brother TJ, North Adams senior Emmy Holt has been awarded one of 21 Evans Scholarships. Holt was sponsored by the Losantiville Country Club and will be attending Ohio State University this fall.

A group of 21 caddies from the state of Ohio have been awarded the Evans Scholarship – a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies – following a selection meeting interview held at Maketewah Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 8.

To qualify for the Evans Scholarship, students must meet the Program’s four selection criteria, demonstrating a strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need, and outstanding character.

They will begin college in the fall of 2026 as Evans Scholars, with most to attend Miami University in Oxford or Ohio State University in Columbus. Awarded universities will be finalized this spring. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years. Recipients are listed below.

The Western Golf Association (WGA), headquartered in Glenview Illinois, has supported the Chick Evans Scholarship Program through the Evans Scholars Foundation since 1930. Known as one of golf’s favorite charities, it is the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

Currently, a record 1,260 caddies are enrolled at 27 universities across the country as Evans Scholars, including 53 at Ohio State, 68 at Miami and one at John Carroll. More than 12,575 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930.

“The dedication and maturity these students displayed throughout the selection process was truly remarkable,” said Joe Murray, a WGA Director and the Ohio State Chair. “They have earned this opportunity through years of hard work, and we’re excited to watch them thrive as Evans Scholars and future leaders.”

Selection meeting interviews will continue nationwide through spring. By the end of the 2025-26 selection process, an estimated 380 caddies from across the country are expected to receive the Evans Scholarship.

Evans Scholars have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 and a 98 percent graduation rate. An estimated 40 percent are first-generation college students, and 96 percent are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduating.

Funds for the Evans Scholarship come mostly from contributions by more than 43,500 supporters 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 penultimate PGA TOUR Playoff event in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup competition, benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. In 2026, the BMW Championship will be held at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, from August 18-23.