Glenview, IL – Eight students from the Philadelphia area were recently named recipients of the Platt Evans Scholarship, a full housing and tuition college grant awarded to golf caddies.
The result of a partnership between the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars Foundation and the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust, Platt Evans Scholars are chosen based on showing a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character. The recipients will attend Penn State University in University Park this fall. Below is a complete list of winners.
Recipients were awarded the Platt Evans Scholarship following a selection meeting held virtually on Feb. 10. This is the eighth year of the partnership between the ESF and the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust.
“Our relationship with the Evans Scholars Foundation allows us to serve and support amazing, bright and hardworking young men and women reach their potential and achieve a college education,” said Tina Gregor, Chairwoman of the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust.
The selection meeting held via Zoom was one of more than 20 such meetings the Evans Scholars Foundation is holding virtually across the country through the spring. When the 2020-21 selection meeting process is completed by April, 300 caddies nationwide are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.
“Based on their excellence in the classroom and their service to their schools and communities, these young students have certainly earned this life-changing opportunity,” said local WGA Director and Evans Alum Frank Polizzi. “We welcome them to the Evans Scholars family.”
Half of this year’s recipients were members of the Eastern Caddie Academy, a special summer program run by the WGA that provides caddie opportunities to under-resourced high school students who ultimately hope to pursue a Platt Evans Scholarship. This program offers students the chance to caddie each day, earn money, meet role models and learn valuable life lessons on the golf course. After completing three summers, participants are eligible to apply for the Platt Evans Scholarship.
This year’s Platt Evans Scholars, who will be attending Penn State this fall, are listed below. To learn more about the WGA and ESF, visit www.wgaesf.org.
| Name | City | High School | Sponsoring Club |
| John Luke Bass | Conshohocken | Plymouth Whitemarsh HS | Whitemarsh Valley CC |
| Francis Yocum | Garnet Valley | Garnet Valley HS | Wilmington CC, DE |
| Finn Coll | Oreland | Springfield Township HS | Manufacturers’ G & CC |
| Liam Coll | Oreland | Springfield Township HS | Manufacturers’ G & CC |
| Mia Velez* | Penns Grove, NJ | Cristo Rey Philadelphia HS | Whitemarsh Valley CC |
| Carol Baird* | Philadelphia | Cristo Rey Philadelphia HS | Aronimink GC |
| Zaniyah Bates* | Philadelphia | Cristo Rey Philadelphia HS | Whitemarsh Valley CC |
| Nije’e Patton-Johns* | Sewell, NJ | Cristo Rey Philadelphia HS | Whitemarsh Valley CC |
*Eastern Caddie Academy participant.
J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust
The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created in 1958 by the Golf Association of Philadelphia through the efforts of then President Walter A. Schmidt; Leo Fraser, President of the local section of Professional Golfers Association of America; and Albert Keeping, Golf Professional at Gulph Mills Golf Club. It was named in honor of Philadelphia’s premier golfer of the era, J. Wood Platt. Not only was Mr. Platt an accomplished player, but he was also the Trust’s co-founder and first contributor. To date, more than 3,800 young men and women have received $23 million in aid from the Trust.
Evans Scholars Foundation
Established by famed amateur golfer Charles Chick Evans Jr., the Evans Scholars Foundation provides full housing and tuition scholarships to high-achieving caddies across the country. Currently, a record 1,045 caddies are enrolled in 19 universities across the nation as Evans Scholars. The Program, which is supported by the Western Golf Association, is funded by contributions from more than 32,000 Evans Scholars Par Club members, including Evans Scholars Alumni, as well as proceeds from the BMW Championship. Since the Program’s inception in 1930, more than 11,320 caddies nationwide have graduated as Evans Scholars. To learn more, visit www.wgaesf.org.
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 288 Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and Delaware. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
