GOLF, IL (March 4, 2008) – Ten high school seniors from Indiana have been awarded the Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship, a full tuition and housing college scholarship renewable for up to four years, in the 2008-09 academic year.

Evans Scholars are golf caddies who were selected based on four criteria: a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character.

The Western Golf Association, headquartered in Golf, Illinois, has administered the Chick Evans Scholarship Program through the Evans Scholars Foundation since its inception in 1930. It is the nation’s largest privately funded scholarship program.

Recipients were chosen after individual interviews with candidates at a recent selection meeting hosted by the WGA and Indiana Golf Association at Orchard Ridge Country Club in Fort Wayne. Additional candidate interviews may occur in Indiana this spring, with more deserving caddies possibly receiving scholarships for fall 2008.

“These young men and women have excelled in academics and in service to their schools and communities,” said Don Johnson, president and CEO of the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation. “We welcome them to the Evans Scholars family and look forward to their continued success as college students.”

Selected students live in an Evans Scholarship House at one of the 14 chapters in the program, including Indiana University in Bloomington and Purdue University in West Lafayette.

Listed below are the Chick Evans Scholarship recipients, with his or her name followed by hometown, golf or country club caddied at, high school and college to attend:

Alex Barnett, Indianapolis, C.C. of Indianapolis, Ben Davis H.S., Indiana

Jordan Buuck, Hoagland, Fort Wayne C.C., Heritage H.S., Purdue

Bethany Craib, Ft. Wayne, Fort Wayne C.C., Bishop Dwenger H.S., Indiana

Kelsey Knapp, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne C.C., Homestead H.S., Indiana

Melissa Kowalinski, Mishawaka, Elcona C.C., Culver Girls Academies, Indiana

Rebecca Lindenman, South Bend, South Bend C.C., Riley H.S., Purdue

Janae Meyers, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne C.C., Bishop Luers H.S., Purdue

David Osborn, Fort Wayne, Orchard Ridge C.C., Homestead H.S., Indiana

Robert Schnorr, Indianapolis, Meridian Hills C.C., Bishop Chatard H.S., Indiana

Gregory Svarczkopf, Fort Wayne, Sycamore Hills G.C., Bishop Dwenger H.S., Indiana

Currently, 835 caddies are enrolled in college as Evans Scholars, including 47 at Indiana University and 48 at Purdue University. More than 8,600 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars – including 498 from Indiana and 356 from Purdue - since the program was founded in 1930 by Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., famed Chicago amateur golfer and winner of the 1916 U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur.

The program has a college graduation rate of over 90 percent, and an overall GPA for all Evans Scholars in college above a 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.

Scholarship funds come mostly from contributions by more than 500 member clubs, 36,000 WGA Par Club members and 100,000 golfers in the WGA Bag Tag Program. Evans Scholar Alumni donate over $3 million annually to the program.

The scholarship program is also supported by 23 affiliated golf associations and with proceeds from the BMW Championship, the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff events in the PGA TOUR’s 2008 FedExCup competition. The BMW Championship will be held Sept. 1-7 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis.

For more information on the Evans Scholars Program, call (847) 724-4600, e-mail evansscholars@wgaesf.com, write to the Evans Scholars Foundation at 1 Briar Road, Golf, Illinois, 60029, or visit: www.evansscholarsfoundation.com.

CONTACT: Amy Boerema
Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation
(847) 724-4600, ext. 255
boerema@wgaesf.com