How a South Bend Adams student received a full-ride scholarship through golf caddying
SOUTH BEND — When Ryan Brown started golf caddying at age 13, he didn’t know a single thing about the game.
Five years later, he has a full-ride scholarship to college because of it.
Brown, a senior at South Bend Adams High School, is one of 18 Indiana students this year to receive the Chick Evans Scholarship, which provides a full four-year housing and tuition scholarship to golf caddies. The scholarship awarded through the Western Golf Association is the nation’s largest privately funded scholarship program.
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“I was kind of surprised, I’m not going to lie,” said Brown of receiving the scholarship. “I know it’s a very tough scholarship to get. When I was down there, I met the other candidates who were getting interviewed, and they all seemed very impressive and well-rounded. I knew it wasn’t going to be super easy, but I did have confidence in myself.”
Evans Scholarship recipients are selected based on four criteria: excellent academics, a strong caddying record, outstanding character and a demonstrated financial need. More than 1,000 caddies across the country are enrolled at universities across the country as Evans Scholars, with the scholarship valued at $125,000 each.
Brown began caddying at the South Bend Country Club five years ago when one of his dad’s coworkers mentioned how his kids were doing it. The first event Brown helped out at was a Memorial Day tournament in 2019, and his love for golf and caddying grew from there.
“All the caddies would stand out there, and if a golfer wanted a caddy, they would walk by and ask for one,” Brown explained. “Over time, as you get to caddy for more people, you get to meet certain golfers. I’ll get their phone numbers, and they’ll text me whenever they’re going to be out there playing so I can caddy for them.”
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It didn’t take long for Brown to have his favorite memory of being a caddy.
In July 2019, the U.S. Senior Open came to Warren Golf Course on the campus of Notre Dame. Several famous Notre Dame alum came back in town for the weekend, including two football greats who wanted to play a round at the Country Club.
“Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis went out to the Country Club on a Sunday morning, and I just happened to caddy for them,” Ryan Brown said. “I feel kind of bad because I was not a good caddy at all back then – I was only 13 years old. … I was not in a position to offer anyone advice on their game, but they were really nice to me.”
Brown and his family had known about the Evans Scholarship for a few years before applying for it this fall. After completing an application that consisted of multiple letters of recommendation and an essay, Brown was selected to be interviewed by the scholarship committee in Carmel.
“That was a little intimidating because it wasn’t like a typical interview; it almost felt more like a press conference,” Brown said. “I was standing up at a podium, and there was a microphone and a room full of 40 people. It was some big donors asking me questions about my application and my essay, things like that.”
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After a few weeks, Brown was notified he was one of the caddies chosen for the scholarship. Brown, who carries a 4.06 GPA and takes international baccalaureate (IB) classes at Adams, plans on attending Indiana University in the fall and studying finance.
Along with the support from his family and friends, Brown knew he couldn’t make this accomplishment happen without a few other entities.
“I’d like to say thanks to the South Bend Country Club, the Western Golf Association, and also every golfer that I’ve caddied for through the years because they’ve all helped me get to where I am today,” Brown said.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Adams' Ryan Brown earns prestigious Chick Evans Scholarship
