Being a caddie is a common first job for many kids. Chicago is full of many incredible country clubs and golf courses, so it’s no wonder that a number of Mount Carmel students are caddies themselves.
Every year, hundreds of caddies apply for the Chick Evans scholarship, a full tuition and housing college scholarship for high-achieving caddies with limited financial means. To qualify, caddies must meet the requirements of having a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need, and outstanding character.
This past March, MC seniors Ryan Walsh and Amir Davis were awarded the prestigious scholarship. Walsh and Davis are both on the Caravan golf team and spend a lot of their free time learning more about the game, whether it be playing or caddying.
“This just shows how hard work pays off,” said golf head coach Mike Minogue ’83. “I’m proud of these guys because I see how determined they are.”
Walsh and Davis know a thing or two about hard work. Davis had to travel a long way everyday over the summer to make it to Knollwood Club in Lake Forest. Not only did he have to set aside time to learn more about the course, but he had to take time out of his day to even get there.
“I had to get up early to drive for 50 minutes everyday,” he said. “Over time I learned how to read greens, find the ball faster, and just be more helpful.”
While Davis went up north to Knollwood to caddie, Walsh made the trip on the South Side everyday to Beverly Country Club. Prior to this year’s class, Beverly had the most Chick Evans scholars out of any club in the nation with 356.
“I started at Beverly the fall of my freshman year,” said Walsh. “People talked about the scholarship a lot, so when the time came to apply I figured I would.”
Caddying is of course a major part of Walsh’s life, but a lot of his focus during high school was more so on playing golf.
“My goal at first was to play college golf,” said Walsh. “Whenever I wasn’t practicing or playing in a tournament, I was out caddying as much as I could. The Evans was still more of an afterthought though.”
Walsh was one of six players to go down to Illinois State University this past fall when the Caravan golf team placed third in state. It was the first time Mount Carmel golf had ever gone down state, and was a huge individual accomplishment for Walsh as well.
“We worked really hard this last season,” he said. “Being able to reap the benefits of that was great. After going down state I was in the gears of getting ready to play college golf and actually committed to play at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. When I got the scholarship, it was a hard decision at first because I really wanted to play in college. Eventually I figured it out with the scholarship. My senior year has been great but the Evans has really been the icing on top.”
Walsh and Davis worked hard on the course to build a great reputation, but also worked hard in the classroom to earn excellent grades. Another factor in winning the scholarship was the financial aid side of things.
“This is definitely going to take a financial burden off my parents,” said Davis. “I’m the third kid my parents have to put through college.”
Davis’s older brother and sister also received the Chick Evans scholarship when they were seniors in high school. His brother goes to the University of Michigan, and his sister graduated from Northwestern University.
Like Davis, Walsh also has siblings, and this scholarship is going to help his family as well.
“My parents separated when I was in seventh grade,” said Walsh. “My parents always told me that I was going to have to pay for my own college. Catholic school is pretty expensive for six kids, so that’s why I was always focused on playing college golf or getting this scholarship.”
Heading into this summer, Walsh and Davis will continue to do the job they love at their respective clubs and proudly tell their families and friends that they are Chick Evans scholars.
This fall, Walsh will attend the University of Kansas, and while he hasn’t decided yet, Davis is leaning towards attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. They will stay in the Evans Scholarship Houses at the respective universities, a place in which only Evans scholars can stay.
“These guys worked really hard,” said Coach Minogue. “They’re talented golfers, and it’s just awesome to see what they’ve done.”
