Two Victoria Student Caddies Earn Full College Scholarships
Via Press Release
GLENVIEW, Ill. (April 23, 2025) – Two students from Victoria, British Columbia, have been awarded the Evans Scholarship — a full housing and tuition university grant offered to golf caddies — following a selection meeting interview held Feb. 19 at Victoria Golf Club in Victoria, B.C.
Connor Meir (above centre-left) and Joe Harris (above centre-right), both of Victoria, caddied at Victoria Golf Club. They are flanked in the above image by Guy Crozier (left) and Jenny Dobell right), who are the Western Golf Association Directors at Victoria Golf Club.
This fall, the two young men will begin university as Evans Scholars, with their awarded schools to be announced this spring. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.
To qualify, students must meet the Program’s four selection criteria and show a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character.
The Western Golf Association (WGA), headquartered in Glenview, Ill., oversees the Evans Scholars Program. Recently recognized as the Scholarship Provider of the Year by the National Scholarship Providers Association, the Evans Scholars Foundation (ESF) is one of golf’s favorite charities and the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.
“Both Connor and Joe have proven to be incredibly committed at our club and in our community,” WGA Director and Victoria Golf Club member Jenny Dobell. “We are so proud of all they have achieved academically and personally, and we look forward to watching them succeed as Evans Scholars and beyond.”
Meir, who plans to study business, is a senior at Oak Bay High School. He has been playing golf since age three and will be the first in his family to attend college. “The aspect I cherish most about caddying is the life advice I received from golfers,” he said. “Every golfer I caddied for told me about their lives, and often their careers. This was a gift I am extremely grateful for, as it heavily influenced my decision to pursue a career in business.”
Harris, who plans to study law, is a senior at Reynolds Secondary School. He also will be the first in his family to attend college. “Caddying has taught me how to be a better leader through motivating others and setting an excellent example,” he said. “It has reinforced my sense of responsibility, reliability and trustworthiness – teaching me how to network on a one-on-one level.”
Currently, a record 1,190 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities across the country as Evans Scholars. More than 12,285 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930.
“Since our founding, our Program has changed the lives of young caddies who have proven their dedication in the classroom, on the golf course and in their communities,” said WGA Chairman Steve Colnitis. “We are proud to welcome Connor and Joe the Evans Scholars family.”
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 95 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 36,000 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 2025, the BMW Championship will be held at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, Md., from Aug. 12-17.
About the Western Golf Association
The Western Golf Association conducts six national golf championships and sponsors the nationally acclaimed Evans Scholars Foundation. Headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, the organization was founded in 1899 by 11 Chicago-area golf clubs to promote their interests in golf. In addition to the BMW Championship on the PGA TOUR and the NV5 Invitational on the Korn Ferry Tour, the WGA conducts four prestigious amateur championships, the Western Amateur, the Western Junior, and the Women’s Western Golf Association’s Amateur and Junior championships.
About the Evans Scholars Foundation
Established by the WGA and 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 1,190 caddies are enrolled in 24 leading universities across the nation as Evans Scholars. The Program, which is supported by the WGA, is funded by contributions from more than 43,500 Par Club members, including Evans Scholars Alumni, as well as proceeds from the BMW Championship. Since the Program’s inception in 1930, more than 12,000 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars.