Q&A with this month’s #PlattProfile, Jeremiah Brown.
Brown tells us about his love for golf and his time with the First Tee.
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
Q: How old are you?
A: I am 19.
Q: What school are you currently attending?
A: I am a freshman at the Catholic University of America.
Q: When do you graduate?
A: I graduate in the spring of 2027.
Q: What is your major?
A: Philosophy pre-law and I am looking at adding a minor in psych.
Q: How did you decide on that major?
A: I’ve always been attracted to law. It’s just one of those fields I’ve always had an interest in. A lot of people have told me I’d make a pretty good lawyer and that they would love to have me represent them. I also participated in a club in high school called mock trial and basically, we just acted out a bunch of court cases and I just have this love for law. I really loved doing that in high school, I might do it here, I just have a good grasp on everything that’s about.
Q: What made you want to add a minor?
A: The way Catholic works is we have to fulfill a bunch of requirements and one of those requirements is a social science. And so, I didn’t want to have to deal with taking sociology or chemistry or biology so I found psych. My mom has a graduate degree in Psychology. She’s a school counselor. She suggested I take that course because she thinks that I would really like it and that’s her field so if I needed help I could ask her questions and so I did. We just had midterms last week, I like the course so far. Since I am a philosophy major, there is a lot of open space in my schedule that I would have to fill with a bunch of electives so they suggested finding a minor because that would fill in all those spaces. I really like psych, it’s fascinating, and it’s interesting the way people process information. I think it can also help translate into law if I’m going to be a lawyer.
Q: Do you participate in activities in school? Clubs?
A: Yes, I am on the golf team here at Catholic. I am also on the club Ultimate Frisbee team. There are a little bit of scheduling issues because golf and that happens at the same time, golf is fall and spring. Then I applied to be an ambassador, but that would be for next year because you apply as a freshman so you can start your sophomore year. I’ve had thoughts about being an RA. I’m still looking at everything they have to do to see if I want to make that decision. I joined the Young Americans for Freedom Club here on campus and I am still waiting to hear back from them with details about what the club does. That’s it so far. I’m still finding more things.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I like playing golf, I don’t really call it a hobby because it is the sport I play. I like doing puzzles a lot. I do word games such as crosswords, word searches, and things like that. They help me take my mind off of all the work and stuff that I have to do throughout the day.
Q: What golf club do you caddie for?
A: Overbrook Golf Club in Haverford.
Q: How long have you been caddying?
A: I started in 2020 right after Covid. I am going into my third full year there.
Q: How did you start caddying?
A: I was part of an organization called the First Tee. I was with their Greater Philadelphia chapter and one of the things they do is called the Caddie Academy. They basically take a bunch of kids, train them to be caddies, and then they place them at different golf courses mostly based on convenience and location. So, I went through that process. I graduated from the Caddie Academy and they placed me at Overbrook in the fall of 2020 and that’s how I got started there.
Q: Tell me more about your time at the First Tee.
A: Sure! I actually was with the First Tee, I think it’s 13 or 14 years, so I was with them for a while. It’s a great organization, it’s a nonprofit. They teach young kids about not only golf but more importantly, they teach a bunch of life skills. I believe their motto now is “Game Changers”. They try to teach kids to be game changers, better people, better golfers. It’s just a great organization. I love it. My brother and sister are still in it, too.
Q: What is your favorite thing about caddying?
A: As I’ve already said I really love golf. Something I’ve thought about early on is making it professionally like a side gig in a sense. I could be a lawyer and then if I have free time, I could pursue being a PGA professional at some point in my life. Golf, in a sense, has become a part of me now because I’ve been with the First Tee for 14 years, I grew up with golf in my life. Caddying allows me to take work and golf, the one thing I don’t enjoy as much and the one thing I enjoy, and make it one thing together. It pays well, I get to be outdoors all day, and I spend a whole day on the golf course. Caddying is a great job for me I am definitely going to try to continue after college as well.
Q: How did you hear about J. Wood Platt?
A: One of my best friends growing up as a kid, his dad was actually a Platt Scholar. So, he has been telling me for a while that I should get into caddying and then try to become a Platt Scholar because the organization is so awesome. He told me Platt has done so much for him and told me the Trust would do the same for me. So eventually, and when I ended up becoming a caddie, he was like, “Hey, you should try to pursue this scholarship” and I did and I ended up getting it. He would always tell my parents to make sure I filled out the application because he knew it would definitely be worthwhile for me.
Q: What are your long-term goals? Think 5 to 10 years
A: In the future, I plan to graduate from college and attend law school. Following my graduation from law school, I will look to find a job with an insurance company which I can then start my professional career. I also intend to pursue a PGA license and become a certified PGA Pro.
Q: What is something that happened to you while caddying that you will never forget?
A: During our member-guest last year, the team I caddied for was playing well and had been making a lot of putts. On the 16th green, they had a 12ft slider for birdie to win the hole and put them 2 up with two to play. I gave them a read for the putt and the member disagreed with me initially. He did not believe that the putt would break as much as I had seen. After a casual back and forth between us he decided to trust my read, and he ended up making the putt and successively winning the match. I remember how excited he was when that putt went in and how he turned to me, yelled in excitement, and gave me a huge high five. At the end of the round, he pulled me aside and told me that he contributed their win to my call on that putt and said that gave them the momentum that solidified their win.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self as a caddie or a new caddie just starting?
A: I would tell him to be assertive when making a decision and not to second guess yourself, especially when starting out. The members I had were very understanding and educational and they contributed to my learning experience and made it better for me. Also, be open to advice from other caddies and players as their advice can make your rounds go easier and may even lead to you earning bigger tips.
Q: How has J. Wood Platt changed your life?
A: J. Wood Platt has opened doors that may have otherwise been closed to me. They have allowed me to become a more confident person and connected me to a great network of current and former caddies and golfers who all want the best for me. Without Platt, I wouldn’t have been in the position I stand in today and I am forever grateful to them for what they have done for me.
J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust
The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created in 1958 and is the charitable arm of GAP (Golf Association of Philadelphia). The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust’s mission is to financially aid and empower qualified caddies and those working in golf operations in the pursuit of higher education. Along with aiding caddies financially, J. Wood Platt’s EMPOWER program strengthens scholarship investment dollars by providing caddies with exceptional benefits and leadership training through access to the wide network of J. Wood Platt donors and alumni. To date, more than 3,700 young men and women have received $25 million in aid from the Trust.
